节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2014-04-26
难易度:Low
关键字:troop, turning point, impact, statue, tragedy, slavery
Hello again.
Today we're learning about a place in America that Taiwanese writer, Pauline
Lin, visited with her family.
Are there any wars in your country's history?
Who won those wars?
Have you ever wondered how different things in your country would be if the wars
in history were won by the other side?
Well, today we are enjoying a lesson about Gettysburg, which is where a very
significant battle was fought during America's Civil War.
The issue they fought over was "slavery."
Well, let's continue learning about this famous battleground now.
(Music).
Learn From the Past.
The Gettysburg Battlefield holds several statues to remember those whose lives
were sacrificed.
A statue of General Lee stands across the battlefield from one of General Meade.
These men fought against each other for their beliefs.
Years later, people come and remember, hoping this kind of tragedy will never
happen again.
Goodbye.
Living in America is a unique experience.
No matter how long our family stays here, we find something valuable to learn.
And although this series ends here, our adventures will continue!
(Music).
OK.
(Chinese).
And now let's go to our teachers.
Thank you, Michelle.
Well, let's go back to the beginning of this section.
We read: The Gettysburg Battlefield holds several statues to remember those
whose lives were sacrificed.
And many lives were sacrificed; nearly 8,000 people died during that three-day
battle.
Wow. So if you visit the Gettysburg Battlefield, you will see many of these
statues.
Now a statue is a sculpture made to represent usually humans or animals.
And we see that the battlefield holds several statues.
Right.
We often use the word "hold" when talking about things we carry in our hands.
We say we are "holding something" in our hands.
But here we see that a battlefield holds statues.
And other things or places can hold something as well.
The National Palace Museum holds many artifacts from China, for example.
And if you see this battlefield, you will see a statue of General Lee, which
stands across the battlefield from one of General Meade.
These statues are across from each other just like the generals were in real
life.
And we can use that phrase "across from" in other ways, too.
For example, if you're playing a game of chess, you are sitting "across from"
the other player as you play against each other.
Or my desk is across the classroom from my friend's desk.
Now back to the Gettysburg Battlefield, we find out that the generals fought
against each other for their beliefs.
We could shorten this a little to say that they "fought for their beliefs."
All right. Well, right now it's time for us to join Steve and Ken in the
Information Cloud.
Then we'll enjoy a review skit and see Linda for the Editor's Summary.
As today's article says, living in America is a unique experience.
So if you ever plan on going there to live, study or just visit, keeping the
following things in mind will help make your American experience smoother and
more rewarding.
OK. First, Americans generally have a different style of communicating.
Whether they're offering an opinion or asking a question, they tend to be pretty
direct.
So try not to be offended; they're just curious.
Next, you might notice after you get there that you and your new American
friends don't always laugh at the same things.
Well, that's because humor doesn't translate easily from one culture to another.
So don't get discouraged if nobody gets your jokes.
Or if you don't get their jokes.
Thirdly, compared to other Western cultures like in Europe, Americans' attitudes
about alcohol is relatively conservative.
You'll find that not everyone drinks, and sometimes, depending on who you are
with or where you are, it's even frowned upon.
This is due, in part, to a strong religious influence.
While not every American believes in God, American culture is still very much
influenced by religion.
So keep these things in mind before you go.
Oh! And have fun!
(Chinese).
Your hat looks strange.
It looks like a triangle.
It's not strange, it's cool.
This is called a "three-corner hat."
Where did you get it?
I got it in the Historic Triangle in Virginia - Jamestown, Williamsburg, and
Yorktown, 1, 2, 3.
Historic Triangle?
Yes. I'm a history buff.
Did you know that Jamestown was the first lasting English colony?
It was?
Yes. The early pioneers struggled to survive cold.
Weather was terrible.
Disease was everywhere.
And they also had big conflicts with the Indians.
Is that so?
Yes. And they didn't have any food, either.
You know a lot of details.
Yeah. Well, that's because I took the walking tour of the fort and the Indian
village.
OK. What do you know about Williamsburg?
Colonial Williamsburg is a living history museum.
You can witness the victory of independence.
And you can visit the Capitol and the Governor's Palace.
Sounds interesting.
You can also see how blacksmiths and carpenters work.
Sounds educational.
You can even ride in horse-drawn carriages.
Sounds fun.
It is.
Oh, another historic place I visited was Gettysburg.
That's in Pennsylvania.
There was a major battle there during the Civil War.
And that's where President Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address right
there.
Yeah... I've heard of that.
Well, good.
The Battle at Gettysburg was the turning point of the whole Civil War.
Wow! I can't wait to visit these historic places.
Really! Are you a history buff, too?
Heh... no. I just want that three-corner hat.
Yeah. I told you it was cool.
Another historic stop Pauline and her family made during their spring break was
Gettysburg, where during the Civil War, President Lincoln gave the Gettysburg
Address, one of the most famous speeches in American history.
This is also where the turning point of the Civil War took place.
The Gettysburg Cyclorama, a 360-degree painting, shows the final attack.
And there are statues of famous generals, and the battlefield itself is very
interesting.
And then Pauline bids us farewell as this is the last article in her "Life in
America" series.
But that doesn't mean they're going to stop exploring and learning while they
live in America.
Thanks, Linda.
Well, it is fun and interesting to learn about how and why our country is the
way it is.
With everyone fighting for their beliefs, that's when changes are made.
And thank you for joining us for our lesson today.
And of course, we'll see you next time right here at Studio Classroom.
See you then.
(Music).