节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2014-02-07
难易度:Low
关键字:stadium, flame, skate, fan, the Opening Ceremony, torch, International
Space Station
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Studio Classroom.
My name is Gabe.
And I'm Carolyn.
We have a very fun lesson that I'm sure you'll enjoy today.
The 2014 Winter Olympics.
Not only are we going to learn about the Winter Olympics but we're also going on
a tour.
How exciting! Well, let's not delay the tour.
Where are we going first?
Well, our guide is talking to us and taking us to the Opening Ceremony.
So open up your magazines to the first day of the 2014 Winter Olympics and let's
begin with the first reading for today.
Let's go!
(Music).
The 2014 Winter Olympics.
Join our guide for a tour of the 22nd Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
Come and watch the official start of the Olympics in the Fisht Olympic Stadium.
This way!
The Opening Ceremony.
We're seeing the Olympic flame arrive in the stadium, ending its long trip.
The flame has traveled about 65,000 kilometers.
That's the longest distance the flame has ever been carried for a Winter
Olympics.
And it's being carried by around 14,000 people across Russia's 83 regions.
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle.
(Chinese).
Thank you, Michelle.
Now before we get into the article, let's talk a little bit about how it's
written.
This is not a straightforward article written to inform, is it, Carolyn?
No, it's not.
This lesson is very special because it is written from the perspective of a tour
guide leading people on a tour of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Steve and Ken want to tell us more about this writing style in the Information
Cloud.
In writing and in speaking, the process of giving an account of an event, real
or made-up, is called narration.
And the account itself is call the narrative, and the person talking, the
narrator.
This month's SPORTS feature is written as a narrative.
Rather than just giving us a string of facts about this year's Winter Olympics
in Russia, (boring),
the author lets us listen in on a tour guide taking people around the Winter
Olympic facilities.
I can almost hear the Russian accent.
A simple narrative like this lesson answers basic questions such as who, what,
where, when and why.
More complex narratives will contain things like characters, plot, conflict and
suspense - all the makings of a good story.
Well, that's basically what a narrative is - a story.
And who doesn't like a story?
Now it doesn't matter what your native language is; cultivating the ability to
communicate using narrative will serve you well in life.
That's right, Ken.
Nurses, police officers and insurance agents, for example,
are often required as part of their responsibilities to write reports about
connected events in chronological order.
In other words, they need to be able to write narrative.
(Chinese).
Thank you, guys.
Well, we learned a lot about Sochi earlier this week.
And now we are continuing to learn about the Olympics being held there.
That's right.
And we have a great guide to lead us.
He starts by greeting all of us by saying: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.
And let's talk about that phrase for a moment.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" This is a very common phrase that people use when
greeting large crowds.
So because the article begins with this phrase, we already have the feeling that
we are attending some sort of event.
Right. So it's not just used for tours.
It could be used to greet an audience at the beginning of a speech or a
performance or many other events.
And here the tour guide is welcoming us to watch the official start of the
Winter Olympics.
That's another good phrase, Gabe: official start.
That means the time something begins according to the rules or laws.
For example, you could say the official start of winter in 2014 is December 21.
So if you look on a calendar that lists the beginning of the seasons, you'll see
that winter officially starts on December 21 this year.
But next year, in 2015, the official start of winter will be December 22.
So the official start date for things can be different from year to year.
When is the official start date for Chinese New Year vacation, do you know?
Hmm... Well, if you don't know, then ask someone: When is the official start
date for Chinese New Year vacation?
And try to practice using this phrase.
Great! Well, let's continue with the tour.
We move on to the Opening Ceremony and learn about something called the Olympic
flame.
And that is a very special part of the Olympics.
The Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games is marked with the arrival of the
Olympic flame to the stadium where it is used to light the larger flame.
And this is happening today.
Then, this stays lit throughout the games.
It is put out during the Closing Ceremony.
Now this flame has been through a lot over the last few months.
It has traveled about 65,000 kilometers and been carried by about 14,000 people.
That's amazing.
It went through all 83 regions of the Russian Federation.
And you know something that is really amazing?
What is that, Carolyn?
One of my friends from college got to carry the torch!
What?!
Yeah. She is Russian and went to college in the U.S., then went back to Russia
after she graduated.
That's awesome.
That's a really cool experience.
That's an awesome experience of a lifetime to get to carry the official Olympic
torch during the relay.
Yes. It's quite an honor and something that she's very proud of.
Well, we do have a lot more to learn about the torch, so let's watch a video.
The record-breaking Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay will ignite the hearts of
millions of Russians from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok.
The Olympic flame will travel more than 65,000 kilometers in 123 days - a
distance equating to one and a half times the Earth's Equator.
The relay will be the biggest in the history of the games and is the equivalent
of traveling 26 times from Moscow to London or 8 times from Moscow to Vancouver.
The relay will pass through all of the 83 regions of the Russian Federation.
And the torch will pass through the hands of 14,000 torchbearers.
The relay will enable each district of the Russian Federation to demonstrate
their cultural and historical heritage.
And more than 90 percent of the Russian population will be able to see the
Olympic flame.
The mission of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Torch Relay is to unite the whole country
by displaying the diversity and beauty of Russia.
The flame will visit some remarkable locations across Russia.
Additionally, the Olympic flame will visit the North Pole, sink to the bottom of
the deepest lake in the world, Lake Baikal, and rise to the highest mountain in
Europe, Mount Elbrus.
The torch of the Olympic torch relay will also be launched into outer space.
The Sochi 2014 torch is a reflection of Russian hospitality and the joyful
atmosphere that is an integral part of the Olympic torch relays.
The Sochi 2014 torch highlights Russian tradition and innovation.
Fairy tales of the peoples of Russia are organically combined with the ideas of
technological progress.
The torch will be a legacy of the games, as an objective art, accessible and
close to everyone.
The Sochi 2014 Torch Relay will allow each of the regions of Russia to garner
the attention of the entire world and tell their stories.
It's yourOlympics.