AMERICAN MOSAIC

AMERICAN MOSAIC¹
By

Broadcast: Friday, March 05, 2004

(THEME)

HOST:

Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC -- a program in VOA Special English about music and American life. And we answer your questions.

(THEME)

This is Doug Johnson.

On our show today, we have country music from Joe Nichols. And we answer a question about Americans who seek office in foreign countries.

But first, we tell about some of the diet programs that Americans are using in an effort to lose weight.

Diet Wars

HOST:

Recent studies show that Americans know they weigh too much. As a result, many are changing the way they eat so they will lose weight. Gwen Outen tells us about a few of these popular diet programs.

ANNCR:

 
Wait, did you count the carbs?
One is the Atkins Weight Loss program. It was developed more than thirty years ago by medical doctor Robert Atkins. The diet comes from the idea that the human body burns both carbohydrates² and fat for fuel. People on the diet stop eating carbohydrates like pasta, bread and potatoes, as well as sugar. The result is that the body burns fat and the person loses weight.

People following the Atkins diet can eat as much protein and animal fat as they want, including red meat and bacon. Experts say this plan should not be followed by anyone suffering from diabetes³, heart problems or kidney disease. That is because dangerous fluid loss can result when the body uses fat or muscle for energy. Food experts have said for years that the Atkins diet could lead to health problems like heart disease. But studies have not shown that to be true. In fact, many people say the Atkins diet has lowered their cholesterol⁴ levels.

Another popular weight loss program in the United States is called the South Beach Diet. It was developed by a heart doctor who lives in Miami, Florida. This plan calls for eating foods known to prevent heart disease, like chicken, nuts, fish, olive oil, grains, fruits and vegetables. The plan says that this way of eating will improve heart health as a person loses weight. The South Beach Diet also restricts carbohydrates, but not as much as the Atkins diet.

A third popular weight loss program is called Weight Watchers. People pay to join a group. Then they meet every week to weigh themselves and discuss their progress. The program does not restrict any foods, but assigns points to each food. The more fattening⁵ foods are given a higher point value. Each person is permitted to eat foods that add up to a total number of points each day. Each person chooses how to use his or her points in order not to feel hungry and to lose weight.

American eating places and food companies have begun to provide special products for people following these diets. For example, American food stores now sell low-carbohydrate breads and pasta. And many Americans are trying to lose weight by not eating potatoes, bread or rice.

Americans as Foreign Leaders

HOST:

Last week, in answering a question, we told how Americans have little reason to fear losing their citizenship⁶ if they vote in foreign elections. Today we answer the second part of that question from Thomas Corcoran in Sweden. He wants to know if the United States permits its citizens to become foreign leaders.

The answer is: yes. In fact, several already have. And one native-born American hopes to very soon.

 
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George Papandreou was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in nineteen-fifty-two. He lived and studied in the United States for many years before he moved to Greece. Most recently, Mister Papandreou was foreign minister, until last month. Now he is seeking to become prime minister after elections on Sunday.

So, we wrote to his Web site. His media center told us that he gave up his American citizenship when he became a lawmaker in Greece. Mister Papandreou was first elected to Parliament in the nineteen-eighties.

Another person is Valdas Adamkus, the former president of Lithuania. Mister Adamkus fled the Soviet⁸ occupation in nineteen-forty-nine. He became an American citizen. In time, he became a high-level official in the Environmental Protection Agency. Mister Adamkus lived in America for almost fifty years. He returned to Lithuania in nineteen-ninety-seven. Six months later, he was elected president. He, too, chose to surrender his American citizenship.

And so did Golda Meir when she became leader of Israel. She was born in Ukraine in eighteen-ninety-eight. She came to the United States as a child. At twenty-three, she moved to Palestine. The state of Israel was established in forty-nine. Golda Meir went to work for the government. Twenty years later, she was prime minister.

So, Americans have the right to lead another country. But does every American have the same right at home? The Constitution says the president must be, in its words, "a natural born citizen." Some think it is time to amend⁹ that. A senator has proposed to include people who have been naturalized citizens for at least twenty years.

The new governor of California recently said this idea sounded "really good" to him. Arnold Schwarzenegger was born in Austria. He became an American citizen in nineteen-eighty-three.

Joe Nichols

HOST:

 
Graphic Image
Joe Nichols was nominated for a Grammy Award earlier this year for best male country vocal¹⁰ performance. He did not win that award. But the Country Music Association named him the best new male vocalist last May. Who is Joe Nichols, you ask? Phoebe Zimmermann has the answer.

ANNCR:

Joe Nichols is twenty-seven years old. He was born and grew up in the southern state of Arkansas. After high school, he worked at different jobs during the day and wrote songs at night.

He released his first album in nineteen-ninety-six. It was called "Joe Nichols." It did not sell well, although one song on the album was popular. Here it is, "Six of One, Half a Dozen Of the Other".

(MUSIC)

Joe Nichols' second album was released in two-thousand-two. It is called "Man With a Memory." Its lead single record is called "The Impossible."

(MUSIC)

Last year, Joe Nichols had his first country music hit song. It is also on the album "Man With a Memory." We leave you now with that song from country music singer Joe Nichols -- "Brokenheartsville."

(MUSIC)

HOST:

This is Doug Johnson.

I hope you enjoyed AMERICAN MOSAIC. Join us again next week for VOA's radio magazine in Special English.

Our program was written by Nancy Steinbach and Caty Weaver¹¹. Paul Thompson was the producer. And our engineer was Tony Pollock.

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 carbohydrates   

n.碳水化合物，糖类( carbohydrate的名词复数 )；淀粉质或糖类食物

参考例句：

• The plant uses the carbohydrates to make cellulose. 植物用碳水化合物制造纤维素。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All carbohydrates originate from plants. 所有的碳水化合物均来自植物。 来自辞典例句

3 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。

4 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。

5 fattening   

adj.（食物）要使人发胖的v.喂肥( fatten的现在分词 )；养肥（牲畜）；使（钱）增多；使（公司）升值

参考例句：

• The doctor has advised him to keep off fattening food. 医生已建议他不要吃致肥食物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We substitute margarine for cream because cream is fattening. 我们用人造黄油代替奶油，因为奶油会使人发胖。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

7 graphic   

adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的

参考例句：

• The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。

8 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

9 amend   

vt.修改，修订，改进；n.[pl.]赔罪，赔偿

参考例句：

• The teacher advised him to amend his way of living.老师劝他改变生活方式。
• You must amend your pronunciation.你必须改正你的发音。

10 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

11 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。