VOA标准英语2014--Top 5 Songs for Week Ending Dec. 6

 

Top 5 Songs for Week Ending Dec. 6

The boys and girls play together nicely in this week’s Top Five, as you’ll soon discover. Let’s start in fifth place, where Taylor Swift steps back two slots to fifth place with her former champ “Shake It Off.” Next year, Taylor will tour Australia…but the city of Perth was left off the list. Promoter Michael Gudinski says it’s a matter of logistics: three days are needed to construct her outdoor sets, which didn’t leave enough time to include the Western Australian city. Perth got to host Taylor on her last tour - but Adelaide didn’t. This time, the situation is reversed. Shake it off, people.

Holding in fourth place is Maroon¹ 5 with “Animals.” On December 18, they will perform at the first annual People Magazine Awards. Also hitting the stage will be 5 Seconds of Summer. I’m sensing a pattern here!

Jumping into contention² is a most unlikely pop hit - but I love it! Hozier rises three slots to third place with “Take Me To Church”.  Andrew Hozier-Byrne is a 24-year-old singer from Ireland. Last year, he was still playing small gigs back home. Andrew says he recorded the vocals³ for “Take Me To Church” in his attic⁴ at 2 o’clock in the morning. The video for “Take Me To Church” went viral, and the song has sold more than one million copies in the United States. He’ll tour North America next February.

Meghan Trainor stays put in second place with “All About That Bass⁵.” For her follow-up single, "Lips Are Movin’” Meghan used social media superstars.  Her eye-catching video is billed as the first-ever music clip created by social influencers. Stars from YouTube, Vine, and Instagram handled acting⁶, choreography, makeup⁷, set design and other details.

Taylor Swift is your countdown champ for a second week with “Blank Space.” Taylor reportedly wants to be in the upcoming movie "The Secret In Their Eyes." It stars Nicole Kidman and Julia Roberts…who, word has it, would rather give the part to her niece Emma Roberts.

Who will get the part? Who will top the chart next week? Join us in seven days and we’ll get some answers.

1 maroon   

v.困住，使（人）处于孤独无助之境；n.逃亡黑奴；孤立的人；酱紫色，褐红色；adj.酱紫色的，褐红色的

参考例句：

• Five couples were marooned in their caravans when the River Avon broke its banks.埃文河决堤的时候，有5对夫妇被困在了他们的房车里。
• Robinson Crusoe has been marooned on a desert island for 26 years.鲁滨逊在荒岛上被困了26年。

2 contention   

n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张

参考例句：

• The pay increase is the key point of contention. 加薪是争论的焦点。
• The real bone of contention,as you know,is money.你知道，争论的真正焦点是钱的问题。

3 vocals   

（乐曲中的）歌唱部份，声乐部份( vocal的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Also look out for soaring vocals on The Right Man. 另外，也可留意一下《意中人》中的那高亢的唱腔。
• Lazy bass line, lazier drums, lush violins, great piano and incomparable vocals. 懒惰的低音线，较懒惰的鼓，饮小提琴，棒的钢琴和无比的声音。

4 attic   

n.顶楼，屋顶室

参考例句：

• Leakiness in the roof caused a damp attic.屋漏使顶楼潮湿。
• What's to be done with all this stuff in the attic?顶楼上的材料怎么处理？

5 bass   

n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴

参考例句：

• He answered my question in a surprisingly deep bass.他用一种低得出奇的声音回答我的问题。
• The bass was to give a concert in the park.那位男低音歌唱家将在公园中举行音乐会。

6 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

7 makeup   

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？