AMERICAN MOSAIC - New "Star Wars" Movie / Food Songs / Seeds

AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ -June 21, 2002: New 'Star Wars' Movie / Food Songs / Seeds of Peace

HOST:
Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC
—
VOA’s radio magazine in Special English.
(THEME)
This is Steve Ember. On our program today we:
Play some songs about food ..
.
Report about the popular new “Star Wars”
movie ..
.
And tell about one attempt to make progress toward² world peace.

Seeds of Peace

HOST:

Peacemakers throughout history have faced huge problems trying to solve international conflicts. A special
summer program in the United States teaches young people from areas of conflict how to understand each other.
Mary Tillotson tells us more.

ANNC:

The program is called Seeds of Peace. Each summer, organizers hold three two-week meetings at a camp in the
state of Maine. The camp is for young people ages fourteen to seventeen. They come from many areas, including
several countries in the Middle East, India, Pakistan, Greece, Turkey, and the former Yugoslavia.

The camp provides a safe and supportive place for young people to speak about conflict.
They spend their time in classes discovering how to communicate and listen to each other.
They learn how to solve their conflicts through discussion³ instead of violence. They also live
together, play team sports and take part in art and music activities. The goal is to help the
students discover that the so-called⁴ enemy is human, and can even be a friend.

Each two-week camp ends with a trip to Washington, D-C. The young people visit the White
House and State Department. They also meet with members of Congress⁵ and their own
ambassadors⁶ to the United States. This part of the program teaches the students that world
leaders value their ideas and want to learn from them.

Writer John Wallach started Seeds of Peace in nineteen-ninety-three. At that time, organizers
brought only Arab and Israeli students together. Today the program has expanded to welcome students from
many other parts of the world where conflict exists.

The students speak English at the camp. About three-hundred students are chosen to attend the camp each year
from more than two-thousand who ask to attend. They are nominated⁷ by their governments for their ability to
lead and their good school performance. Their economic and social positions are not considered.

To find out more about Seeds of Peace, visit the organization’s Internet Web site at www.seedsofpeace.org.
Seeds of peace is all one word. Or you can write to Seeds of Peace, three-seven-zero Lexington Avenue, New
York, New York, one-zero-zero-one-seven, U-S-A.

Star Wars: Attack of the Clones

(Photo -Seeds of
Peace)

HOST:

Movie fans are enjoying the new Star Wars movie, “Attack of the Clones.
”
It has earned more than two hundred-
fifty-million dollars since its release⁸ five weeks ago.

The movie is the fifth in a series written and directed by George Lucas. They tell a
continuing story about a young man named Anakin Skywalker in an imaginary⁹
galaxy¹⁰ of planets¹¹. Shirley Griffith has more.

ANNCR:

In “Attack of the Clones,
”
a group of separatists wants independence from a
government called The Republic. The Republic has prepared an army of
biologically engineered men called clones. A civil war begins between the

separatists’
army of mechanical¹² men and the Republic ’s clones.

At the same time, Anakin Skywalker is training to become a special fighter called a Jedi knight¹³. But Anakin falls
in love with a beautiful young woman senator¹⁴, Padme Amidala. The rules of the Jedi ban such feelings. So the
two young people begin a secret relationship.

Some critics have said that much of the writing in “Attack of the Clones”
is so bad that it is funny. They also
said the story’s political mysteries are confusing and often just stupid. But most critics agree that the movie is
fun to watch.

George Lucas used computers to create worlds of huge buildings, water or deserts. He designed battles in space
and on land. Huge armies and dangerous creatures fight fierce battles using unusual space vehicles and weapons.

Almost all the critics agreed that watching the last battle between the Jedi master Yoda and the mysterious Count
Dooku is worth the price of the ticket. And many critics said that the release of any “Star Wars”
movie is one
of the major cultural events of the year.

Most critics agree that in the “Star Wars”
series, George Lucas has created one of the most important stories of

the late twentieth century. Its cultural importance guarantees that people will continue to watch the movies as
long as George Lucas continues to produce them. The sixth and final “Star Wars”
movie is expected to be
released¹⁵ in two-thousand-five.

Junk Food

HOST:
Our VOA listener question this week comes from China. Xia Jianxun asks about “junk food.
”

 

Junk food is what Americans call food that is not healthy. Webster’s New World
Dictionary defines¹⁶ the word “junk”
as something that is useless or worthless¹⁷.
Junk food does not have nutrients¹⁸ and is often processed with chemicals. Some
examples of junk food are candy, sweets and potato chips. These foods are high in
sugar, cholesterol¹⁹ or fat.

About thirty years ago, American singer Larry Groce (GROSS) had a hit record
called “Junk Food Junkie.
”
It is about a man known to eat healthy, natural foods.
Yet he secretly eats foods that are bad for him. The word “junkie”
is American
slang²⁰ for a person who cannot stop doing something. In the song, the man cannot resist eating foods that are bad.

((CUT 1: JUNK FOOD JUNKIE))

Another funny song about food includes both healthy and junk food. It was written and performed by Weird²¹ Al
Yankovic (YANK-o-vik). He made up new words to Michael Jackson’s hit song, “Beat It”
and won a
Grammy for it. We leave you now with Weird Al
’
s song, “Eat It.
”
How many different kinds of foods can
you hear him say?


((CUT 2: EAT IT)
)
HOST:
This is Steve Ember. I hope you enjoyed our program today. And I hope you will join us again next week for

AMERICAN MOSAIC
—
VOA’s radio magazine in Special English.
This AMERICAN MOSAIC program was written by Bob Brumfield, Jill Moss²² and Nancy Steinbach. Our studio
engineer was Curtis Bynum. And our producer was Paul Thompson.

 

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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 toward   

prep.对于，关于，接近，将近，向，朝

参考例句：

• Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
• Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了，并跑了过去。

3 discussion   

n.讨论，谈论；论述

参考例句：

• It is certain he will come to the discussion.他肯定会来参加讨论。
• After months of discussion,a peace agreement is gradually taking shape.经过几个月的商讨，和平协议渐渐有了眉目。

4 so-called   

adj.所谓的，号称的

参考例句：

• These were the so-called mainframe machines.它们被称为主机。
• Let's see what this so-called button does.让我们来看看为什么这个按钮叫这个名字。

5 Congress   

n.(代表)大会；(C-:美国等国的)国会，议会

参考例句：

• There were some days to wait before the Congress.大会的召开还有几天时间。
• After 18 years in Congress,he intented to return to private life.在国会供职18年后，他打算告老还乡。

6 ambassadors   

大使( ambassador的名词复数 )； （派驻联合国等国际组织的）代表； 特使； [比喻]使者

参考例句：

• Kennedy, greatly admiring, rated him very high among his ambassadors. 肯尼迪十分赏识他，在所有大使中对他评价很高。
• Many countries were represented by their ambassadors at the Independence Day celebrations. 庆祝美国独立纪念日时，许多国家都派其大使代表参加。

7 nominated   

adj.被提名的，被任命的 动词nominate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• She has been nominated for the presidency. 她已经获得了董事长职位的提名。
• The movie was nominated for an Oscar. 这部电影获奥斯卡金像奖提名。

8 release   

vt.发布，发表，发行；释放，放开

参考例句：

• After my examination I had a feeling of release.考完试后我有如释重负之感。
• This medicine will give you release from pain.这药吃后会解除你的疼痛。

9 imaginary   

adj.想象中的，假想的，虚构的，幻想的；虚数的

参考例句：

• All the characters in this book are imaginary.此书中的所有人物都是虚构的。
• The boy's fears were only imaginary.这小孩的恐惧只是一种想象。

10 galaxy   

n.星系；银河系；一群(杰出或著名的人物)

参考例句：

• The earth is one of the planets in the Galaxy.地球是银河系中的星球之一。
• The company has a galaxy of talent.该公司拥有一批优秀的人才。

11 planets   

行星( planet的名词复数 )； 地球（尤指环境）

参考例句：

• Does life exist on other planets? 其他行星上有生命吗？
• the planets of our solar system 太阳系的行星

12 mechanical   

adj.机械(学)的；力学的；机械似的；手工操作的

参考例句：

• He borrowed a mechanical book from me.他从我这儿借了一本力学方面的书。
• He looks very mechanical.他看上去非常呆板。

13 knight   

n.骑士，武士；爵士

参考例句：

• He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
• A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。

14 senator   

n.参议员，评议员

参考例句：

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

15 released   

v.释放( release的过去式和过去分词 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• With hindsight it is easy to say they should not have released him. 事后才说他们本不应该释放他，这倒容易。

16 defines   

规定( define的第三人称单数 )； 使明确； 精确地解释； 画出…的线条

参考例句：

• This name defines us all. 这个名字造就了我们。 来自演讲部分
• The range of incomes over which this happens defines the 'poverty trap'. 发生在这种情况的收入范围，称为“贫困陷阱。”

17 worthless   

adj.无价值的，无用的，可鄙的

参考例句：

• Don't read worthless books.不要读没有用的书。
• He was worthless as a painter.他作为画家一事无成。

18 nutrients   

n.（食品或化学品）营养物，营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
• Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 cholesterol   

n.（U）胆固醇

参考例句：

• There is cholesterol in the cell of body.人体细胞里有胆固醇。
• They are determining the serum-protein and cholesterol levels.他们正在测定血清蛋白和胆固醇的浓度。

20 slang   

n.俚语，行话；vt.使用俚语，辱骂；vi.辱骂

参考例句：

• The phrase is labelled as slang in the dictionary.这个短语在这本字典里被注为俚语。
• Slang often goes in and out of fashion quickly.俚语往往很快风行起来又很快不再风行了。

21 weird   

adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的

参考例句：

• From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。
• His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。

22 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。