VOA慢速英语2009-American Mosaic - Energy Chief Says Green Ho

Welcome to American Mosaic¹ in VOA Special English.

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I'm Doug Johnson. Today we listen to music from a popular band of brothers ...

Answer a question about Blackwater …

And talk about white roofs and green roads.

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Green News

HOST:

Green collar jobs, eco-tourism, organic foods, sustainable industry, environmentally friendly businesses, the list goes on. People are trying to find simple ways to decrease their effect on the planet. Faith Lapidus considers some recent suggestions for protecting Mother Earth.

FAITH LAPIDUS:

American Energy Secretary Steven Chu recently spoke² to a group of Nobel laureate scientists. He told them that people could slow global warming by changing the color of the rooftops of buildings.
　
A new roof in Bermuda is completed with a roof-wetting ceremony. Many roofs on the island are painted white.

Mister Chu said sunlight, and its heat, will bounce off a white colored roof. Dark roof tops hold in more than eighty percent of the energy from sunlight. A white roof top reflects almost as much. This is why there are white and light colored buildings in many warm areas of the world.

Mister Chu said researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California estimated the effects that white roofs could have on the planet. Their study considers painting sixty-three percent of rooftops white in one hundred large cities in warm areas around the world. The scientists estimate this would have the same climate effect as taking all cars in the world off the road for ten years. It would also save money on indoor air cooling costs. However, some scientists question the numbers behind the science of white roofing.

Many American families are planning their summer vacations. A writer of environmentally friendly parenting books has some ideas for vacationing by car. Jenn Savedge's blog appears on the Mother Nature Network.

She writes that the most important thing on a road trip is planning. Try to find new and fun things to do as close to home as possible. Reduce waste by bringing food and drinks for the trip in re-usable containers. She also suggests staying at environmentally friendly places.

Also, when visiting other places, buy locally produced arts and crafts which support the community.

In the future car travelers may see signs of the Green Roadway Project. Inventors Gene³ Fein of California and Ed Merritt of Massachusetts came up with the idea. They designed a system of solar panels⁴, wind turbines and other power gathering⁵ devices. These would be placed along roads, highways and railways throughout the United States.

The power gathered would be used to create energy for homes and businesses nearby. The roads would even have power stations for charging electric cars.

A spokeswoman for the Green Roadway Project says it would be a sign of hope for young people. She said children would "look out the window of their family car and see that clean energy is part of their lives." The project will be proposed to individual American states beginning in late July.

Blackwater

HOST:

Our listener question this week comes from Yemen. Sameer Taher Mahdi heard the phrase "Blackwater in Iraq" on a news report. He asks what it meant.
　
Erik Prince established Blackwater (now Xe) in 1997

Blackwater was the name of a private security and military training company. Erik Prince established the company in the American state of North Carolina in nineteen ninety-seven. Mister Prince is a former officer of the United States Navy's special forces known as SEALS.

The company has a huge training center in North Carolina that is used by the American military and other American security forces. Erik Prince has said that business really grew for the company after the attacks on the United States in two thousand one.

After that, the United States government employed Blackwater to work in Afghanistan and Iraq. Blackwater did not have to compete with any other security companies for the work.

Blackwater private forces guarded American officials and also trained Iraqis and Afghans for security work. But, the company suffered public image problems in Iraq.

Over the years several Blackwater employees were charged with crimes in Iraq, including murder. The worst incident happened in September, two thousand seven. Blackwater guards were accused of firing into a public square in Baghdad and killing⁶ at least fourteen civilians⁷. The United States charged the guards involved.

In January, Iraq ended the right of Blackwater to work in the country. In February, Blackwater changed its name to Xe to help improve its image with the public.

Just this week, an investigation⁸ found that the State Department overpaid the company by tens of millions of dollars. The report said the company failed to supply enough people to protect American diplomats⁹ in Iraq.

Jonas Brothers

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HOST:

That is the Mills Brothers singing "Glow Worm." The Mills were one of the early bands of brothers to become a big hit in the music industry. The Everly Brothers, the Beach Boys, the Allman Brothers the Jackson Five and others came later.

Another very popular band of brothers released its fourth album this week. Shirley Griffith tells about the Jonas Brothers and plays some of their music --- old and new.

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SHIRLEY GRIFFITH:

That was "Mandy" from the first album by the Jonas Brothers, "It's about Time." It was written a few years ago by the youngest brother, Nick Jonas. He is sixteen now.

In most families, the little brother follows the bigger ones around. But in the Jonas Brothers band, Nick is the leader. In fact his brothers call him "Mister President." Kevin, twenty-one, and Joe, nineteen, say they respect Nick's organizational skills and work ethic¹⁰.

Nick formed the band in two thousand five, but he had performed in Broadway musicals since the age of seven. The Jonas Brothers started with Columbia records but were dropped from the label after their first album.

Disney-owned Hollywood Records then signed the brothers. Here the young men sing "When You Look Me in the Eyes," from "Jonas Brothers," their first album with Hollywood.

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All the brothers play guitar, although Kevin leads. Nick and Joe are lead singers. Joe also plays keyboard. Nick is the lead songwriter. Their concerts are extremely popular, especially among young girls.

The band does not write Christian¹¹ songs but the brothers are influenced by their religion. The band and other family members say a group prayer of thanks before each Jonas Brothers performance. And each brother wears a ring on the third finger of his left hand. It is a symbol of their belief in waiting until marriage to have sex.

Hollywood Records made a good move in signing the Jonas Brothers. Their second album with the company went to number one on Billboard¹² Magazine popular music charts. One of the songs deals with the disease diabetes¹³. Nick Jonas was found to have type one diabetes in two thousand five. Here is "A Little Bit Longer."

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On Tuesday, the Jonas Brothers came out with their fourth record. Critics say "Lines, Vines and Trying Times" is an attempt by the band to move into the adult market without dismissing younger fans. Some reviewers say the record succeeds. Others disagree. You can decide for yourself. We leave you with "Black Keys" from "Lines, Vines and Trying Times."

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HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson. I hope you enjoyed our program today. It was written and produced by Caty Weaver¹⁴. Join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC, VOA's radio magazine in Special English.

1 mosaic   

n./adj.镶嵌细工的，镶嵌工艺品的，嵌花式的

参考例句：

• The sky this morning is a mosaic of blue and white.今天早上的天空是幅蓝白相间的画面。
• The image mosaic is a troublesome work.图象镶嵌是个麻烦的工作。

2 spoke   

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

参考例句：

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

3 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

4 panels   

镶板( panel的名词复数 )； 面； （门、墙等上面的）嵌板； 控制板

参考例句：

• One of the glass panels in the front door was cracked. 前门的一块方玻璃破裂了。
• Make sure the panels are treated with a wood preservative. 确保镶板用木材防腐剂处理过。

5 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

6 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

7 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

8 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

9 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 ethic   

n.道德标准，行为准则

参考例句：

• They instilled the work ethic into their children.他们在孩子们的心中注入了职业道德的理念。
• The connotation of education ethic is rooted in human nature's mobility.教育伦理的内涵根源于人本性的变动性。

11 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

12 billboard   

n.布告板，揭示栏，广告牌

参考例句：

• He ploughed his energies into his father's billboard business.他把精力投入到父亲的广告牌业务中。
• Billboard spreads will be simpler and more eye-catching.广告牌广告会比较简单且更引人注目。

13 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

14 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

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