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Prom: An American Tradition

时间:2017-06-11 04:26:08

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(单词翻译)

 

Hope Nibert has a huge smile on her face.

The 18-year-old from Arlington, Virginia has a lot of reasons to be happy. Her high school graduation is just days away. She goes to Guatemala in the summer to work there with her church. Then, in the fall, she will head to Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania.

But that is not why she is smiling right now. Tonight, in a beautiful long dress, with her hair perfectly1 curled, she is excited to be going to prom.

“A prom is a formal dance for high school students that’s usually at the end of the year.”

Made in America

Prom was born in the United States more than 100 years ago and has spread to other parts of the world. In America, it has become an industry similar to the wedding business. A study done by the American financial company, Visa, found that, on average, an American family spends more than 900 dollars on prom.

Much of it is spent on what the young adults wear to the formal dance. Gowns often cost in the hundreds of dollars. Tuxedo2 rentals3 are similarly priced. And then there are costs linked to hair and makeup4, flowers for prom dates, dinner and transportation.

It adds up. But some students find ways to make the event more economical.

“I borrowed my dress,” says Maggie Kinnett. Like Hope, Maggie is a senior at Yorktown High School in Arlington. She got her makeup done without cost by a professional who is a family friend.

Making it affordable5

Hope also cuts costs. She bought her dress online for far less than she would have paid in the stores. She also did her own hair.

Many girls choose to get ready for the prom with friends. They might get their hair done at a beauty shop together. They might hire a professional make-up artist for a few hours to share the costs.

Probably the least costly6 thing about prom is the ticket to the dance. Yorktown held its event at a hotel in Arlington. The tickets were $45.

Maggie and Hope were among about 15 friends who spent the evening together. This is a common tradition. The kids will gather at a student’s house. They take pictures, share appetizers8 and then, often, go to dinner together at a restaurant.

Christine Wanda chose that approach. She is a senior at H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program in Arlington.

Christine was in a group of about twenty students. But the crowd at the house where they met was larger. Several parents had also gathered to see their children off.

No date? No big deal

Joyce Wanda was among them. She moved to the U.S. from Uganda 21 years ago.

“I grew up in Uganda, I went to school in Uganda. We didn’t really have prom… So, when I arrived here, obviously the idea of prom is really new. It’s a new concept. The kids really kind of like, take it that serious(ly).”

But Wanda says her daughter told her she did not want to spend a lot of money. Nor did she want a date.

“I thought well don't you want to have a date. She’s like, 'Well, I don’t think it’s really that necessary. You can still go to a prom with your friends, and you'll enjoy yourself even without a prom date.'”

But, according to Hope Nibert it might matter more to students at Yorktown.

“There’s a lot of pressure to have a date to prom, just because people don’t want to be by themselves and be seen by themselves. It’s really to me, not a big deal, but it’s definitely a big deal at my school.”

Promposals

Asking someone to prom, however, is no small task in the United States. “Promposals,” as they are called, are supposed to be imaginative and take time to plan. Sometimes a kid will make a big poster using rhymes or word play to invite someone to prom.

Some kids might buy a gift to present when they ask someone to prom.

But some promposals can be far more elaborate and sometimes not a good idea. In a California park, for example, a student sprayed “Prom?” in huge letters on a boulder9 last year. In May, many people were offended when a white high school student in California painted his face black to ask a girl to prom.

But most promposals are simple and sweet. And sometimes getting the “yes” response is the best part of prom.

Last dance of childhood

That seemed to be Kevin Nunez’ experience. The H-B Woodlawn student came to the U.S. from El Salvador in 2015.

“This is my first prom. That is not a tradition in my country...and to be honest, I am having fun. The most special thing is that I asked my girl to come with me so that (makes) the evening more special.”

H-B Woodlawn’s prom was held at the Washington Golf and Country Club in Arlington. The kids had access to several large rooms, a photo booth and a beautiful patio10 with a view of the National Cathedral in Washington. The night was warm and clear, the atmosphere elegant and romantic.

But, most of the time, the students were inside, tearing up the dance floor, loudly celebrating each other and the start of their adult lives.

Words in This Story

curl - v. to twist or form (something) into a round or curved shape?

formal - adj. requiring or using proper clothes and manners?

gown - n. a long, formal dress that a woman wears especially during a special event?

tuxedo - n. a formal suit for a man?

appetizer7 - n. a small dish of food served before the main part of a meal?

elaborate - adj. made or done with great care or with much detail: having many parts that are carefully arranged or planned?

elegant - adj. showing good taste: graceful11 and attractive?

romantic - adj. making someone think of love: suitable for romance?


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 perfectly 8Mzxb     
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地
参考例句:
  • The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
  • Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。
2 tuxedo WKCzh     
n.礼服,无尾礼服
参考例句:
  • Well,you have your own tuxedo.噢,你有自己的燕尾服。
  • Have I told you how amazing you look in this tuxedo?我告诉过你穿这件燕尾服看起来很棒吗?
3 rentals d0a053f4957bbe94f4c1d9918956d75b     
n.租费,租金额( rental的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • In some large hotels, the income derived from this source actually exceeds income from room rentals. 有些大旅馆中,这方面的盈利实际上要超过出租客房的盈利。 来自辞典例句
  • Clerk: Well, Canadian Gifts is on the lower level. It's across from Prime Time Video Rentals. 噢,礼品店在楼下,在黄金时刻录像出租屋的对面。 来自口语例句
4 makeup 4AXxO     
n.组织;性格;化装品
参考例句:
  • Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
  • Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗?
5 affordable kz6zfq     
adj.支付得起的,不太昂贵的
参考例句:
  • The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
  • There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。
6 costly 7zXxh     
adj.昂贵的,价值高的,豪华的
参考例句:
  • It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
  • This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用,左不过贵了些。
7 appetizer jvczu     
n.小吃,开胃品
参考例句:
  • We served some crackers and cheese as an appetizer.我们上了些饼干和奶酪作为开胃品。
  • I would like a cucumber salad for an appetizer.我要一份黄瓜沙拉作开胃菜。
8 appetizers dd5245cbcffa48ce7e107a4a67e085e5     
n.开胃品( appetizer的名词复数 );促进食欲的活动;刺激欲望的东西;吊胃口的东西
参考例句:
  • Here is the egg drop and appetizers to follow. 这是您要的蛋花汤和开胃品。 来自互联网
  • Would you like appetizers or a salad to go with that? 你要不要小菜或色拉? 来自互联网
9 boulder BNbzS     
n.巨砾;卵石,圆石
参考例句:
  • We all heaved together and removed the boulder.大家一齐用劲,把大石头搬开了。
  • He stepped clear of the boulder.他从大石头后面走了出来。
10 patio gSdzr     
n.庭院,平台
参考例句:
  • Suddenly, the thought of my beautiful patio came to mind. I can be quiet out there,I thought.我又忽然想到家里漂亮的院子,我能够在这里宁静地呆会。
  • They had a barbecue on their patio on Sunday.星期天他们在院子里进行烧烤。
11 graceful deHza     
adj.优美的,优雅的;得体的
参考例句:
  • His movements on the parallel bars were very graceful.他的双杠动作可帅了!
  • The ballet dancer is so graceful.芭蕾舞演员的姿态是如此的优美。

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