Black History Month

    Yvonne: This is 6 Minute English, I'm Yvonne and today, I'm joined byRob. Hello, Rob!
    Rob: Hello, Yvonne.
    Yvonne: In the UK, we celebrate Black History Month each year. It's a time whenpeople from all cultures and backgrounds get a chance to learn about, share inand celebrate the contributions that black people have made to UK and worldhistory. Well before we find out more about this annual or yearly¹ event, I've aquestion for you, Rob. How long has Black History Month been celebratedhere in the UK? Is it: 23 years50 years or52 yearsRob: Ummm – that's a tricky² one. I think I'll say 23 years.
    Yvonne: Hmmm - we'll find out whether you're right or wrong later on!
    Rob: Okay.
    Yvonne: Now every year, there's a rather heated debate about whether we should orshouldn't spend an entire month on black history - something that's a part ofBritish history. Mia Morris is the owner of the UK's Black History Monthwebsite and she shared her opinion on this:
    Extract³ 1: Mia MorrisIdeally, we wouldn't need it; ideally⁴, it would be all year round. But then say to people:
    use the opportunity to explore more of your family and spend more time with yourfamily, finding⁵ out more about our very rich history.
    Yvonne: Mia would prefer black history to be made available to everyone in Britainthroughout the year. As she put it, ideally, black history would last 'all yearround' - but as it doesn't…Rob: …Mia thinks we should all see October as an opportunity, or a chance, tospend more time with family, exploring, or finding out, more about our veryrich history, one that we all share, as it's British.
    Yvonne: Unfortunately, some Black History Month events and schools still choose tofocus on negative events from history, for example, slavery. But now, there's awider variety of events available, including living history. Rob, can you tell uswhat 'living history' is please?
    Rob: Yes, of course. It's a more interactive⁶ way of learning⁷ about a specific event orperiod of time in history than say, for example, simply looking at items in amuseum. That's a bit boring sometimes.
    Yvonne: It is, isn't it? Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was held as a prisoner, isnow a living museum, isn't it, Rob?
    Rob: That's right. I've actually been there and it really is an amazing place. So wecan find out what everyday life was like for Nelson Mandela by going on aguided tour of Robben Island that's led by an ex-political prisoner, who wasalso held there.
    Yvonne: Of course, living history is happening all around us, wherever we are. Andrecently, at a Black History Month event, I spent the morning speaking with awonderful lady, who's a great example of living history. Irene Sinclair wasborn in 1908 in Guyana, South America, which was then called British Guyana.
    And she came to live in London in 1957.
    Rob: My goodness⁸. So Irene is 102 years old! Wow, you must have had so manyquestions to ask her, Yvonne.
    Yvonne: Too many, Rob, way too many, including questions about her working life. Iasked Aunty Rene how much she was paid in Guyana in 1957 where sheworked as an English and History teacher, before she came to London.
    Extract 2: Irene SinclairIt must have been about ?10 a year. Yes, because when I came over here, I was workingfor 4.99. I was 49 when I came over, nearly 50. 4.99 a week, ?4.99 in 1958!
    Rob: Irene would have been paid in pounds, shillings⁹ and pence¹⁰, so she was tellingus what her pay would be worth today, ?4.99. Now that doesn't sound like verymuch money, but compared to the ?10 a year she got as a teacher, it was.
    Yvonne: ?10 a year! She was an assistant cook at a school until age 62 and she becamea famous model at the age of 96!
    Rob: Amazing!
    Yvonne: You can look her up on the internet.
    Rob: Okay.
    Yvonne: And of course, she's got a great love of children which lead her to another job.
    Extract 3: Irene SinclairSix years ago, I looked after a baby six days old for about three weeks, because thewoman, she wasn't quite well after having the baby. And the doctor said she must havesomeone in at nights so she could sleep. “Aunty Rene, would you?” Of course, they gaveme some money, but I wouldn’t take it as they would have had to pay someone ?50 anight – you know, a proper nurse.
    Yvonne: So, at 96 years old, she was not only a model, but she also looked after a newbornbaby for friends at night for six weeks. And she didn't even take themoney they wanted to pay her.
    Rob: Wow, Rene Sinclair really does sound like a wonderful piece of living blackhistory for the UK.
    Yvonne: She does and Aunty Rene proves that Black History Month can be an amazingexperience simply based on the people you meet. Now earlier Rob, I asked youhow long ago did Black History Month in the UK start?
    Rob: And I said 23 years. Was I right?
    Yvonne: You were – ding-ding!!
    Rob: Great!
    Yvonne: Fantastic! But that's all for today's "6 Minute English".
    Both: Goodbye!

1 yearly   

adj.每年的，一年一度的；adv.一年一次地

参考例句：

• The flower show is a yearly event in our town.我们镇上的花展一年举行一次。
• The yearly rental of her house is 2400 yuan.她这房子年租金是2400元。

2 tricky   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的

参考例句：

• I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
• He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。

3 extract   

vt.取出，提取，获得，摘录；n.摘录，提出物

参考例句：

• The article was a choice extract from her writings.这篇文章是从她的著作中摘录出来的精粹。
• We can extract oil from olive.我们可以从橄榄中榨油。

4 ideally   

adv.理想地，圆满地；理论上地

参考例句：

• She was ideally suited to the job.她是这项工作的理想人选。
• Ideally,we would like to start at the beginning.要是有可能，我们真想从头开始。

5 finding   

n.发现，发现物；调查的结果

参考例句：

• The finding makes some sense.该发现具有一定的意义。
• That's an encouraging finding.这是一个鼓舞人心的发现。

6 interactive   

adj.相互作用的，互相影响的，（电脑）交互的

参考例句：

• The psychotherapy is carried out in small interactive groups.这种心理治疗是在互动的小组之间进行的。
• This will make videogames more interactive than ever.这将使电子游戏的互动性更胜以往。

7 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

8 goodness   

n.善良，善行，美德

参考例句：

• Would you have the goodness to turn off the radio?劳驾，请你把收音机关上好不好？
• Thank goodness,we've found a cure for the disease.好了，这病有救了！

9 shillings   

n.先令（英国1971年以前的货币单位，为一镑的二十分之一）( shilling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The charge for labor works out at almost ten shillings an hour. 付给工人的费用算下来每小时差不多十先令。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I will venture five shillings on it. 我愿为它赌五先令。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 pence   

n.便士；名词penny的复数形式

参考例句：

• She counted out fifteen pence and passed it to the salesgirl.她数出15个便士交给女店员。
• These apples are selling at 40 pence a kilo.这些苹果售价每公斤40便士。