节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2014-01-02
难易度:Medium
关键字:construct, pier, concrete, tension, repair, flip-flop
So far we've learned that there are, in reality, several ducks floating around
the world, not just one.
This allows the duck to be in two places at once.
It also makes it easier for local crews to repair the ducks if needed.
We also learned that the ducks are not all the same size.
The one in Pittsburgh was 12 meters tall while the one in Kaohsiung stood 18
meters tall.
But this isn't the only big piece of art that Hofman has created.
Let's continue with the next part of the article to learn more about his other
big works.
Then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab.
Big Art Makes a Big Impression.
Other big works.
Most of Hofman's other works are big, too, like his inflatable piece called Fat
Monkey.
Stretched out in a park in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the 15-meter-long monkey is
covered with 10,000 brightly colored flip-flops.
In addition, Steelman is an 11-meter-tall bear sculpture made of concrete.
Hofman placed the bear in a neighborhood in Amsterdam to inspire the area's
youth to be tough like bears!
Hofman's work appeals to all ages.
Regarding Rubber Duck, Hofman believes it can help adults reduce tension.
As he says, "The rubber duck is soft, friendly and suitable for all ages!".
(Music).
(Chinese).
And let's see what our teachers are up to.
It seems like Hofman really enjoys creating large pieces of art.
Yes. He doesn't seem to spend too much time on small pieces.
He likes to make art that can be viewed publicly and enjoyed by as many people
as possible.
And one of those giant works is called Fat Monkey.
Wait. That doesn't sound like a very nice name, Carolyn.
Well, Gabe, it's a very large monkey that is stretched out in a park just
looking up at the sky.
It sounds like he's just relaxing and taking time to think.
So, I think Fat Monkey is a pretty good name for this monkey.
Hmm, I see. OK.
But they could have just called him uh... a Relaxing Monkey or a Happy Monkey.
But I guess they wanted to include something about his size as well.
And just like Rubber Duck, he is big.
This monkey is 15 meters long.
And Gabe, what is he made of?
Well, Fat Monkey is an inflatable, just like Rubber Duck.
But Fat Monkey is covered in 10,000 pairs of flip-flops.
That's amazing.
It must have taken a really long time to put all of the flip-flops on this giant
monkey.
I'm sure that it did.
Now if you are following along in your magazine, then you know that it's time to
learn about a grammar tip with Liz in the Grammar Gym.
So let's go there now.
(Music).
Hi there, friends.
Thanks for joining me here at the Grammar Gym.
My name is Liz.
In our article today we see this sentence:
Stretched out in a park in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the 15-meter-long monkey is
covered with 10,000 brightly colored flip-flops.
That's our Grammar Tip sentence.
There are actually two parts to this sentence.
Part 1: The 15-meter-long monkey is stretched out in a park in Sao Paulo,
Brazil.
Part 2: The 15-meter-long monkey is covered with 10,000 brightly colored
flip-flops.
Since the two share the same subject, this 15-meter-long monkey, we drop the
subject in part 1 when we combine both parts together.
Here's the sentence pattern.
[verb 1 in participle form], [subject] + [verb 2].
You can use this sentence pattern whenever you want to combine two sentences
that describe the same subject.
For example, Part 1: This pastry is filled with delicious chocolate pudding.
Part 2: This pastry is the bakery's most famous item.
Put these two parts together and we have:
Filled with delicious chocolate pudding, this pastry is the bakery's most famous
item.
Or, Part 1: Lisa's confused by the email.
Part 2: Lisa's not sure where she... what she should do next.
Put the two parts together and we have:
Confused by the email, Lisa is not sure what she should do next.
If you have a copy of this month's magazine with you, be sure to check out
today's Grammar Tip section for more example sentences.
That's it for today.
This is Liz from the Grammar Gym.
See you next time.
Thanks, Liz.
We were just talking about Fat Monkey.
And now it's time to learn about one of Hofman's other super-sized works -
Steelman.
Steelman is actually not a man but a giant bear.
This bear stands 11 meters tall and is made of concrete.
That is one tough bear!
You're right.
It's also one heavy bear.
They actually had to put it together piece by piece because it was too heavy to
build as one solid sculpture.
Well, unlike Rubber Duck, Fat Monkey and Steelman do not travel the world.
Fat Monkey lives in Brazil, and Steelman lives in Amsterdam.
You know, I'd like to learn some more about Hofman and his giant sculptures.
That sounds like a great idea.
Let's watch a video.
Well, when you have this overview from... from this location, and... it really
is a... relief.
There's this monkey and he's just lying, and everybody's doing their thing and
goes to work.
And it's busy.
Cars, skyscrapers, stress...
And then this monkey is just lying there, relaxing, looking into the sky.
I think it's a really good job, uh, really good work.
(Music).
Well, it's true, Hofman makes art that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.
And that's a fun phrase: people of all something.
There are people of all nationalities traveling to see the giant Rubber Duck.
People of all college majors attended the art exhibit.
And people of all ages can appreciate Hofman's work.
You're right about that, Carolyn.
And you said a word that Steve and Ken want to talk about in the Information
Cloud.
Should you use work or works?
And of course, this will be followed by a review skit.
Hello, friends.
Did you see the Rubber Duck when it was in Taiwan?
Our lesson tells us that the duck is just one of many of Hofman's works.
Ken, let's talk about this word "works" for a moment.
We don't usually add an S at the end of "work" since it's usually used as an
uncountable or collective noun.
You're right.
Work can mean a job.
My cousin is looking for work.
And work is uncountable.
And when one gets off work, the person leaves the place where work is done -
also uncountable.
And before he leaves, he has to get his work done.
So all the examples we've mentioned so far use "work" as an uncountable noun.
But when we talk about Hofman's works, with an S, we're referring to the works
of art he created as an artist.
Right. We sometimes talk about Shakespeare's works, which make up the total
output of Shakespeare as a writer and poet.
What other works are there?
Well, how about the phrase "in the works"?
If something is under development, we can say it's in the works.
Let's say I'm in the middle of writing a novel.
Then I can say I have a novel in the works.
Right. You're still working on it.
And when I order a pizza, I like to get one with "the works," which means
everything, all the toppings, the works.
Any other works you can think of?
Well, I think one more, Ken.
In the phrase "public works," works is used as a plural noun.
It refers to an area of activity carried out by the government.
Public works projects include the construction and repair of streets and
highways,
bridges, government buildings and things like that that are for the use of the
general public.
(Chinese).
Look! I have a rubber duck.
Hey, I've seen that toy before, only bigger.
Yeah. A Dutch artist named Hofman creates art pieces that look like enormous
toys.
Yeah.
His most well-known piece looks just like this rubber duck.
Only much, much bigger.
Yeah, over 10 meters tall.
It's enormous. Oh, and it has appeared in cities all over the world.
Yeah. The artist is like a big kid who throws his toys.
His super-sized duck has been thrown into the harbors of New Zealand, Japan,
Hong Kong...
Yeah. Millions of spectators go to see Rubber Duck close up and take pictures.
Yeah. I went to see it last fall.
Me, too.
I took a lot of pictures.
Me, too. And I bought a lot of duck products to honor the yellow visitor.
Yeah, so did I.
And when it was time to wave farewell, I was teary-eyed.
I said: Goodbye, big Rubber Duck.
Kaohsiung will miss you.
Kaohsiung? No. Pittsburgh will miss you.
Rubber Duck was in Pittsburgh last fall.
No. It was docked in Kaohsiung.
I saw it myself.
Uh, I saw it in Pittsburgh.
Kaohsiung.
Pittsburgh.
That's impossible.
How can Rubber Duck appear in two places at the same time?
Maybe there's...
More than one!
Oh, no!
No.
What a great review skit!
Now if you weren't able to join us yesterday, we have a special new feature on
our program for the New Year - Editor Summary.
We will join our Studio Classroom editor Linda for a summary of today's lesson.
Let's go!
How can Hofman's big yellow Rubber Duck appear in several places at once?
Each place has a local version so that if anything happens, the duck can be
repaired more easily.
But the duck is not Hofman's only big inflatable toy.
There is a Fat Monkey in South America and a big bear in Europe.
And each one has its own purpose.
For the Rubber Duck, Hofman believes people need something friendly and soft.
So he believes his duck can ease the tension in people's lives.
Thanks so much, Linda.
Well, the past two days have been great.
And we've learned all about the joy that big art is bringing to people around
the world.
And we always have more to learn here on Studio Classroom.
So we will see you next time.