VOA慢速英语-AMERICAN MOSAIC - Americans Keep Close to Home for '

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC¹ in VOA Special English.

(MUSIC)

I'm Doug Johnson.

Today we report about "staycations," vacations close to home ...

Answer a question about American presidents after they leave office …

And play music by Isaac Hayes, who died this week.

(MUSIC)

HOST:

August is a popular time for Americans to go on their summer vacations. But this year many Americans are not traveling very far. Many people are deciding to take "staycations," vacations where you stay at home. Barbara Klein tells us more.

Staycations

BARBARA KLEIN:
　

More Americans are spending the vacation at home this summer

This summer, many Americans are feeling the effects of increased prices for many things, including gasoline and airline tickets. The exchange rate of the dollar has also made international travel much more costly² for Americans. One smart way Americans are avoiding such high costs is by taking vacations at home instead of driving or flying to faraway places. Staycations make hotels, long drives and airline flights unnecessary. And, they provide a chance for people to enjoy activities in their hometown.

Many Americans consider their time at home like a real vacation. They pay their bills and take care of housework ahead of time so they will be able to have more fun. And they use local travel guides to find good information about nearby places to visit.

Several cities in the United States have launched creative marketing³ campaigns to get their citizens to have fun staying in town.

For example, if you lived in Boston, Massachusetts, you might see three and a half meter tall red pins placed near important cultural and historical places in the city. These large structures can be found in places such as the Boston Common and the New England Aquarium⁴. The pins show Bostonians and visitors all the interesting places to see in the city.

San Diego, California, has a staycation campaign aimed at people who live within a day's drive of the city. The San Diego visitors center has a Web site that makes finding restaurants and events in the city easy. The Web site states that nothing should stand in the way of a good vacation -- not even a slow economy.

New York City has a "Go Local" Web site that gives a list of free or low cost activities around the city. For example, activities last weekend included an International Yo-Yo convention⁵ and a food tour of the Harlem neighborhood.

Of course, not all Americans live in big cities. Staycations also offer a chance to read, enjoy nature, go to the local swimming pool, spend time with family and just rest. And that sounds like a nice vacation to us!

Former Presidents

HOST:

Our listener question this week comes from Cambodia. Sophosh Warng wants to know what American presidents do when they leave office.
　

John Quincy Adams

After a president serves two terms in office he or she may not run for president again. However, a former president may stay in politics as an elected member of Congress. For example, America's sixth president, John Quincy Adams, served as a member of the House of Representatives after he left office as president.

The seventeenth president, Andrew Johnson, was later elected to the Senate. A president may even become a Supreme⁶ Court judge. William Howard Taft became chief justice several years after completing his term as president in nineteen thirteen.

It is more common for former presidents to publish books about their experiences or speak to groups of people about many different issues.

Stephen Wayne is an expert on the American presidency⁷ and the author of "The Road to the White House." He said that presidents "make money, they raise money, they write books and do other kinds of things like volunteer their time." Mister Wayne said that former presidents want to "talk about their experience and use their position to tell the next president and the government how to make it a better world."
　

Jimmy Carter last year at a Habitat for Humanity8 building project in Violet, Louisiana

Former president Jimmy Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize for helping⁹ to solve issues related to human rights. He continues to help build homes for poor people with the organization Habitat for Humanity.

Former president Bill Clinton leads a private foundation that carries out a number of projects in developing countries. These include H.I.V and AIDS treatment, poverty reduction, leadership development and working toward racial, ethnic¹⁰ and religious understanding.

Former presidents also receive large amounts of money each year called pensions. They receive almost two hundred thousand dollars each year for the rest of their lives. They also receive money for travel, supplies for their office and to pay the people who work for them.

Isaac Hayes

HOST:

Singer, songwriter and actor Isaac Hayes died last Sunday at his home in East Memphis, Tennessee. Hayes' doctor said the sixty-five-year-old musician died of a stroke. Katherine Cole tells about Isaac Hayes and plays some of his music.

(MUSIC: "Theme from Shaft¹¹")

KATHERINE COLE:
　

Isaac Hayes

That music comes from the nineteen seventy-one movie "Shaft." It earned composer Isaac Hayes an Academy Award for Best Original Song. He also won two Grammy Awards for the movie's music.

Isaac Hayes was born in Covington, Tennessee in nineteen forty-two. His mother died young and his father left when he was a child. Isaac's grandparents raised him. He worked in cotton fields while growing up.

Isaac started singing in church when he was just five years old. He also taught himself to play piano and other instruments.

Hayes started his career in the music industry in the nineteen sixties in Memphis. He wrote the songs "Soul Man" and "Hold On, I'm Coming" which became hits for the group Sam and Dave.

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Isaac Hayes released the album "Hot Buttered Soul" in nineteen sixty-nine. It was one of his biggest hits. He included a version of the pop song "Walk on By" on the record.

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Isaac Hayes also loved to act. He performed in more than thirty films. His last film was "Soul Men" which is to be released in November. Hayes starred in that movie with actor and comedian¹² Bernie Mac. Sadly and strangely, Bernie Mac died of lung sickness just the day before Isaac Hayes.

Isaac Hayes was admitted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in two thousand two. We leave you with the famed soul singer performing "Never Can Say Goodbye."

(MUSIC)

HOST:

I'm Doug Johnson. I hope you enjoyed our program today.

It was written by Dana Demange, Elizabeth Stern¹³ and Caty Weaver¹⁴ who was also the producer. To read the text of this program and download audio, go to our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com.

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 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

3 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

4 aquarium   

n.水族馆，养鱼池，玻璃缸

参考例句：

• The first time I saw seals was in an aquarium.我第一次看见海豹是在水族馆里。
• I'm going to the aquarium with my parents this Sunday.这个星期天，我要和父母一起到水族馆去。

5 convention   

n.惯例，习俗，常规，会议，大会

参考例句：

• How many delegates have checked in at the convention?大会已有多少代表报到？
• He sets at naught every convention of society.他轻视所有的社会习俗。

6 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

7 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

8 humanity   

n.人类，[总称]人(性)，人道[pl.]人文学科

参考例句：

• Such an act is a disgrace to humanity.这种行为是人类的耻辱。
• We should treat animals with humanity.我们应该以仁慈之心对待动物。

9 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

10 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

11 shaft   

n.(工具的)柄，杆状物

参考例句：

• He was wounded by a shaft.他被箭击中受伤。
• This is the shaft of a steam engine.这是一个蒸汽机主轴。

12 comedian   

n.喜剧演员；滑稽演员

参考例句：

• The comedian tickled the crowd with his jokes.喜剧演员的笑话把人们逗乐了。
• The comedian enjoyed great popularity during the 30's.那位喜剧演员在三十年代非常走红。

13 stern   

adj.严厉的，严格的，严峻的；n.船尾

参考例句：

• The ship was in a blaze from stem to stern.整艘船从头到尾都着火了。
• The headmaster ruled the school with a stern discipline.校长治校严谨。

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。