High School and College Reunions

By Jerilyn Watson
Broadcast: August 4, 2003
(THEME)
VOICE ONE:
School 1)reunions are a chance for Americans to get together with people they may not have seen in years. Some have not seen each other in half a lifetime¹. I'm Steve Ember.
VOICE TWO:
And I'm Phoebe Zimmermann. We look at high school and college reunions this week on the VOA Special English program THIS IS AMERICA.
(THEME)
VOICE ONE:
Two women were attending a reunion of their high school class. They had not seen each other for more than forty years. Each had married and had children. Each had worked at several jobs. Yet they immediately told each other: "You have not changed at all!"
And they were not alone. Reunions are a chance to go back in time, briefly², to relive days fresh out of school. There are ten-year reunions. Twenty-year reunions. Fifty-year unions. In any given year, thousands of Americans attend a high school or college reunion.
VOICE TWO:
People sometimes go long distances to get to these events. Some pay a lot of money to travel and stay in hotels. Just planning the visit can take time, especially if the person wants to do something special.
Take the example of a woman from Bethesda, Maryland. She graduated many years ago from a high school near Chicago, Illinois.
This summer, she decided³ to hold a smaller reunion of her own during her high school reunion. She wanted to gather several of her friends in the same hotel so they could talk as they had as teen-agers. The women were from all parts of the country.
Her plan required several long-distance telephone calls and at least forty e-mail messages. But it was worth the time. The women visited the houses where they had lived while in high school. They remembered each other's boyfriends and families. They stayed up late for two nights as they exchanged stories about their lives. It was like they were girls again.
(MUSIC BRIDGE)
VOICE ONE:
Reunions can be a lot of fun, but also a lot of pressure. Sometimes people feel they must improve their appearance⁴ before they go to a reunion. This is true of both men and women. They may try to lose weight. They may change the color of their hair. Or they may buy costly⁵ new clothes.
People may feel they have to prove to others how successful they are. Then, if they talk too much about their success, others accuse⁶ them of “2)bragging⁷.”
People at reunions often talk about their children and grandchildren⁸. They may talk about them for a long time. Most people who are parents and grandparents also carry pictures. So it is common to overhear⁹ former classmates saying things like, “I think that baby looks just like you.” Or, “Oh, your granddaughter is beautiful!"
VOICE TWO:
People who attend high school and college reunions sometimes try to make business connections. They try to get former classmates to invest¹⁰ in their companies or buy their products. Some people ask old school friends for a job.
Political¹¹ candidates¹² are no strangers to high school and college reunions. For example, Senator¹³ Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut attended Stamford High School in his state. He completed his studies in nineteen-sixty. Since then, he has attended seven of the eight class reunions.
In January of this year, Senator Lieberman chose the school as the place to make an important announcement. He announced his candidacy¹⁴ for the Democratic¹⁵ Party nomination¹⁶ for president in two-thousand-four. Many members of his high school reunion committee¹⁷ took part in the event.
VOICE ONE:
There are all kinds of reunions. Former students organize many of them. People who have planned a reunion say it sometimes requires a year or more of hard work. But, this way, the people give their time to make the preparations. So it can cost less than a reunion organized by a business.
But the former students can also hire a reunion planner. For example, a company called Reunions by Design organizes high school reunions in the eastern states of New York, New Jersey¹⁸ and Connecticut. It searches for members of a high school or college class.
It places news of the coming reunion in newspapers and on the Internet. It mails invitations. It organizes hotel rooms for people who live far from the school. It also prints memory books. These books tell a little something about the lives of the former students, including where they now live and work.
VOICE TWO:
Many different kinds of reunions take place. Some may be formal and cost a lot. This kind usually takes place in a hotel. A big dinner is served. A band or 3)orchestra¹⁹ usually plays.
Other reunions are informal²⁰. This kind of party is often held in the high school or college itself. The people who went to school together share a meal. Then they may dance to music just as they did years before.
Reunions can even take place in the home of one of the former students. That is what happened several years ago with the graduating class of nineteen-sixty-nine from Wellesley College. That is a women's school in Wellesley, Massachusetts.
Their classmate Hillary Rodham Clinton held the reunion in the White House while she was first lady. Missus Clinton is the wife of former President Bill Clinton. She is now a United²¹ States senator from New York.
(MUSIC)
VOICE ONE:
Many high school and college reunions take place at the same time as an event called homecoming. Schools plan this event to invite their graduates to return for a visit. Homecoming almost always is held in the fall.The schools plan events for the returning graduates. There usually is an important football game or other sports event that former students can attend. And there usually is a party called an open house. Teachers or professors welcome back their former students.
VOICE TWO:
Some activities are the same at all reunions. For example, people usually bring their old high school or college yearbooks. They look back through all the pictures of the people they went to school with. They read over the notes they wrote to each other back then. The usual message is something like, "Good luck. I will think of you in the future.” Former classmates at reunions look at the pictures and try to identify people as they look today.
The main program is usually led by one or more speakers from the class. They tell jokes and remember stories about their classmates. They introduce former teachers. They introduce classmates who fell in love with other classmates and got married.
Reunions are also famous as a second chance for love.
VOICE ONE:
The people who organize reunions may show films of when everyone was a teen-ager. If the students were in school a long time ago, they laugh at the clothes they wore.
And there is something else people do at reunions. They almost always sing their school song.
(MUSIC)
VOICE TWO:
Mental health experts tell us that the high school and college years can be difficult for young people. They may feel they are not bright enough or good looking enough to succeed in life.
A member of the graduating class of a high school in the Midwest made a 4)videotape of some of the students at his class reunion. He asked them to respond²² to questions like “What do you remember most?”
VOICE ONE:
Those who spoke²³ first said they thought the teachers were excellent. Or they said they learned²⁴ a lot. Or they fell in love for the first time.
But a woman who became a newspaper reporter in Colorado said she felt very unhappy in high school. She said she felt ugly, and that she would never succeed in life. After that, a number of other people admitted that they also felt that way as teen-agers. They said they were glad that was behind them now.
VOICE TWO:
Retired²⁵ diplomat²⁶ Patricia Barnett Brubaker lives in the state of Maryland. She has attended many reunions of her class at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York.
She and her classmates always marched in a parade²⁷ during ceremonies at their college reunions. But now they are more than eighty years old. So, at their sixtieth reunion, they rode in a car. Says Missus Brubaker: "I just thought it was wonderful that we got there."
VOICE ONE:
Our program was written by Jerilyn Watson -- who just got back from her high school reunion, where she was the woman with that small reunion of her own. Our producer was Caty Weaver²⁸. I'm Steve Ember.
VOICE TWO:
And I'm Phoebe Zimmermann. Join us again next week for another report about life in the United States on the VOA Special English program, THIS IS AMERICA.

注释：
1) reunions [ri:5ju:njEn] n.聚会
2) bragging [brA^iN] n.吹牛
3) orchestra [5C:kistrE] n.管弦乐队, 乐队演奏处
4) videotape [5vidiEu7teip] n.录像带

1 lifetime   

n.一生，终身，寿命，使用期限

参考例句：

• He wrote many books during his lifetime.他一生著作甚多。
• During his lifetime his work was never published.他的作品在他的有生之年从未出版过。

2 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 appearance   

n.出现，露面；容貌

参考例句：

• In appearance, he was a little like his father.他看起来有点像他的父亲。
• She was a young woman of good appearance.她是一位年轻貌美的女子。

5 costly   

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。

6 accuse   

vt.指责，控告，归咎于；vi.指责，控告

参考例句：

• I've been wrong to accuse him.我指责他是不正确的。
• Make sure of your facts before you accuse him.在指责他以前要把材料核实一下。

7 bragging   

v.自夸，吹嘘( brag的现在分词 )；大话

参考例句：

• He's always bragging about his prowess as a cricketer. 他总是吹嘘自己板球水平高超。 来自辞典例句
• Now you're bragging, darling. You know you don't need to brag. 这就是夸口，亲爱的。你明知道你不必吹。 来自辞典例句

8 grandchildren   

n.孙子；孙（女），外孙（女）( grandchild的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He left a bequest to each of his grandchildren. 他给他的孙辈每人留下一笔遗产。
• His grandchildren afforded him his greatest pleasure in his old age. 他的孙子和孙女们在晚年的时候给了他最大的欢乐。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 overhear   

vt.无意中听到，偷听到

参考例句：

• I happened to overhear what he said.我碰巧听到他说的话。
• They stepped aside so that their child could not overhear their conversation.他们走到一边去，不让孩子听见他们的谈话。

10 invest   

v.投资；投入(时间等)；授予，赋予

参考例句：

• I have decided to invest in a new car.我已经决定买一辆新汽车。
• The best time to invest is now.现在是投资的最佳时机。

11 political   

adj.政治上的，政党的，政略性的，政治的

参考例句：

• He was forced to leave his homeland for political reasons.因为政治原因他被迫离开自己的祖国。
• In ideas those two political parties are worlds apart.那两个政党在思想上有巨大分歧。

12 candidates   

n.报考者( candidate的名词复数 )；申请求职者；攻读学位者；最后命运或结局如何已显然可见者

参考例句：

• Employers must consider all candidates impartially and without bias. 雇主必须公平而毫无成见地考虑所有求职者。
• one of the leading candidates for the presidency 总统职位的主要候选人之一

13 senator   

n.参议员，评议员

参考例句：

• The senator urged against the adoption of the measure.那参议员极力反对采取这项措施。
• The senator's speech hit at government spending.参议员的讲话批评了政府的开支。

14 candidacy   

n.候选人资格；候选人的地位

参考例句：

• The reporters trapped the official into declaring his candidacy. 记者们设下圈套，巧妙地使那位官员公布了自己是候选人。 来自辞典例句
• "We got the word that Jack Woltz won't spend studio money to support your candidacy. “我们得到消息说，杰克 - 乌尔茨不愿意拿制片厂的钱来支持你为得奖候选人。 来自教父部分

15 democratic   

adj.民主的；民主主义的，有民主精神的

参考例句：

• Their country has democratic government.他们国家实行民主政体。
• He has a democratic work-style.他作风民主。

16 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

17 committee   

n.委员会，全体委员

参考例句：

• We referred the matter back to the Finance Committee.我们把这事转回给财政委员会处理。
• I am going to speak out against the committee's decision.我打算直言反对委员会的决定。

18 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

19 orchestra   

n.管弦乐队；vt.命令，定购

参考例句：

• He plays the violin in an orchestra.他在管弦乐队中演奏小提琴。
• I was tempted to stay and hear this superb orchestra rehearse.我真想留下来听这支高超的管弦乐队排练。

20 informal   

adj.非正式的，不拘礼的，通俗的

参考例句：

• I got an informal reception.我受到了非正式接待。
• The leaders met over informal lunches.领袖们在非正式午餐时进行会晤。

21 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

22 respond   

vi.回答，响应

参考例句：

• I offered him a drink but he did not respond.我请他喝酒，但他未作回答。
• I greeted him but he didn't respond.我跟他打招呼，他没答理我。

23 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

24 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

25 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

26 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

27 parade   

n.游行，炫耀，阅兵，检阅，阅兵场；v.游行，炫耀，夸耀，（使）列队行进

参考例句：

• She is on parade in her new dress in the street.她穿着新衣服在大街上走来走去。
• The boys loved watching the soldiers on parade.男孩子们爱看士兵们列队行进。

28 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。