节目资讯
刊物:名人特写
日期:2009-01-05
难易度:Medium
关键字:take something in stride, Broadway, fast track, sw
Hi, friends.
Welcome back to Studio Classroom Worldwide.
Well, we’re learning more about pop music’s hottest boy band:
The Jonas Brothers.
They love to perform and have been performing much longer than the three years
they’ve been famous.
It’s obvious they love to entertain others.
But let’s look into why these guys are different from other music stars.
Before we do that, let’s preview a few more key words to get it started with
this section.
The first word is Broadway.
When we visit New York next month, let’s go to a Broadway play.
fast track.
The singer’s career has been on the fast track since she appeared with Miley
Cyrus.
And the next word is conventional.
The wedding wasn’t very conventional because the couple got married on the
beach.
All right.
Now we can continue with today’s reading.
We’re on page sixteen.
The Jonas Brothers.
Nick had appeared in four Broadway plays, Joe had also performed on stage, and
Kevin had done commercials.
But it wasn’t until the three brothers signed with Hollywood Records in two
thousand six that their careers hit the fast track.
Today they have numerous hit songs, a White House performance, a sold-out
European tour and a TV movie under their belts.
They’ve even starred in their own Disney reality show called The Jonas Brothers:
Living the Dream.
But, unlike many well-known pop stars, this group is not your conventional boy
band.
Well, we’ve been talking about the Jonas Brothers.
And we mentioned how each one of them individually have been very successful
even before they got together to become a band.
That’s right.
And Nick had... the youngest, had appeared in four Broadway plays.
Now a Broadway play, actually, Broadway is one of our Word Bank words.
And literally, Broadway is a famous street in New York City.
It runs through Manhattan there in New York.
And on that street um, there are... well, the Broadway is famous for the plays
or the theater productions that take place there.
So the four Broadway plays that Nick has done are Les Miserables, Beauty and the
Beast, A Christmas Carol and Annie Get Your Gun.
Maybe you are familiar with one or all of these plays.
And it sounds like Joe, uh, the middle child, was also involved in some onstage
productions.
Sounds like he probably also acted in some plays.
And then Kevin, the oldest brother, had also done some commercials, some
advertisements probably on TV.
That’s right.
But they haven’t been famous for that long.
Because it was only when they made a contract or signed with Hollywood Records
in two thousand and six that they began to get very famous.
Our author says that their careers hit the fast track.
Now Chip, can you explain to us what this means?
Well, there’s a couple words there that probably need explaining.
First of all, uh, when something hits the fast track,
it doesn’t really mean ”hit” as in, you know, hitting with your fist or with
your hand.
It means getting onto the fast track.
Sometimes we use the phrase:
I need to hit the road,
which means I need to leave or I need to get on the road and leave.
Uh, so here their careers are getting on the fast track.
What is the fast track?
Well, the fast track here means a way that you have gone that you are becoming
much more successful or much better in a short amount of time that is needed.
But think first of a train track.
Train tracks.
We have the fast track and the slow track.
If a train goes on the fast track, then it goes very quickly.
But if a train goes on the slow track, it will go very slowly.
So it’s sort of like we’re saying that they have shot up.
They have became famous very, very quickly,
not like the normal way bands got famous.
That’s right.
Their careers hit the fast track.
Very quick success.
And it sounds like they have a number of experiences there becoming in... on the
way to becoming famous.
Uh, they have a number or they have numerous hit songs.
Uh, you want to talk about some of those, Esther?
Hit songs are songs that are hits or songs that are very popular and very
famous.
For example, a few of their hit songs are Mandy, Hello Beautiful, Hollywood,
Games and Burning Up.
All these songs became hits or became very, very famous.
And it sounds like from the article that the Jonas Brothers performed at the
White House or they had a White House performance.
Uh, the White House is where the United States president lives and does his
work.
A performance there at the White House?
Do you know anything about that?
Well, in two thousand and seven in April they actually sang the national anthem
or America’s country song on the front lawn of the White House.
Wow.
Wow!
That is a pretty impressive success for some brothers that were under twenty
years old.
And apparently after that, they’ve done a sold-out European tour.
So that means that they traveled around Europe and they had a sell-out crowds
each time,
which means they sold all of the available tickets and packed the stadium full
of people.
And they’ve also been involved in a TV movie.
Um, I don’t know if you know anything about the TV movie?
I think they made a movie and this was from one of their tours.
And this TV movie was shown on the Disney Channel.
B’ut it says here that they have a TV movie under their belts.
Now this is a great idiom.
If you have something under your belt, it means that you have achieved success
at doing something that might be quite useful.
For example,
if you have gone to college and you have gotten your college degree,
then you have a college education under your belts.
So they have a number of hit songs,
they have a White House performance,
They have a sell-out European tour and the TV movie all under their belts.
Quite a success story.
And it sounds like now they have even starred in their own Disney reality TV
show.
A reality show.
Uh, what’s a reality show?
Well, a reality show is a show that is like reality or is like real lives.
So for example, on a reality show, maybe the Survivor or the Amazing Race,
people are acting as if it’s happening in real life.
So the name of the reality... reality show they have is called the Jonas
Brothers: Living Out the Dream.
And this was filmed when they were on tour for their album Living Out the Dream.
And it sounds like, you know, most people only dream of this kind of life.
They’re actually living this dream that most people only can imagine.
And but, unlike many well-known pop stars, our article says that this group is
not your conventional boy band.
Conventional is another Word Bank words meaning typical boy band.
So these guys are a little bit different than the norm.
We’ll find out more later.
Let’s go to a skit now.
Hey, guys, I have an idea.
Yeah?
What is it?
Let’s start our own band.
A band?
That’s a great idea!
We can play pop music.
It will be fun!
Yes, let’s get our music careers on the fast track.
A band?
There will be screaming crowds and sell-out concerts.
We’ll be rich.
We’ll be famous.
Hey, you two, slow down.
Take things in stride.
Uh?
What?
Starting a band isn’t easy.
It takes time.
Maybe so, but I still think we should try.
Yeah.
I’ve always wanted to be in the band.
Well, all right.
Let’s give it a try.
Yeah! Hurray!
So what do we need to do first?
Well, um, maybe we should find some instruments to play.
Good idea!
That’s the conventional way to start a band.
I want to play the guitar!
(Backgroud Noise).
Whoa, I want to play the drums!
(Backgroud Noise).
OK.
And I’ll play the piano.
Hi, everyone.
I’m Michelle.
(Chinese).
And you don’t want to miss what comes next. Stay tuned.
OK, thank you, Michelle.
I’m sure that review was very helpful for you.
Friends, there’s plenty more to learn about the Jonas Brothers,
pop music’s hottest boy band.
Please come back and join us tomorrow as we continue to look into the lives of
these three very talented young men.
Until then,
we have to say goodbye.
So have a great day, everyone.
(Music).