VOA英语听力材料原文(passage31~40)
VOA听力原文
VOA 听写原文(1)Harvad researcher David Rans said the most successful behavior proved to be cooperation. The groups that rewarded the most earned about twice as much in the game as the groups that rewarded the least. And the more a group punish themselves the lower it's earnings. The group with the most punishment earned 25 percent less than the group with the least punishment .The study appeared last month in the Journal Science. The other study involved children .It was presentd last month in California at a conference on violence and abuse. Reseachers used intelligent tests given to two groups, More than 800 children were ages 2-4 the first time they were tested. More than 700 children were ages 5 to 9.(2)Many people think the search for cleaner energy leads only to renewable resources like sun, wind and water. But it also leads to a fossil fuel(化石燃料). Natural gas is considered the cleanest of the fossil fuels, the fuels created by plant and animal remains over millions of years. Burning it releases fewer pollutants（污染物质）than oil or coal. The gas is mainly methane（沼气，甲烷）. It produces half the carbon dioxide （二氧化碳）of other fossil fuels. So it may help cut the production of carbongases linked to climate change. Russia is first in what are called "proved reserves" of natural gas. The United States is sixth. Over the years, big oil and gas companies recovered much of the easily reached supplies of gas in America. They drilled straight down into formations where gas collects. As these supplies were used up, big drillers looked for similar formations in other countries.(3)Two recent studies have found that punishment is not the best way to influence behavior. One shows that adults are much more cooperative if they work in a system based on rewards. Researchers at Harward University in the United States and Stockholm school of economics in Sweden did the study. They had about two hundred college students play a version of the game known as the prisoners dilemma. The game is based on the attention between the interests of individual and group. The students play in groups of four. Each player could win points for the group so they would all gain equally. But each player could also reward or punish each of the other three players and cost to the punisher.(4)But now the industry is taking a new look. Companies are developing gas supplies trapped in shale rock two to three thousand meters underground. They drill down to the shale, then go sideways and inject high-pressure water, sand or other material into the rock. This causes therock to break, or fracture, releasing the gas. Huge fields of gas shale are believed to lie under theAppalachian Mountains, Michigan and the south-central states. Gas shale exploration is being done mainly by small to medium sized companies. Eric Potter is a program director in the Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas at Austin.I rememberdo u know that i'm okare there things you wanna saythinking of u night and dayhopping you'll come back and stayi remember when u told mei'll be all rightdon't worryi try and try to understandis all this just a sad goodbyethinking of u night and dayno matter if you'll come and stayi remember when u told mei'll be all rightjust hold mei don't wanna close my eyes tonightmissing u make me cryyour love will give me strengths to carry onyou'll always be my heart and mindso i don't wanna close my eyes tonighti know it's just a miss match in time...why..oh why... miss match in timei try and try to understandis all this just a sad goodbyethinking of u night and dayno matter if you'll come and stayi remember when u told mei'll be all rightjust hold meso i don't wanna close my eyes tonightmissing u make me cryyour love will give me strengths to carry onyou'll always be my heart and mindso i don't wanna close my eyes tonighti know it's just a miss match in time...why..oh why... don't wanna close my eyes tonight.。
voa慢速英语听力原文
美国劳动之歌Most of the world observes Labor Day on May 1. Butthe United States has its workers holiday on the firstMonday in September. Steve Ember and BarbaraKlein have a few songs from the history of theAmerican labor movement.Labor songs are traditionally stories of struggle and pride, of timeless demands for respect and the hopefor a better life.Sometimes they represent old songs with new words. One example is "We Shall Not Be Moved."It uses the music and many of the same words of an old religious song.Here is folksinger Pete Seeger with "We Shall Not Be Moved."Many classic American labor songs came from workers in the coal mines of the South. Mineowners bitterly opposed unions. In some cases, there was open war between labor activistsand coal mine operators.Once, in Harlan County, Kentucky, company police searched for union leaders. They went to oneman's home but could not find him there. So they wai ted outsi de for several days.The coal miner's wife, Florence Reece, remained inside with her children. She wrote this song, "Which Side Are Y ou On?"Again, here is Pete Seeger.Probably the most famous labor songwriter in America was Joe Hill. He was born in Sweden andcame to the United States in the early 1900s. H e worked as an unskilled lab orer.Joe Hill joined the Industrial Workers of the World, known as the Wobblies. More than any otherunion, they used music in their campaigns, urgi ng members to "si ng and fi ght."One of Joe Hill's best-known songs is "Casey Jones." It uses the music from a song about atrain engineer. In the old song, Casey Jones is a hero. He bravely keeps his train running in verydifficult conditions.In Joe Hill's version, Casey Jones is no hero. His train is unsafe. Y et he stays on the job afterother workers have called a strike against the railroad company.Pete Seeger and the Song Swappers sing "Casey Jones (The Union Scab)."Another American labor song is called "Bread and Roses." That term was connected with thewomen's labor movement.The song was based on a poem called "Bread and Roses" by James Oppenheim. The poem waspublished in The American Magazine in December of 1911.The following month there was a famous strike by textile workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts.They won higher pay and better working conditions. Oppenheim's poem gainedmore attention.At that time, conditions in factories were already a national issue. In 1911, a fire at a clothingfactory in New Y ork had taken the lives of 146 people. The victims were mostly immigrantwomen.Here is Pat Humphries with "Bread and Roses."Union activists know that labor songs can unite and help people feel strong. This can be trueeven when the music has nothing to do with unions."De Colores" is a popular Spanish folksong. It talks about fields in the spring, little birds,rainbows and the great loves of many colors.This song is popular with supporters of the United Farm Workers union. We listen as BaldemarV elasquez leads the band Aguila Negra in "De Colores."For many years, folksinger Joe Glazer was a union activist with a guitar. He was also a laborhistorian. Labor's Troubadour was the name of a book he about his life. He believed in organized labor and preserving the musical history of the American labor movement. JoeGlazer died in 2006 at the age of 88.Here is Joe Glazer with "Solidarity Forever," written by Ralph Chaplin.From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。
VOA英语听力原文
Objects in the night sky are resources thatprovide everyone with wonder.But light pollution threatens to prevent those wonderful sights from being seen.
The idea of light pollution has developed with the increase of lights in cities.In many areas,this light makes it difficult or impossible toobserve stars and planets in the night sky.In Nineteen-Eighty-Eight,the
Recently,two Italian astronomers and an American environmental scientist created a world map of the night sky.The map shows that North America,Wese greatest amount of light pollution.
Light pollution threatens to reduce the scientific value of research
VOA慢速英语听力材料
VOA慢速英语听力材料VOA慢速英语听力材料VOA慢速英语听力是适合比较多的学生使用的英语听力材料，尤其是初学者。
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There is a commonly held belief in the United States about the best path to a college education.Many Americans would say this path involves graduating from high school at age 17 or 18. Then, going off to university to live and studyfor just four years. And, at the end of that term, receiving a degree.But, that is not as usual a path as people might think. U.S. Department of Education research suggests that the majority of undergraduate college students take a less traditional approach.Carey Dwyer is an example. She graduated from high school in 2005 and began studying physical therapy at Temple University in Philadelphia. But, after her first year, she decided she wanted to study nursing instead.Dwyer moved back home and began seeking an associate’s degree at Montgomery College in Takoma Park, Maryland in 2006. However, medical issues forced her to take time off school. She started working full-time and going to school part-time.Dwyer faced several difficulties. But she says nothing was as hard as returning to school after she took the time off.In 2010, Dwyer completed her associate’s de gree -- also called a two year degree. She was 24. Then, she joined the Army. Using the money she earned, Dwyer completed a bachelor’s degree at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina in 2015.Now married with three children, she says she does not mindthat it took her almost ten years to complete her education. In the end, she says she only put in all the effort because she wanted to."Ultimately, all that matters is that I got my degree done. I didn’t get it for anyone else. I did it for me, spec ifically, to follow my goals and my aspirations."Strayer University is a for-profit college with centers all over the country. Earlier this year, Strayer worked with the media company U.S News and World Report to create the 2016 College Experience Survey. The researchers gathered information from 1,000 U.S. undergraduate students.The study findings showed that 70 percent of the students questioned were “nontraditional.”But what does nontraditional mean? The Strayer report identifies nontraditional college students in several ways. A student who passes General Educational Development (GED) tests instead of earning a high school diploma is considered nontraditional. So is a student who works more than 35 hours a week, or studies part-time while seeking a ba chelor’s degree. And, a student who was 25 years or older when they last took classes, or when they graduated, is also considered nontraditional.Information from the U.S. Department of Education suggests the nontraditional student population may be growing. In 2013 the department reported 29 percent of undergraduates were between 18 and 24 years old, studying full-time in four-year degree programs.Karl McDonnell is the chief executive office of Strayer Education, the company that owns Strayer University. McDonnell says there are so many nontraditional students now becausemany see education as the best way to reach new opportunities. But, he adds, nontraditional students also have much different needs."Over the last 5 to 10 years we’ve had a more challeng ing labor market. So as people try to find well-paying jobs and/or move up in their organization, a college degree is becoming more and more important -- you might even say essential. And the types of programs that higher education needs to pursue, they tend to be things that are flexible in nature."McDonnell notes that most of the students at Strayer University are nontraditional. They are often older people with years of work experience and families to raise. This means they need to be able to attend classes during the times that they are not working or caring for others, he says.McDonnell argues that most schools are much more concerned with their traditional students. Online courses like the ones Strayer offers are increasingly useful for nontraditional students, he says.But others suggest there is more schools need to do for nontraditional students than just offering classes over the internet.Eva Yuma is in the final year of her bachelor’s degree program at the University of Maryland (UMD). She also took a long path to get where she is now.Yuma took a year off from studies after graduating from high school. She then started seeking a degree in art history at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland in 2009. More than two years later, she found she was unhappy and moved back to the U.S. In 2013, she returned to school and became a film major.Yuma says the most difficult part about going back to schoolwas deciding to take on more debt to pay for her continuing education. But she also says her relationship to her school changed.For example, she says she does not seek new friends the way she did during her first few years of higher education. Yuma says she feels more professional than the traditional students. She believes she is less afraid to speak her mind.But Yuma argues UMD could do more to build connections between the nontraditional students. That way they could share their networks and experience."There isn’t very much community for those students. I guess they assume that you already have an established community; you don’t need the undergrad experience like the other kids do."Yancey Gulley is an assistant professor for the higher education student affairs program at Western Carolina University. He has 15 years of experience as a college administrator. The educator says schools need to stop using the term “nontraditional.” He worries that the term could harm students. It may make some feel that their schools consider them less intelligent or less hardworking."It really does s ay to them, ‘You are an exception. You shouldn’t belong here. You’re probably not going to be successful, but we’re gonna to let you give a good old try. Good luck to you.’ And that’s really demonizing students [that] walk around our campuses every day and take our classes."Gulley notes there are programs in place that are designed to support nontraditional students. For example, Fayetteville State University offers a program that opens a faster path to a nursing degree for people who already have nursing experience.The University of Maryland also works with a foundation to provide financial assistance to older students.But, Yancey Gulley says some schools may not realize they are failing to provide equal support to their students. The U.S. higher education system was designed for traditional students. Gulley says schools must make sure all their students can access all the same supports and services.中考英语听力情景会话：恭维与应答【职业与外貌】关键词look like看起来像;tall高的;short矮的;medium height中等身高;medium build中等体型;fat胖的;thin瘦的;heavy重的;straight hair直发;curly hair卷发;strong强壮的;blond hair金黄色头发;brown hair棕发经典例句1.—What do you do?你是做什么的?—I am an actor.我是一名演员。
voa听力原文
2001 1222 [原文]This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English program, IN THE NEWS.On January first, many people in Europe will stop using the money they have known for a lifetime. More than three-hundred million Europeans will start using the new single European money, the euro. It will become the legal form of money in twelve European Union countries.Fifteen nations belong to the E-U. Twelve countries will use new euro paper money and coins starting next month. They are Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. Three E-U members decided not to join the single money system at this time. They are Britain, Denmark and Sweden.E-U leaders agreed on the use of the single money in the Maastricht Treaty of Nineteen-Ninety-One. They created the euro so that business deals among their nations would be easier and less costly. The euro is not expected to change greatly in value. This will keep interest rates low.European leaders also believe the euro will unite Europe politically by forcing the nations to cooperate. For example, countries will have a reason to help another country if it becomes weak economically. If no help is offered, the value of their shared money could become weak.ECB logoThe European Central Bank was established in Nineteen-Ninety-Eight. Two major goals of the Central Bank are to keep the euro strong and to control inflation. The Bank is responsible for supervising the development and public acceptance of the euro.Three years ago, eleven E-U nations started using the euro for stock market trading, banking and business deals. However, most Europeans continued to use their national money. Since then, money production centers have been busy producing euro paper money and coins. There will be seven different euro banknotes and eight coins.Some post offices, banks, and stores are now offering euro coin collections to the public. These coin collections are designed to show Europeans what the new money will look like.Both the euro and old national money will be accepted in most countries for up to two months. European officials expect that most business activity will be completed in euros by the middle of January. The old money will stop being accepted at the end of February.Europeans have talked about political and economic unity for fifty years. Until now, most of the important developments have been technical.Some observers say the launch of the euro will make a real difference in the lives of Europeans. They say Europeans now will start to identify more with the E-U in ways they did not in the past. They say the euro will be a real, physical sign of European union.This VOA Special English program, IN THE NEWS, was written by George Grow. This is Steve Ember.2001 1224 [原文]Now, a Special English program for Christmas. Maurice Joyce tells about "White Christmas."Christmas is almost here. Holiday music fills the air. Colorful lights shine brightly in windows. Stores are crowded with people buying last-minute gifts. All these are Christmas traditions.Another tradition is snow. Christmas in the northern part of the world comes a few days after the start of winter. So, in many places, a blanket of clean white snow covers the ground on Christmas Day. This is what is meant by a "White Christmas. "Of course, many places do not get snow in December. In fact, they may be very warm at that timeof year. People who like snow -- but live where it is warm -- dream of having a white Christmas.American songwriter Irving Berlin captured these feelings in his song "White Christmas.""White Christmas" is one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time. Hundreds of singers andmusicians have recorded it. Perhaps the most famous version was sung by Bing Crosby.((TAPE: "White Christmas"))Irving Berlin, 1944Songwriter Irving Berlin was Jewish. He did not celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday. But in his Christmas song, he shares a message of peace and happiness which all people can enjoy.So, from all of us who work in Special English -- to all of you -- we wish the happiest and most joyful holiday. This is Maurice Joyce.2001 1225 [原文]Now, a VOA SPECIAL ENGLISH program for the Christmas holiday. Some Christmas traditions involve trees or plants. One of the most popular is the evergreen tree. Shirley Griffith tells us how the evergreen developed into the modern Christmas Tree.Many Americans buy an evergreen tree for Christmas. They put the tree in their home and hang small lights and colorful objects on it. The evergreen is usually a pine or a fir tree. It remains green during the cold, dark months of winter in the northern part of the world. So, it is a sign of everlasting life.The use of evergreens during winter holiday celebrations started in ancient times. Early Romans, for example, probably included evergreens with other plants during a celebration in honor of their god of agriculture.The Christmas tree may have developed in part from a popular play performed hundreds of years ago in what is now Germany. Traditionally, the play was held on December twenty-fourth, the day before Christmas. The play was about the first people that God created -- Adam and Eve. People put apples on an evergreen to represent the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden.By the year Sixteen-Hundred, some Germans began bringing evergreen trees into their homes. They put fruit, nuts and sweets on the trees. They shared the food among family members and friends after the holiday season.Some people say the German religious reformer Martin Luther was the first person to add lighted candles to a tree. They say he did this to show how wonderful the stars had appeared to him as he traveled one night.In the early Eighteen-Hundreds, German settlers in the state of Pennsylvania were the first to celebrate the holiday with Christmas trees in the United States.The Christmas tree tradition spread to many parts of the world. Today, some form of Christmas tree is part of most Christmas celebrations. Some people put a star on top of their Christmas tree. It represents the star that led the three wise men to the baby Jesus in Bethlehem.This is Shirley Griffith wishing you a joyous holiday season.2001 1226 [原文]This is the VOA Special English Science Report.Christmas has many traditions. Singing songs. Cooking foods. Giving gifts. Some special trees and plants also are part of the Christmas tradition.One of the most popular is the evergreen tree. It is usually a pine (松) or a fir (杉). It remains green during the cold, dark months of winter in the northern part of the world. Many people buy an evergreen tree for Christmas. They put it in their house and hang small lights and colorful objects on its branches. Some people buy living trees and plant them after the Christmas holiday. Others cut down a tree or buy a cut tree.Another popular evergreen plant is mistletoe. It has small white berries and leaves that feel like leather. The traditional Christmas mistletoe is native to Europe. Mistletoe is a parasite plant. It grows by connecting itself to a tree and stealing the tree’s food and water. It can be found on apple trees, lindens, maples and poplars.Priests of the Druid religion of ancient Britain and France believed mistletoe had magical powers. Today, some people hang mistletoe in a doorway at Christmas time. If you meet someone under the mistletoe, tradition gives you permission to kiss that person.One of the most popular plants at Christmas is the poinsettia. These plants are valued for their colorful bracts, which look like leaves. Most poinsettias are bright red. But they also can be white or pink. Poinsettias are native to Mexico. They are named after America’s first ambassador to Mexico, Joel Poinsett. He liked the plant and sent some back to the United States. Many people believe that poinsettias are poisonous. But researchers say this is not true. They say the milky liquid in the plant’s stem can cause a person’s skin to become red. If children or animals eat the leaves they may become sick, but they will not die.Two thick, sticky substances from trees have been part of Christmas from the beginning. They are frankincense and myrrh. Both have powerful, pleasant smells. Tradition says three wise men carried them as gifts to the Christ child in Bethlehem.Finally, there are several herbs used in Christmas foods, drinks and decorations. One is sage. Its leaves are cooked with turkey or goose. And sweet-smelling rosemary plants are hung on doors or cut to look like little Christmas trees.This VOA Special English Science Report was written by Christine Johnson.2001 1227 [原文]This is the VOA Special English Science Report.People all over the world know the importance of giving blood to help people who have lost blood because of an accident or operation. There is also a(one) need for the part of the blood called platelets.Platelets are cells in the blood that help stop bleeding by permitting the blood to become thick, or clot. Taking platelets from a person’s blood is done in a process called apheresis (a-fur-ee-sis).Blood is taken from a blood vessel in a person’s arm through a tube. The blood is passed through a machine called a centrifuge. The machine separates the platelets from the other parts of the blood and collects them. The machine returns the other parts of the blood to the person’s arm.This process takes a bout two hours. A person’s body replaces the donated platelets in aboutforty-eight hours. One person can give platelets up to twenty-four times a year.Almost all healthy people can donate their platelets. A person must be older than seventeen years of age and weigh at least fifty kilograms.However, some people with medical conditions should not donate platelets. People should not donate platelets if they have ever suffered hepatitis or cancer or have heart problems. People should not donate platelets if they have had malaria or lived in an area where the disease is present in the past three years.Women who have been pregnant in the past six months should not give platelets. Blood donation programs also will not accept blood products from people who may have been infected with the AIDS virus.And the programs will not accept blood products from people who have visited countries where mad cow disease is present.Blood centers always need platelets because donated platelets must be used within five days. People who are having treatments for cancer need blood platelets. Radiation and chemotherapy treatments lower the number of platelets in their blood. So they must get platelets to prevent bleeding.Experts say the demand for platelets continues to increase as more people are getting cancer treatments. The strong government controls to guarantee the safety of blood products have also limited the supply of platelets in recent years.This VOA Special English Science Report was written by Nancy Steinbach.2001 1228 [原文]This is the VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT.Scientists expect this year to be the second warmest year ever recorded. They say average surface temperatures this year will be warmer than any other year except Nineteen-Ninety-Eight.The World Meteorological Organization in Geneva, Switzerland noted the findings in its yearly climate report.The World Meteorological Organization says the higher surface temperatures are part of a continuing move toward warmer weather. W-M-O officials say average temperatures have risen more than six-tenths of one degree Celsius during the past one-hundred years. They also expect temperatures to continue rising.W-M-O officials say the warming is a result of large amounts of carbon dioxide and other industrial pollutants being released in Earth’s atmosphere. These gases trap heat from the sun. This is commonly called the greenhouse effect.Ken Davidson is director of the W-M-O World Climate Program. He says the greenhouse effect is responsible for unusual weather around the world in recent years.For the report, W-M-O officials compared the current conditions with temperature records since Eighteen-Sixty. They found that nine of the ten warmest years ever recorded have been since Nineteen-Ninety.Average temperatures this year are more than four-tenths of a degree higher than the average temperature from Nineteen-Sixty-One to Nineteen-Ninety. This was the twenty-third year that temperatures were above the average for that period.The report noted higher than average temperatures in Australia, Japan and North America. It says October was the hottest month in England in more than three-hundred years. Denmark and Germany also set records for the warmest October in more than one-hundred years.However, some areas reported colder than normal temperatures this year. For example, temperatures in the Siberia area of Russia dropped to sixty degrees below zero Celsius. Unseasonably cold weather also was reported in Bolivia and northern India.Experts say many areas could experience extreme weather next year if the weather event known as El Nino returns. El Nino causes climate changes that affect Pacific Ocean waters near the coasts of Ecuador and Peru. In the past, El Nino has been blamed for flooding, dry weather and powerful storms.This VOA Special English ENVIRONMENT REPORT was written by George Grow.2001 1229[原文]This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English program, IN THE NEWS.Argentina’s new president has announced measures to ease a severe economic crisis in the country. Adolfo Rodriguez Saa made the announcement after he replaced Fernando de la Rua as president last week. The former president resigned following violent street protests over how the government has dealt with the current economic crisis. More than twenty-five people were killed in the violence.Poor economic decisions and continuing political crises have led to Argentina’s problems. The latest crisis was caused by overspending during an economic slowdown. Some money was used to pay w ages or to help the country’ s poorest people. However, many Argentines blame dishonest government officials for the country’s problems.Argentina is in its fourth year of recession and is in danger of not being able to pay its debts. It owes one-hundred-thirty-two thousand-million dollars. Unemployment has risen to eighteen-percent. Industrial production has fallen. The South American nation has thirty-six million people.One year ago, the International Monetary Fund agreed to lend Argentina almostforty-thousand-million dollars. However, tax increases and government spending cuts called for by the I-M-F plan led to a political crisis in March. Three cabinet ministers resigned. The economic crisis worsened. Earlier this month, popular protests against the government’s economic measures pressuredPresident de la Rua to resign.Argentina’s new leader, Adolfo Rodriguez Saa, took office Sunday. He was chosen to serve as temporary president by the Peronist party, which controls parliament. He is to serve as president until a new election is held in early March. The Peronist Party is expected to win the election.President Rodriguez Saa announced new measures to prevent Argentina’s economy from failing. The president suspended payments on the country’s foreign debt. He announced a public works program to create one-hundred-thousand jobs before the end of this year.The government also established a new kind of money, called the argentino. It will be used along with the Argentine peso and American dollar. The argentino will be used to pay wages of government workers and payments to retired workers.The argentino will not be supported by other kinds of money. Some economic experts believe the new money will quickly lose value and produce more inflation.Former Arg entine President Carlos Menem criticized his party’s economic plan. He says most of the Argentine economy is based on linking the Argentine peso with the American dollar. He says changing that plan will not be effective. Mister Menem was in power for most of the Nineteen-Nineties. Many people blame him for the country’s current crisis.This VOA Special English program, IN THE NEWS, was written by Cynthia Kirk. This is Steve Ember.2002 0101 [原文]Now a VOA Special English program for the New Year's holiday. Here is Maurice Joyce.NARRATOR:January first. The beginning of a new year. As far back in history as we can tell, people have celebrated the start of a new year.The people of ancient Egypt began their new year in summer. That is when the Nile River flooded its banks, bringing water and fertility to the land. The people of ancient Babylonia and Persia began their new year on March twenty-first, the first day of spring. And, some Native American Indians began their new year when the nuts of the oak tree became ripe. That was usually in late summer.Now, almost everyone celebrates New Year's Day on January first. Today, as before, people observe(此处作"庆祝"讲) the New Year's holiday in many different ways.The ancient Babylonians celebrated by forcing their king to give up his crown and royal clothing. They made him get down on his knees and admit all the mistakes he had made during the past year.This idea of admitting wrongs and finishing the business of the old year is found in many societies at new year's. So is the idea of making resolutions. A resolution is a promise to change your ways. To stop smoking, for example. Or to get more physical exercise.Noise-making is another ancient custom at the new year. The noise is considered necessary to chase away the evil spirits of the old year. People around the world do different things to make a lot of noise. They may hit sticks together. Or beat on drums. Or blow horns. Or explode fireworks.Americans celebrate the New Year in many ways.Most do not have to go to work or school. So they visit family and friends. Attend church services. Share a holiday meal. Or watch new year's parades on television. Two of the most famous parades are the Mummer's Parade in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California. Both have existed for many years.Americans also watch football on television on New Year's Day. Most years, university teams play in special holiday games.For those who have been busy at work or school, New Year's may be a day of rest. They spend the time thinking about, and preparing for, the demands of the new year.[生词摘录]fertility : n. 肥沃, 丰产, 多产, 人口生产, 生产力oak : / / n. [植]橡树, 橡木;adj. 橡木制的ripe : / / adj. 熟的, 成熟的, 时机成熟的;v. 成熟crown : / / n. 王冠, 花冠, 顶;vt. 加冕, 顶上有, 表彰, 使圆满完成royal : / / adj. 王室的, 皇家的, 第一流的, 高贵的resolution : / / n. 坚定, 决心, 决定, 决议chase : / / n. 追赶, 追击;vt. 追赶, 追逐, 雕镂(chase away)drum : / / n. 鼓, 鼓声, 鼓形圆桶, [解]鼓膜, 鼓室;vi. 击鼓, 作鼓声;vt. 打鼓奏horn : / / n. (牛、羊等的)角, 喇叭, 触角;v. 装角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mummer : / / n. 哑剧演员, 伶人[要点摘录]Signs of a cold include sore throat, discharge of fluids from the nose, sneezing, coughing and difficulty breathing.2002 0102[原文]This is the VOA Special English Science Report.American researchers say they have developed the first drug that can effectively treat adults suffering a viral respiratory infection called the common cold.A cold is an infection of the breathing system. About fifty percent of colds are caused by a group of viruses known as picornaviruses (pa-CORN-a-viruses). These small particles spread from person to person through the air. The virus first infects the tissues in the nose and throat. Signs of a cold include sore throat, discharge of fluids from the nose, sneezing, coughing and difficulty breathing. The sinuses, ears and lungs may also become infected. This can lead to serious conditions like bronchitis or pneumonia.Medical experts say Americans suffer as many as one-thousand-million colds every year. The experts say colds result in fifty-one-million visits to doctors each year. Yet no treatments are effective against the picornavirus.Researchers at the ViroPharma company in Exton, Pennsylvania say they have developed such a drug. It is called pleconaril (pla-CON-ah-rill). The researchers say the drug attacks the picornavirus. It interferes with the infection process and prevents the virus from reproducing.Researchers at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville studied the drug. They reported the results at an infectious disease conference in Chicago, Illinois. They said pleconaril reduces the length and severity of a cold.One study involved more than two-thousand people with colds who were divided into two groups. One group took four-hundred milligrams of pleconaril three times a day for five days. The other group took an inactive substance. Sixty-five percent of those in the study had a cold caused by a picornavirus.The people infected with the picornavirus who took pleconaril suffered from the cold for six days. The others who took the inactive substance suffered for seven days. The researchers said the drug made people feel better sooner when the cold was caused by a picornavirus. They also said the drug began to ease the signs of the cold within one day. And it stopped the discharge of nasal fluids one day sooner than usual.The United States Food and Drug Administration is examining the research on pleconaril. Officials at ViroPharma say they expect the drug to be approved later this year.[生词摘录]/ vt. [医] 传染, 感染infect : // adj. 呼吸的respiratory : // n. [微]小核糖核酸病毒picornavirus : // n. 粒子, 点, 极小量, 微粒, 质点, 小品词, 语气particle : // n. 咽喉, 喉咙, 嗓音, 窄路, 口子;vt. 用喉音说, 开沟于throat : /sore : / / adj. 疼痛的, 痛心的, 剧烈的;n. 痛的地方, 痛处/ n. 喷嚏;vi. 打喷嚏sneeze : // n. [医]支气管炎bronchitis : // n. [医] 肺炎pneumonia : // n. 会议, 讨论会, 协商会conference : // n. 严肃, 严格, 严重, 激烈severity : /2002 0103[原文]Some people feel sad or depressed during the winter months in northern areas of the world. They may have trouble eating or sleeping. They suffer from a condition known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or S-A-D.Victims of S-A-D suffer its effects during the short, dark days of winter. The problems are most severe in the months when there are fewer hours of daylight. When spring arrives, these signs disappear and S-A-D victims feel well again.The National Mental Health Association reports that S-A-D can affect anyone. The group says young people and women are at the highest risk for the disorder. It says that an estimated twenty-five percent of the American population suffers from some form of S-A-D. About five percent suffer from a severe form of the disorder. Many people in other parts of the world also have the condition.For example, some scientists who work in Antarctica suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. During the long, dark winter months there, workers have difficulty finding enough energy to do their jobs.The idea of health problems linked to a lack of light is not new. Scientists have discussed the issue since the beginning of medicine. More than two-thousand years ago, the Greek doctor Hippocrates noted that the seasons affect human emotions.Today, experts do not fully understand S-A-D. Yet they agree that it is a very real disorder. Many doctors think that a change in brain chemistry causes people to develop S-A-D. They say people with the condition have too much of the hormone melatonin in their bodies.The pineal gland in the brain produces melatonin while we sleep. This hormone is believed to cause signs of depression. Melatonin is produced at increased levels in the dark. So, its production increases when the days are shorter and darker.To treat the disorder, victims of S-A-D do not need to wait until spring. Experts know that placing affected individuals in bright light each day eases the condition. There are other things people can do to ease the problem. They can increase the sunlight in their homes and workplaces. They can spend more time outdoors in the fresh air during the day.One study found that walking for an hour in winter sunlight was as effective as spendingtwo-and-one-half hours under bright light indoors.[生词摘录]depressed : // adj. 沮丧的, 降低的/ n. 南极洲[news:/s/02:30.9-02:31.9]Antarctica : /[news:/s/02:27.6-02:35.3]/ adj. 松球状的, 松果腺的pineal : /解剖]腺, [机械]密封管[news:/s/03:37.6-03:44.0]gland : / / n. [2002 0104[<TextPos0>原文]Scientists have discovered a strange new kind of squid deep in the world’s oceans.Squid found in the Indian Ocean(Photo - NOAA/Science)Scientists reported seeing the sea creatures in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans and in the Gulf of Mexico. They say they have never seen anything like the mystery squid before.Evidence of the squid comes from pictures and video images taken by eight independent scientists in four countries. The scientists took the pictures from inside deep-water submarines. The deepest sighting was made almost five kilometers below the surface of the ocean, in the western Atlantic near the coast of Brazil.The mystery squid is about seven meters long. Most squids have two long tentacles and eight shorter arms. The new squid, however, has ten arms that are extremely long, about six meters. Its arms are longer than those of any known squid species.The squid’s arms are held in an unusual position. They spread out a short distance from the body, then bend down sharply. The rest of the arms flow behind the squid as it swims.Scientists also say the squid’s arms are sticky. The scientists discovered this when a squid became stuck to the submarine while they were filming. Scientists believe the squid may use its long, sticky arms to trap food.The mystery squid also has two huge fins that stick out from its small head. The fins look like two giant elephant ears that appear to help the animal swim through the water.Scientists have not captured the animal. So they could not tell how much the squid weighs. However, they say it has a very small body, unlike that of the giant squid.Michael Vecchione [VECK-ee-own] is a scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He wrote about the mystery squid in Science magazine. He said the discovery shows how little researchers know about life deep in the world’s oceans.Areas of deep water make up more than ninety percent of the living space on Earth. However, scientists do not know much about deep sea areas. That is because these areas are difficult, dangerous and costly to explore. The mystery squids were discovered accidentally by scientists or oil company workers looking for something else at the bottom of the ocean.[生词摘录]squid : / / n. 鱿鱼,乌贼,钓乌贼的钓钩, 反潜艇发射装置潜水艇, 潜艇;adj. 水下的, 海底的submarine : / / n.tentacle : / / n. (动物)触须、触角, (植物)腺毛粘的, 粘性的sticky : / / adj.trap : / / n. 圈套, 陷阱, 诡计, 活板门, 存水弯, 汽水闸, (双轮)轻便马车;vi. 设圈套, 设陷阱;vt. 诱捕, 诱骗, 计捉, 设陷, 坑害, 使受限制fin : / / n. 鳍, 鱼翅, 鳍状物, 五元纸币;vi. 猛挥鳍, 露鳍于水面的;vt. 装上翅, 切除鳍捕获, 战利品;vt. 俘获, 捕获, 夺取capture : / / n.2002 0105 [<TextPos0>原文]Michael Bloomberg was sworn in as mayor of New York City on Tuesday. Former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani led a ceremony in Times Square a few moments(-- minutes) after the New Year began.About five-hundred-thousand New Year’s Eve celebrants watched the event. It was the largest public gathering in the city since the terrorist attacks on September eleventh.Rudolph GiulianiGiving his farewell speech Dec. 27A swearing-in ceremony had never been held in Times Square before. But, New York City has changed since the destruction of the World Trade Center. Both Mister Giuliani and Mister Bloomberg hoped that holding a ceremony in Times Square would help people feel safe in the city. An official ceremony took place at City Hall later in the day.Mister Bloomberg, a Republican, is the one-hundred-eighth mayor of New York. He defeated Democrat Mark Green in the election in November. The new mayor spent a record seventy-million dollars of his own money on his campaign for the office.This is the first political office Michael Bloomberg has held. He has been an extremely successful businessman. Mister Bloomberg began his professional life in Nineteen-Sixty-Six as a trader on Wall。
voa英语听力中英对照原文
voa英语听力中英对照原文Hello, I'm Jerry Smit with the BBC News.杰里·斯密特为您播报BBC新闻The Greek government has submitted new proposals tosecure a third bailout from its international creditors. The Head of the Eurozone's Group of Finance Ministers, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, said the plans would now be assessed in detail. The proposals include tax rises, pension reforms, spendingcuts and promises of privatisation. Tim Willcox in Athenssays this may cause problems for the Greek government希腊政府提交了一份新的改革方案以确保能从其债权国得到第三次财政援助，欧元区金融主席杰洛恩称该项方案将会详细讨论。
这项方案包括提升税收，退休金改革，减少支出和承诺私有化。
下面是威克斯在雅典发回的报道：.“They think, the source I've been speaking to, that the E.U. will take this, but it's going to be very difficult for Alexis Tsipras, the Greek Prime Minister, internally here in Greece, following that referendum last weekend with that massive vote, a NO vote against any more austerity measures.”威克斯称这项方案有可能对希腊政府造成问题。
英语听力50篇材料原文
英语听力50篇材料原文The English listening materials consist of 50 passages covering a wide range of topics and themes. These passages are designed to help learners improve their listeningskills and comprehension of the English language. Each passage is carefully crafted to provide a diverse set of vocabulary and grammar structures, as well as different accents and speaking styles to prepare learners for real-life communication.The materials are structured to cater to learners at different proficiency levels, from beginner to advanced. The passages are accompanied by comprehension questions and exercises to assess the learners' understanding of the content. This allows for a comprehensive learning experience that goes beyond just listening and includes critical thinking and analysis of the material.The topics covered in the passages are varied,including everyday conversations, news reports, academiclectures, and more. This diversity ensures that learners are exposed to different contexts and situations, preparing them for real-world interactions in English. Additionally, the materials are updated regularly to reflect current events and trends, ensuring that learners are exposed to relevant and up-to-date content.From a pedagogical perspective, the materials are designed to be engaging and interactive. The passages are carefully selected to cater to the interests and needs of learners, making the learning experience more enjoyable and effective. Additionally, the inclusion of comprehension questions and exercises encourages active participation and critical thinking, which are essential skills for language acquisition.Furthermore, the materials are designed to be flexible and adaptable to different learning environments. Whether learners are studying independently or in a classroom setting, the passages can be used as a valuable resourcefor improving listening skills. Teachers can incorporate the materials into their lesson plans to provide additionallistening practice, while learners can use the materialsfor self-study and review.Overall, the English listening materials provide a comprehensive and engaging resource for learners to improve their listening skills and comprehension of the English language. With a wide range of topics, diverse speaking styles, and interactive exercises, the materials offer a valuable tool for language acquisition and proficiency.。
VOA慢速英语原文
This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.Recently the United States Supreme Court decided a big case about political speech. The question was this: With political speech, do corporations have the same rights as people?By a vote of five to four, the conservative majority on the court decided yes. Companies, labor unions and other organizations may now spend as they wish on independent efforts to elect or defeat candidates.The ruling is based on the idea in the United States and many other countries that a corporation is a legal person.Historian Jeff Sklansky says a slow shift to personhood for American companies began with the Supreme Court ruling in eighteen nineteen. It said states cannot interfere with private contracts creating corporations.In the ruling, Chief Justice John Marshall described a corporation as an "artificial being" that is a "creature of the law."The ruling was unpopular. It came as Americans resisted big corporations like the First Bank of the United States, chartered by Congress. Some states passed laws permitting themselves to change or even cancel corporate charters.After the Civil War in the eighteen sixties, the Fourteenth Amendment was added to the Constitution. It provides that no state may "deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without due process of law ... " If a corporation is legally a person, then states cannot limit corporate rights without due process of law either.At first, corporations were not fully recognized as persons. But Jeff Sklansky at Oregon State University says that changed.JEFF SKLANSKY: "The general direction of the Supreme Court and the federal courts in general was to recognize corporations as persons with the same Fourteenth Amendment rights as individuals."Yet corporations have a right that real people do not: limited liability. For example, a corporation can face civil or criminal fines and individual lawbreakers can go to jail. But limited liability means the actions of a corporation are not the responsibility of its shareholders.Jeff Sklansky says the nineteenth century development of limited liability helped shape the modern corporation.JEFFREY SKLANSKY: "That is also crucial to allowing corporations a kind of independent personhood and separating ownership from control or ownership from management. So that [the idea is] I can invest in a corporation without becoming liable and for all its debts. That's a really big deal. Without it, anything like the modern stock market, I'd say, is impossible."And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. Next week, more on corporations and the law. I'm Steve Ember。
VOA英语听力原文(passage41~50)
Light-emitting diodes are small glass lamps that use much less electricity than traditional bulbs and last much longer.
Professor Irvine-Halliday used a one-watt bright white L.E.D. made in Japan. He found it on the Internet and connected it to a bicycle-powered (7) generator. He remembers thinking it was so bright, a child could read by the light of a single diode.
In New York, the United Nations secretary-general reacted to a dispute over e-mails stolen from the University of East Anglia in England. Critics say the messages show (9) climate change scientists discussing ways to discredit other theories about global warming. But Ban Ki-Moon said Tuesday that the evidence is "quite clear" that humans are the main cause of temperatures rising faster than expected.
VOA英语听力原文(passage1~10)
International students can also attend the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, and the Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York. The Coast Guard Academy can have thirty-five international students at any one time; the Merchant Marine Academy,thirty.
For example, the next class at the Naval Academy will include eighteen foreign students, four of them female. (9) This will bring the total number of foreign students at the Naval Academy to fifty- three.
VOA英语听力原文1
Finally, leave space between the food containers and the walls of the storage area so air can flow. Keep the space clean. And try not to open the doors too often.
Some fruits and vegetables must be stored at zero to four degrees Celsius. Any colder, and they might be damaged. Others need four to eight degrees. And still others must be stored above eight degrees.
Containers of water are placed at the top and bottom of the cooler. The ends of each piece of cloth lie in the water so the cloth stays wet.
Put the cooler in the open air but not in the sun. Air will pass through the wet cloth. The inside of the box will stay several degrees cooler than the outside air temperature. And this may be cool enough to keep foods fresh at least for a short time.
英语听力材料 美国之声03
This week, economic worries turned from inflation. On Wednesday, central banks in nations around the world acted together to lower interest rates. The fear is that a lack of credit and falling demand could cause a deep, worldwide recession.The International Monetary Fund has warned that the world is facing its most dangerous economic crisis since the 1930s.To fight slowing economic growth, the United States Federal Reserve cut its federal funds rate to 1.5%. That is the rate banks charge each other for overnight loans. The European Central Bank also announced an interest rate cut. So did central banks in Britain, Canada, Sweden and Switzerland. Australia and China also cut interest rates. The action marked the first time that the Federal Reserve has joined with other central banks to cut interest rates.Tuesday, the Fed said it will make short-term loans by purchasing what is called commercial paper. Such loans usually come from pools, or collection s, of investment money. The goal is to provide financial help to all companies that need short-term loans to operate.参考译文：本周，对经济的担忧已不是通货膨胀。
VOA(听力原文)
The world at 7 billion, and growingCensus Bureau人口普查局Shortage 短缺fertility: 生育力demographic人口统计学的dividend股息; 红利malnourished 营养失调的; 营养不良的听力原文The United Nations estimates that the world reached seven billion people on Monday. No one can be sure. The United States Census Bureau does not expect that to happen until March.Populations are growing faster than economies in many poor countries in Africa and some in Asia. At the same time, low fertility rates in Japan and many European nations have raised concerns about labor shortages.Population experts at the United Nations estimated that the world reached six billion in October 1999. They predict nine billion by 2050 and 10 billion by the end of the century.China's population of one and a third billion is currently the world's largest. India is second at 1.2 billion. But India is expected to pass China and reach one and a half billion people around 2025. India will also have one of the world's youngest populations.Economists say this is a chance for a so-called demographic dividend. India could gain from the skills of young people in a growing economy at a time when other countries have aging populations. But economists say current rates of growth, although high, may not create enough jobs.Also, the public education system is failing to meet demand and schooling is often of poor quality. Another concern is health care. Nearly half of India's children under the age of five are malnourished.听写原文The United Nations estimates that the world reached seven billion people on Monday.Populations are growing faster than economies in many poor countries in Africa and some in Asia.At the same time, low fertility rates in Japan and many European nations have raised concerns about labor shortages.Population experts at the United Nations estimated that the world reached six billion in October 1999. They predict nine billion by 2050 and 10 billion by the end of the century.China's population of one and a third billion is currently the world's largest. India is second at 1.2 billion. But India is expected to pass China and reach one and a half billion people around 2025.India will also have one of the world's youngest populations.Economists say this is a chance for a so-called demographic dividend.India could gain from the skills of young people in a growing economy at a time when other countries have aging populations.But economists say current rates of growth, although high, may not create enough jobs.Also, the public education system is failing to meet demand and schooling is often of poor quality. Another concern is health care. Nearly half of India's children under the age of five are malnourished.Tiger Mother虎妈战歌Comparing American and Chinese Parents 比较中美家长对孩子教育方式差异Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother 《虎妈战歌》Amy Chua蔡美儿Yale Law School耶鲁法学院New Haven纽黑文raise 养大immigrant移民represent代表stuffed animal毛绒玩具insult责骂sleepover外面过夜play date同学聚会school play课外活动makes fun of 嘲弄ease放松low expectation较低期望assume 采取，承担fragility脆弱stirring信号、焦点intense激烈retreat退让Some American parents might think their children need better educations to compete with China and other countries. But how much do the parents themselves need to change?一些美国家长可能认为他们的孩子需要接受更好的教育，来与中国以及其他国家的孩子竞争。
VOA英语听力文本
The United States is marking the 14th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. U.S. officials and many other Americans attended observances Friday to remember those killed and their loved ones.Nearly 3,000 people died on September 11, 2001 when hijackers used four passenger airplanes to carry out suicide attacks in the United States. In addition to the victims, the 19 hijackers also were killed. Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and his group claimed responsibility for the attacks. U.S. forces killed him in a surprise raid on his hiding place in Pakistan four years ago.Friday morning, President Barack Obama, his wife and White House workers observed a public moment of silence in Washington. They gathered on the White House grounds at 8:46. That was the exact time when a hijacked airplane struck the World Trade Center.US Marks 14th Anniversary of 9/11 AttacksIn New York, families of the victims gathered for a ringing of bells and reading of the names of those killed in the terrorist attacks. Moments of silence were held at 8:46 and 9:03 in the morning, when a second hijacked plane also hit the World Trade Center.Near Washington, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and other officials attended an observance at the Pentagon, the home of the Defense Department. They joined in remembering those killed when a hijacked airplane hit the Pentagon, killing 184 people.Earlier Friday, a large American flag was hung down the side of the Pentagon, where the passenger jet hit.There also was a moment of silence at 10:03 a.m. That was the time when a fourth hijacked plane crashed in western Pennsylvania. All 44 people on the plane were killed. Many Americans believe the hijackers had planne d to attack a target in the nation’s capital.The fourth plane came down in a field in the rural community of Shanksville. Today, a new visitors center there tells the story of the 9/11 attacks. The Flight 93 National Memorial was set up to recognize the passengers and crewmembers who attacked the hijackers.Stephen Clark is with the U.S. National Park Service. It operates the visitors center and surrounding grounds.“It just amazes me that this aircraft was but 18 minutes away from hitting Washington, D.C.”The field was quiet on Friday, very different from the situation 14 years ago.Gordon Felt’s brother Edward was one of the passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 on September 11, 2001.“It is surreal at times. Early on, it became very evident to us very quickly that our loved ones, the events surrounding their deaths, had historical significance to our country.”The last 35 minutes of Edward Felt’s life, and others on the plane, are explained at the new visitors center. Relatives hope visitors to the memorial will understand the full effect of the actions of their loved ones.“They’ll get a sense of who those 40 heroes were, as well as what their collective actions did to help save the Capitol building that morning.”I’m George Grow.This repor t was based on information from VOA’s News Division. George Grow adapted this story for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor.From:/englishlistening/voaenglish/voaspecialenglish/2015-09-12/401739.html surreal – adj. very strange or unusualsignificance – adj. importance; being worthy of attentioncollective – adj. shared or done by a group of people1. remember vt.记着; 纪念例句：For example, it can easily remember such things as:例如，它可以轻易地记住下面这些信息。
VOA 英语听力原稿六篇
AMERICAN STORIES - A Story for Halloween: 'The Boy on Graves-End Road'PAT BODNAR: Now, the VOA Special English program AMERICAN STORIES.I'm Pat Bodnar. October thirty-first is Halloween. In the spirit of this ancient holiday, we present a story written by Special English reporter and producer Caty Weaver. It's called "The Boy on Graves-End Road.NARRATOR: Kelly Ryan was making dinner. Her ten-year-old son Benjamin was watching television in the living room. Or at least she thought he was.KELLY: "Benny-boy, do you want black beans or red beans?"BEN: "Red beans, Mama."Kelly: "Don't do that, Ben. You scared me half to death! You're going to get it now ... "NARRATOR: Ben had come up quietly right behind her.(SOUND)KELLY: "I'll get back to you, stinker!"NARRATOR: Kelly goes to the phone, but as soon as she lays her hand on it, the ringing stops.KELLY: "How strange. Oh, the beans!"NARRATOR: Kelly turns her attention back to cooking. As soon as she does, the phone rings again.KELLY: "Honey, can you get that?"BEN: "Hello? Oh, hi. Yes, I remember. Sure, it sounds fun. Let me ask my mom. Can you hold? She might wanna talk to your mom. Oh, um, OK. See you tomorrow."KELLY: "Ben, your rice and beans are on the table. Let's eat."(SOUND)KELLY: "So, what was that call about?"BEN: "That was Wallace Gray. You know him, from class. He wants to play tomorrow. Can I go home with him after school? Please, Mom? I get bored around here waiting for you after work."KELLY: "But, Ben, I don't even know his parents. Maybe I should talk to them."BEN: "You can't, Mom. He was with his babysitter. He said his parents wouldn't be home until late tonight and they would leave before he went to school in the morning. Please Mom, Wallace lives right over on Graves-End Road. It's afive-minute walk from here. PLEASE,?"KELLY: "Well, OK. What's so great about this guy, anyway? You've got a ton of friends to play with."BEN: "I know. But Wallace is just different. He's got a lot of imagination."NARRATOR: The school week passes, and Ben starts to go home almost every day with Wallace. Kelly notices a change in her son. He seems tired and withdrawn. His eyes do not seem to really look at her. They seem ... lifeless. On Friday night she decides they need to have a talk.KELLY: "Sweetie, what's going on with you? You seem so tired and far away. Is something wrong? Did you and your new friend have a fight?"BEN:"No, Mom. We've been having a great time. There's nothing wrong with us. Why don't you like Wallace? You don't even know him, but you don't trust him."KELLY: "Benjamin, what are you talking about? I don't dislike Wallace. You're right, I don't know him. You just don't seem like yourself. You've been very quiet the past few nights."BEN: "I'm sorry, Mom. I guess I'm just tired. I have a great time with Wallace. We play games like cops and robbers, but they seem so real that half of the time I feel like I'm in another world. It's hard to explain. It's like, it's like ... "KELLY: "I think the word you're looking for is intense."BEN: "Yeah, that's it -- it's intense."KELLY: "Well, tell me about today. What kind of game did you play?"(SOUND)BEN: "We were train robbers. Or Wallace was. I was a station manager. Wallace was running through a long train, from car to car. He had stolen a lot of money and gold from the passengers. I was chasing right behind him, moving as fast as I could. Finally he jumps out of the train into the station to make his escape. But I block his path. He grabs a woman on the station platform. She screams 'No, no!' But he yells 'Let me through, or she dies.' So I let him go."KELLY: "What happened then?"BEN: "Well, that's what was weird and, like you said, intense. Wallace threw the lady onto the tracks. And laughed. He said that's what evil characters do in games. They always do the worst."NARRATOR: Later, after Ben went to bed, Kelly turned on the eleven o'clock news. She was only half-listening as she prepared a list of things to do the next day, on Halloween.KELLY: "Let's see, grocery shopping, Halloween decorating, dog to the groomer, hardware store, clean up the garden ...(SOUND)NEWS ANNOUNCER: "... the victim, who has not been identified, was killed instantly. Reports say it appears she was pushed off the station platform into the path of the oncoming train. It happened during rush hour today. Some witnesses reported seeing two boys running and playing near the woman. But police say they did not see any images like that on security cameras at the station. In other news, there was more trouble today as workers protested outside the Hammond ... "KELLY: "No! It can't be. The station is an hour away. They couldn't have gotten there. How could they? It's just a coincidence."NARRATOR: The wind blew low and lonely that night. Kelly slept little. She dreamed she was waiting for Ben at a train station. Then, she saw him on the other side, running with another little boy.It must be Wallace she thought. The little boy went in and out of view. Then, all of a sudden, he stopped and looked across the tracks -- directly at her.He had no face.NARRATOR: Saturday morning was bright and sunny, a cool October day. Kelly made Ben eggs and toast and watched him eat happily.KELLY: "You know, Benny-boy, a woman DID get hurt at the train station yesterday. She actually got hit by a train. Isn't that strange?"NARRATOR: She looked at Ben.BEN: "What do you mean, Mom?"KELLY: "Well, you and Wallace were playing that game yesterday. About being at a train station. You said he threw a woman off the platform, and she was killed by a train."NARRATOR: Kelly felt like a fool even saying the words. She was speaking to a ten-year-old who had been playing an imaginary game with anotherten-year-old. What was she thinking?BEN: "I said we played that yesterday? I did? Hmmm. No, we played that a few days ago, I think. It was just a really good game, really intense. Yesterday we played pirates. I got to be Captain Frank on the pirate ship, the Argh."Wallace was Davey, the first mate. But he tried to rebel and take over the ship so I made him walk the plank. Davey walked off into the sea and drowned. Wallace told me I had to order him to walk the plank. He said that's what evil pirates do."KELLY: "I guess he's right. I don't know any pirates, but I do hear they're pretty evil!"BEN: "So can I play with Wallace today when you are doing your errands? Please, Mom? I don't want to go shopping and putting up Halloween decorations."KELLY: "Oh, whatever. I guess so. I'll pick you up at Wallace's house at about five-thirty, so you can get ready for trick or treating. Where does he live again?BEN: "Graves-End Road. I don't know the street number but there are only two houses on each side. His is the second one on the left."KELLY: "OK. I can find that easy enough. Do you still want me to pick up a ghost costume for you?"BEN: "Yep. Oh, and guess what, Mom: Wallace says he's a ghost, too! I suppose we'll haunt the neighborhood together."NARRATOR: Everywhere Kelly went that day was crowded. She spent an hour and a half just at the market. When she got home, decorating the house for Halloween was difficult.But finally she had it all up the way she wanted.KELLY: "Oh, gosh, five already. I don't even have Ben's costume."NARRATOR: She jumped into her car and drove to Wilson Boulevard. The party store was just a few blocks away.Kelly finally found a space for her car. The store was crowded with excited kids and hurried parents. But Kelly soon found the ghost costume that Ben wanted. She bought it and walked out of the store.EILEEN: "Hey, Kelly! Long time no see. How's Benjamin doing?"KELLY: "Eileen! Wow, it's great to see you. How's Matt? We've been so busy since the school year started, we haven't seen anyone!"EILEEN: "Matt's good. Well, he broke his arm last month so no sports for him. It is driving him crazy, but at least he's got a lot of time for school now!"EILEEN: "Anyway, Matt was wondering why Benny-boy never comes by anymore. We saw him running around the neighborhood after school last week. It looks like he's having fun, but he's always alone. We don't need to set up a play date. Ben should know that. You just tell him to come by anytime -- "KELLY: "Wait, wait a minute. Alone? What do mean alone? He started playing with a new friend, Wallace somebody, after school, like everyday this past week. Ben hasn't been alone. Wallace Gray, that's it. Do you know him? Does Matt?"EILEEN: "Oh, Kell. Kelly, I'm sure he's a fine kid. I don't know him but don't worry, Ben's got great taste in friends, we know that! I'm sure he wasn't really alone, he was probably just playing hide and seek or something. I didn't mean to worry you. I guess everybody's on edge because of what happened to the Godwin boy this morning."NARRATOR: Kelly suddenly felt cold and scared. What Godwin boy? And what happened to him? She was not sure she wanted to know, but she had to ask.EILEEN: "Frank Godwin's youngest boy, Davey, the five-year-old. You know Frank, we call him Captain. He used to be a ship captain. Well, this morning the rescue squad found Davey in Blackhart Lake. They also found a little toy boatthat his dad made for him. Davey and his dad named it the Argh. Davey must have been trying to sail it. It's so sad."KELLY: "Wait, he's dead?EILEEN: "Yes. Davey drowned."KELLY: "Where's Blackhart Lake?"EILEEN: "It's right off Graves-End Road, right behind that little cemetery. That's why they call it Graves-End. Kelly, where are you going?"Kelly: "I've got to get Benjamin."(MUSIC)NARRATOR: Kelly raced down Main Street. She had no idea who Wallace Gray was or how he was involved in any of this. But she did not trust him and she knew her child was in danger.Finally she was at Graves-End Road.BEN: "Only two houses on each side."NARRATOR: She remembered what Ben had told her.EILEEN: "Right behind that little cemetery."NARRATOR: And what Eileen had told her. Kelly got out of the car and walked down the street. She looked around.BEN: "It's the second one on the left."NARRATOR: She could see the lake. Some fog was coming up as the sky darkened on this Halloween night. But there was no second house. Instead, what lay before her was grass and large white stones. The cemetery. Kelly walked through the gate into the yard of graves.Kelly: "Ben?"NARRATOR: No answer. She kept walking.KELLY: "Ben? Answer me. I know you're here."NARRATOR: Again no answer. But the wind blew and some leaves began to dance around a headstone. Kelly walked slowly toward the grave. Suddenly the sky blackened -- so dark, she could not see anything. She felt a force pushing at her. It tried to push her away from the grave. But she knew she had to stay.KELLY: "Benjamin Owen Orr, this is your mother. Come out this second!"NARRATOR: No one answered, except for the sound of the blowing wind. The darkness lifted. Silvery moonlight shone down directly onto the old gravestone in front of her. But Kelly already knew whose name she would see.KELLY: "'Wallace Gray. October thirty-first, nineteen hundred, to October thirty-first, nineteen hundred and ten. Some are best when laid to rest.'"NARRATOR: Kelly took a deep breath. Then ...KELLY: "Wallace Gray this play date is OVER! Give me back my son. Wallace, you are in TIME-OUT."NARRATOR: Suddenly, the ground shoots upward like a small volcano. Soil, sticks and worms fly over Kelly's head and rain down again -- followed by her son, who lands beside her.BEN: (COUGHING, CHOKING)KELLY: "Ben! Ben!"BEN: (COUGHING, CHOKING) "Mom, Mom! Are you there? I can't see. All this dirt in my eyes."KELLY: "Ben, I'm here, I'm here baby, right here. Oh, sweet Benny-boy. Can you breathe? Are you really ok? What happened? How long were you in there?"BEN: "I don't know, Mom. But I didn't like it. I didn't like where Wallace lives. I want to go home."KELLY: "Oh, me too, Sweetie. C'mon, Ben, put your arm around me. C'mon.(SOUNDS)BEN: "And Mom, one more thing ... "KELLY: "What is it, Ben?"BEN "I don't want to be a ghost for Halloween."(MUSIC)PAT BODNAR: Our story "The Boy on Graves-End Road" was written and produced by Caty Weaver. The voices were Andrew Bracken, Faith Lapidus, Katherine Cole, Shirley Griffith and Jim Tedder. I'm Pat Bodnar.Join us again next week for another American story in VOA Coming to Terms With Academic Titles at US CollegesThis is the VOA Special English Education Report.Not everyone who teaches in a college or university is a professor. Many are instructors or lecturers. In fact, not even all professors are full professors. Many of them are assistant or associate professors or adjunct professors.So what do all of these different academic titles mean at American colleges and universities? Get ready for a short lecture, especially if you are thinking of a career in higher education.Professors usually need a doctoral degree. But sometimes a school will offer positions to people who have not yet received their doctorate.This person would be called an instructor until the degree has been completed. After that, the instructor could become an assistant professor. Assistant professors do not have tenure.Tenure means a permanent appointment. This goal of greater job security is harder to reach these days. Fewer teaching positions offer the chance for tenure.Teachers and researchers who are hired into positions that do offer it are said to be "on the tenure track." Assistant professor is the first job on this path.Assistant professors generally have five to seven years to gain tenure. During this time, other faculty members study the person's work. If tenure is denied, then the assistant professor usually has a year to find another job.Candidates for tenure may feel great pressure to get research published. "Publish or perish" is the traditional saying.An assistant professor who receives tenure becomes an associate professor. An associate professor may later be appointed a full professor.Assistant, associate and full professors perform many duties. They teach classes. They advise students. And they carry out research. They also serve on committees and take part in other activities.Other faculty members are not expected to do all these jobs. They are not on a tenure track. Instead, they might be in adjunct or visiting positions.A visiting professor has a job at one school but works at another for a period of time. An adjunct professor is also a limited or part-time position, to do research or teach classes. Adjunct professors have a doctorate.Another position is that of lecturer. Lecturers teach classes, but they may or may not have a doctorate.And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. You and read and listen to our reports, and get information on how to study in the United States, at . I'm Barbara Klein.EDUCATION REPORT - Early Classes = Sleepy Teens(Duh!)This is the VOA Special English Education Report.Surveys of American teenagers find that about half of them do not get enough sleep on school nights. They get an average of sixty to ninety minutes less than experts say they need.One reason for this deficit is biology. Experts say teens are biologically programmed to go to sleep later and wake up later than other age groups. Yet many schools start classes as early as seven in the morning.As a result, many students go to class feeling like sixteen-year-old Danny. He plays two sports, lacrosse(曲棍球) and football. He is an active teen -- except in the morning.DANNY: "Getting up in the morning is pretty terrible. I'm just very out of it and tired. And then going to school I'm out of it, and through first and second period I can barely stay awake."Michael Breus is a clinical psychologist with a specialty in sleep disorders.MICHAEL BREUS: "These aren't a bunch of lazy kids -- although, you know, teenagers can of course be lazy. These are children whose biological rhythms, more times than not, are off."Teens, he says, need to sleep eight to nine hours or even nine to ten hours a night. He says sleepy teens can experience a form of depression that couldhave big effects on their general well-being. It can affect not just their ability in the classroom but also on the sports field and on the road.Michael Breus says any tired driver is dangerous, but especially a teenager with a lack of experience.So what can schools do about sleepy students? The psychologist says one thing they can do is start classes later in the morning. He points to studies showing that students can improve by a full letter grade in their first- and second-period classes.Eric Peterson is the head of St. George's School in the northeastern state of Rhode Island. He wanted to see if a thirty-minute delay would make a difference. It did.He says visits to the health center by tired students decreased by half. Late arrivals to first period fell by a third. And students reported that they were less sleepy during the day.Eric Peterson knows that changing start times is easier at a small, private boarding school like his. But he is hopeful that other schools will find a way.ERIC PETERSON: "In the end, schools ought to do what's the right thing for their students, first and foremost."Patricia Moss, an assistant dean at St. George's School, says students were not the only ones reporting better results.PATRICIA MOSS: "I can say that, anecdotally, virtually all the teachers noticed immediately much more alertness in class, definitely more positive mood. Kids were happier to be there at eight-thirty than they were at eight."And that's the VOA Special English Education Report. You can read, listen and comment on our programs at . We're also on Facebook and Twitter at VOA Learning English. I'm Bob Doughty.___Reporting by Julie Taboh, adapted by Lawan DavisSpecial English.WORDS AND THEIR STORIES - Words and Their Stories: Nicknames forChicagoBroadcast date: 1-10-2010 / Written by Carl SandburgFrom /voanews/specialenglish/Now, the VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.A nickname is a shortened version of a person's name. A nickname also can describe a person, place or thing. Many American cities have interesting nicknames. These can help establish an identity, spread pride among citizens and build unity. (MUSIC: "Chicago")Chicago, Illinois was once the second largest city in the United States. So, one of its nicknames is The Second City. Over the years, the population of Chicago has decreased. Today it is the third largest American city.However, another nickname for Chicago is still true today. It is The Windy City. Chicago sits next to Lake Michigan, one of North America's Great Lakes. Language expert Barry Popick says on his website that Chicago was called a "windy city" because of the wind that blows off of Lake Michigan. In the eighteen sixties and seventies, Chicago was advertised as an ideal place to visit in the summer because of this cool wind.But anyone who has ever lived in Chicago knows how cold that wind can be in winter. The wind travels down the streets between tall buildings in the center of the city.Barry Popick says other cities in the central United States called Chicago a "windy city." This meant that people in Chicago liked to brag or talk about how great their city was. They were full of wind or full of hot air. He says newspapers in Cincinnati, Ohio used this expression in the eighteen seventies.Chicago was an important agricultural, industrial and transportation center for the country.In nineteen sixteen, the city gained two more nicknames from a poem called "Chicago," written by Carl Sandburg. Here is the first part of the poem:Hog Butcher for the World,Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat,Player with Railroads and the Nation's Freight Handler;Stormy, husky, brawling,City of the Big Shoulders.Chicago was called Hog Butcher for the World because of its huge meat-processing industry. And, it was called The City of the Big Shoulders or City of Broad Shoulders because of its importance to the nation.There are several songs about Chicago. "My Kind of Town" was made popular by Frank Sinatra in nineteen sixty-four.(MUSIC)This program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Faith Lapidus.Qs: How many nicknames does Chicago have?The Second city, windy city, hog butcher and the city of the big shoulder. Contrary to popular belief, Sam Walton (the founder of Wal-Mart) was not from Arkansas. He was actually born in Kingfisher, Oklahoma on March 29, 1918. He was raised in Missouri where he worked in his father's store while attending school. This was his first retailing experience and he really enjoyed it. After graduating from the University of Missouri in 1940, he began his own career as a retail merchant when he opened the first of several franchises of the Ben Franklin five-and-dime franchises in Arkansas.This would lead to bigger and better things and he soon opened his first Wal-Mart store in 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas. Wal-Mart specialized in name-brands at low prices and Sam Walton was surprised at the success. Soon a chain of Wal-Mart stores sprang up across rural America.Walton's management style was popular with employees and he founded some of the basic concepts of management that are still in use today. After taking the company public in 1970, Walton introduced his "profit sharing plan". The profit sharing plan was a plan for Wal-Mart employees to improve their income dependent on the profitability of the store. Sam Walton believed that "individuals don't win, teams do". Employees at Wal-Mart stores were offered stock options and store discounts. These benefits are commonplace today, but Walton was among the first to implement them. Walton believed that a happy employee meant happy customers and more sales. Walton believed that by giving employees a part of the company and making their success dependent on the company's success, they would care about the company.By the 1980s, Wal-Mart had sales of over one billion dollars and over three hundred stores across North America. Wal-Mart's unique decentralized distribution system, also Walton's idea, created the edge needed to further spur growth in the 1980s amidst growing complaints that the "superstore" was squelching smaller, traditional Mom and Pop stores. By 1991, Wal-Mart was the largest U.S. retailer with 1,700 stores. Walton remained active in managing the company, as president and CEO until 1988 and chairman until his death. He was awarded the Medal of Freedom shortly before his death.Walton died in 1992, being the world's second richest man, behind Bill Gates. He passed his company down to his three sons, daughter and wife. Wal-Mart Stores Incorporated (locatedin Bentonville, Arkansas) is also in charge of "Sams Club". Wal-Mart stores now operate in Mexico, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, South Korea, China and Puerto Rico. Sam Walton's visions were indeed successful.Will Computers Replace Human Beings?We are in the computer age today. The computers are working all kinds of wonders now. They are very useful in automatic control and data processing. At the same time, computers are finding their way into the home. They seem to be so clever and can solve such complicated problems that some people think sooner or later they will replace us.But I do not think that there is such a possibility. My reason is very simple: computers are machines, not humans. And our tasks are far too various and complicated for any one single kind of machine to perform.Probably the greatest difference between man and computer is that the former can do things of his own while the latter can do nothing without being programmed. In my opinion, computers will remain nothing but an extension of our human brains, no matter how clever and complicated they may become.Դ: /exam/22608.shtml。
VOA慢速英语听力文章
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Protests over the English language in Cameroon have grown violent.A strike, called to increase the use of English, has spread to schools and universities in English-speaking areas.Lawyers and teachers, supported by young people, refused to call off the strike as protesters clashed with members of the military.The governor of Cameroon’s No rth-West Region says at least one person has been killed in the clashes. “Investigations are ongoing to establish the responsibilities,” said governor Adolphe Lele L’Afrique Deben Tchoffo.But media reports suggest that as many as four people were killed.The protesters are demanding greater rights for English speakers in a country that has both English and French as official languages.The roots of the strikeThe current strike has created more debate –and caused more concern – among government officials and local rulers than any other issue in recent years.The roots of this strike go deep.English speakers make up about 20 percent of Cameroon's population. The constitution says that English and French –languages that come from the colonial period –should beequally important. However, many official documents are written only in French. Some government ministers give speeches in French, even in English-speaking areas.No English speaker has held an important position, such as minister of defense, finance, or territorial administration, in Cameroon's nearly 60-year history as an independent country.Lawyers and the GovernmentLawyers have been at the front of the strike. Harmony Bogda, spokesperson for the striking lawyers, says that after discussions lasting 72 hours, lawyers left with the idea that the government does not want to listen to them. As such, Bogda says, the strike will continue.Ben Muna is a lawyer and a member of the Cameroon Bar Council Association. He says his colleagues are angry because security forces increased tensions and beat them for demonstrating peacefully.Communication minister and government spokesperson Issa Tchiroma says the government is unable to approve some of the requests. He says the lawyers are responsible for the recent violence in English-speaking areas."Those who are responsible for such abuses must know that nowhere in the world, disorder has ever led to anything constructive. We therefore call on all our compatriots to show proof of reserve, self-control, high sense of responsibility and citizenship in a spirit of dialogue."Schools have remained closed since the clashes started last Monday.。
voa慢速英语听力原文
This is the VOA Special English Education Report.Americans are considering national education standards recently developed by teachers and other education experts. The National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers led the effort.The United States, unlike other nations, has never had the same school standards across the country. The reason? Education is not discussed in the Constitution. That document limits the responsibilities of the federal government. Other responsibilities, like education, fall to the individual states.Local control of education probably was a good idea two hundred years ago. People stayed in the same place and schools knew what students needed to learn. But today, people move to different cities. And some people work at jobs that did not exist even twenty years ago.Many American educators say that getting a good education should not depend on where you live. They say that some states have lowered their standards in order to increase student scores on tests required by the No Child Left Behind Act.Kara Schlosser is communications director for the Council of Chief State School Officers. She says the new standards clearly state what a student should be able to do to be successful in college and work.The standards deal with language and mathematics in every grade from kindergarten through high school. For example, in first grade, students should be asking and answering questions about something they read.In mathematics, students should be working with shapes in kindergarten and angles in fourth grade.Forty-eight states have already shown approval for the standards. Two states reject the idea. Critics say that working toward the same standards in every state will not guarantee excellence for all. Some educators in Massachusetts say adopting the proposal will hurt their students because the state standards are even higher. Others say the change will be too costly, requiring new textbooks and different kinds of training for teachers. Still others fear federal interference or control.Supporters say the standards are goals and do not tell states or teachers how to teach. They also say the federal government is not forcing acceptance. However, approving the standards will help states qualify for some federal grant money.And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. I'm Steve Ember。
VOA Special English 原文
1 a quick lessonThis is the VOA Special English Economics Report.Businesses are structured in different ways to meet different needs.The simplest form of business is called an individual or sole proprietorship. The proprietor owns all of the property of the business and is responsible for everything. For legal purposes, with this kind of business, the owner and the company are the same. This means the proprietor gets to keep all of the profits of the business, but must also pay any debts.Another kind of business is the partnership. Two or more people go into business together. An agreement is usually needed to decide how much of the partnership each person controls.One kind of partnership is called a limited liability partnership. These have full partners and limited partners. Limited partners may not share as much in the profits, but they also have less responsibility for the business.Doctors, lawyers and accountants often form partnerships to share their risks and profits. A husband and wife can form a business partnership together. Partnerships exist only for as long as the owners remain alive. The same is true of individual proprietorships.But corporations are designed to have an unlimited lifetime. A corporation is the most complex kind of business organization.Corporations can sell stock as a way to raise money. Stock represents shares of ownership in a company. Investors who buy stock can trade their shares or keep them as long as the company is in business.A company might use some of its earnings to pay dividends as a reward to shareholders. Or the company might reinvest the money back into the business.If shares lose value, investors can lose all of the money they paid for their stock. But shareholders are not responsible for the debts of the corporation.A corporation is recognized as an entity -- its own legal being, separate from its owners.A board of directors controls corporate policies. The directors appoint top company officers. The directors might or might not hold shares in the corporation. Corporations can have a few major shareholders. Or ownership can be spread among the general public.But not all corporations are traditional businesses that sell stock. Some nonprofit groups are also organized as corporations.And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. You can learn more about business and economics on our website, . We're also on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube at VOA Learning English. I'm Barbara Klein.2 baboonsThis is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.When farmers and wild animals share land, conflicts can be hard to prevent. But the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization is trying to help.The FAO and other groups are developing what they call the Human-Wildlife Conflict Mitigation Toolkit. This toolkit is a collection of advice and information that farmers in southern Africa have been testing.Wild animals are considered a top problem for the physical and economic security of rural populations in Africa.FAO official Rene Czudek says the main aim is to provide low-cost methods to deal with wild animals without harming them.For example, some farmers in Kenya use donkeys to guard against lions and cheetahs.In Zambia and Mozambique, crocodiles are blamed for more deaths than any other animal. Nile crocodiles kill an estimated three hundred people each year in Mozambique alone.Strong fencing at watering points can offer protection. And people should always enter the water several at a time, in groups armed with weapons like sticks and stones, axes and spears.But the FAO also points out that crocodile attacks are less likely in places that have not been overfished.The toolkit also has ideas to control baboons. These large monkeys raid crops and they can kill sheep and other livestock.One suggestion is to remove the center from a loaf of bread and hide a snake inside -- a live one if possible. Baboons have a fear of snakes. They also have good memories. Rene Czudek at the FAO says a baboon frightened by a snake sandwich will probably not come back.Another animal with a good memory -- the elephant -- often raids field crops, especially maize and cassava. Mr. Czudek says the loss of a maize crop can mean the loss of a family's food supply for a year.Did you know elephants hate chili pepper?Farmers can grind pepper, mix it with elephant waste and form bricks. The idea is to burn these bricks around the edges of fields to keep elephants away. Farmers can also grow fields of chili peppers -- and sell the surplus.Another way to control elephants is with a plastic gun called the Mhiripiri Bomber. It fires balls that burst and release a chili solution when they hit the elephant's skin. You might also be able to stop an elephant or a hippopotamus by shining lights in their eyes.The FAO toolkit is supposed to be available online soon. People will be able to comment on the suggestions and offer their own.And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson. I'm Bob Doughty.3 Fighting CancerThis is the VOA Special English Health Report.Health experts are calling for action to expand cancer care and control in the developing world. A paper published by the medical journal Lancet says cancer was once thought of mostly as a problem in the developed world. But it says cancer is now a leading cause of death and disability in poor countries.Experts from Harvard University and other organizations urge the international community to fight cancer aggressively. They say it should be fought the way HIV/AIDS has been fought in Africa.Cancer kills more than seven and a half million people a year worldwide. The experts say almost two-thirds are in low-income and middle-income countries.They say cancer kills more people in developing countries than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined. But they say the world spends only five percent of its cancer resources in those countries.Felicia Knaul from the Harvard Medical School was one of the authors of the paper. She was in Mexico when she was found to have breast cancer. She received treatment there. She says the experience showed her the sharp divide between the rich and the poor in treating breast cancer.FELICIA KNAUL: "And we are seeing more and more how this is attacking young women. It's the number two cause of death in Mexico for women thirty to fifty-four. All over the developing world, except the poorest-poorest, it's the number one cancer-related death among young women. And, I think we have to again say that there is much more we could do about it than we are doing about it."Professor Knaul met community health workers during her work in developing countries. She says they were an important part of efforts to reduce deaths from cervical cancer. They were able to persuade women to get tested and to get vaccinated against a virus that can cause it.The experts say cancer care does not have to be costly. For example, patients can be treated with lower-cost drugs that are off-patent. This means the drugs are no longer legally protected against being copied.In another new report, the American Cancer Society says cancer has the highest economic cost of any cause of death. It caused an estimated nine hundred billion dollars in economic losses worldwide in two thousand eight.That was one and a half percent of the world economy, and just losses from early death and disability. The study did not estimate direct medical costs. But it says the productivity losses are almost twenty percent higher than for the second leading cause of economic loss, heart disease.And that's the VOA Special English Health Report, written by Caty Weaver with Vidushi Sinha. I'm Barbara Klein4 GoogleThis is the VOA Special English Economics Report.Last week, Verizon and Google proposed a plan they say could keep the Internet open while supporting investment in high-speed Internet service.Verizon has the nation's biggest wireless network while Google is the biggest Internet search engine. The proposal was a surprise because the two companies have been on opposite sides of the debate over net neutrality.That is the idea that all content on the Web should be treated equally.Internet service providers want to be able to charge more for heavy Internet traffic or users who want special services. The Federal Communications Commission regulates telephone, cable and satellite communications. But its power to regulate Internet service has been questioned in the courts.The new proposal calls for rules barring service providers from preventing users from sending and receiving legal information of any kind. Users also could not be prevented from linking any application, service or device they choose to the Web. And broadband Internet providers would be barred from discriminating against content and would have to be open about their policies.Supporters of net neutrality criticized the proposal for not including wireless providers. Wireless broadband is among the fastest growing parts of the Internet. Others oppose the creation of a "two-tiered" system on the Internet in which some content gets a fast lane and other content goes slowly.But Daniel Brenner says such a system already exists.DANIEL BRENNER: "In some ways there are two tiers today. In other words, there's the public Internet which we all use for Web surfing, e-mail and sometimes for voice. And then there are managed networks."Daniel Brenner is a partner at the law firm Hogan Lovells in Washington. He says service providers want to be able to charge more because they build networks out to their customers across the country. Such companies are the so-called "last mile" providers.But, the Internet is really a network of networks which exchange traffic all the time and compete with each other. And not all networks reach the last mile to a customer's door.Paul Kouroupas of Global Crossing says his company wants to make sure agreements between service providers are honored on all networks. That way, a service promised by Global Crossing on its fiber optic network will be extended all the way to a customer's door - even if another company carries the service that last mile. The Verizon-Google proposal offers suggestions for a debate that is not likely to end soon. Daniel Brenner says the FCC needs clearer guidelines from Congress. And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. I'm Steve Ember.5 happierThis is the VOA Special English Health Report.Old age may not sound exciting. But recent findings offer good news for older people and for people worried about getting older.年老可能听起来不中听，但对老年人和担心变老的人们来说，最近的研究结果传递了一些好消息。
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Canada was the only (6) non-Asian country in the top five. It rose two percent to fourth place. Almost thirty thousand Canadian students enrolled for the school year that began last (7) autumn.
China has the world's largest number of Internet users. But it also has what is often called the Great Firewall of China. (8) The government restricts political content and blocks some social networking and news Web sites. President Obama said he is a strong supporter of open Internet access.
Japan fell to fifth place. The number of Japanese students in the United States decreased for the fourth year, to just over twenty-nine thousand.
(8) Taiwan also sent fewer students, and the number from Mexico was nearly unchanged.
His meeting with students in Shanghai was broadcast locally. But China rejected an American request to show it live nationally.
(9) There were no major developments, but there were promises of closer cooperation in talks between the two presidents. They made a joint statement to reporters, but took no questions.
China again sent the second largest number, more than ninety-eight thousand, an increase of twenty-one percent. The biggest increases were in Chinese (5) undergraduate students.
Passage 32 源自This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.
President Obama is back from his first trip to Asia since becoming what he called "America's first (1) Pacific president." The president, born in Hawaii, began his eight-day trip in Japan, then visited Singapore, China and South Korea. He met with leaders on issues (2) including trade, the world economy and climate change.
Passage 31
This is the VOA Special English Education Report.
A new report says the number of foreign students in the United States reached a record high in two (1) thousand eight.
(10) Business and management was again the most popular area of study for international students. The next most popular subjects are engineering, math and computer science.
China is the United States' second largest (5) trading partner, after Canada. And China now holds more United States government debt than any other nation.
Announcements included a series of measures to strengthen cooperation on clean energy. For example, the United States and China will jointly establish a clean energy research center. Scientists and engineers will work on technologies such as carbon capture and storage. (10) That involves preventing industrial gases from escaping into the atmosphere where they can trap heat.
In Beijing, President Obama met with President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao. He also spoke to university students in Shanghai. Among other subjects, he talked about freedoms that Americans value.
BARACK OBAMA: "These (6) freedoms of expression and worship, of access to information and political participation, we believe are universal rights. They should be (7) available to all people."
In Singapore, he attended this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. And he chose Hawaii for the APEC meeting in two years.
The president spent a day in Japan. He met with the new prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama. They talked about (3) strengthening their nations' alliance. But the prime minister (4) campaigned on a promise of a "more equal" relationship. For example, he wants to study a two thousand six agreement for an American Marine air station to move to another area of Okinawa.
More than six hundred seventy thousand (2) international students attended an American college or university last year. That was eight percent higher than the year before, the largest (3) percentage increase since nineteen eighty.
For the eighth year, India remained the leader in sending students to the United States. More than one hundred thousand students from India attended American schools last year. That was nine percent more than the year before.
The "Open Doors" report is published by the Institute of International Education, with support from the State Department.
It says the number of international students last year was almost fifteen percent higher than the last record setting year, two thousand two. In all, seven of the ten top countries sent more students last year, just as the economic (4) downturn was worsening.