节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2013-06-21
难易度:High
关键字:blow one's mind, infectious, intent, throng, Grammy, prime minister
If you're just joining us, today we are talking about a band called Mumford &
Sons.
And even though the four band members are unrelated, you see the word "Sons" in
the name of the group.
Well, we've learned that they are a young British band with a very infectious
sound and that they won two Grammys this year in 2013.
Well, we've got a lot more to learn about this great band coming up in the next
section of our reading.
(Music).
Mumford & Sons.
The Mumford Family Tree.
They make fans feel at home and strive to make their music accessible online,
keep ticket prices low and tour as much as possible.
"We're pretty intent on touring for the rest of our lives, really," claims
Marcus Mumford,
and they've already traveled around the U.S. 10 times.
Their variety of locations also lets them grow the Mumford family tree,
ranging from outdoor festival audiences of thousands upon thousands to smaller
gatherings at indoor clubs.
That's probably why throngs of American teens and British Prime Minister David
Cameron,
who requested they perform at the White House, name them their favorite band.
Wow! That is high praise coming from the prime minister.
Well, let's take a look at this section here.
It's called The Mumford Family Tree.
So again we see this theme of family in our lesson today.
Even though they're not related, of course, they have a family tree.
Let's find out what they mean by this.
They make fans feel at home and strive to make their music accessible online,
keep ticket prices low and tour as much as possible.
Well, it sounds like they are really reaching out to their fans.
They really want them to join them on this experience and to make them feel at
home, or feel like they're part of the family,
very welcoming in their concerts.
That's right.
And they strive to make their music accessible online.
If something is made accessible to you, that means it's easy for you to access
or get ahold of.
And one way that bands can do this is by having maybe a blog or a website where
they post a lot of their songs,
and you can just listen to them for free.
That is making your music accessible.
That's right.
And we continue.
We're pretty intent on touring for the rest of our lives, really," claims Marcus
Mumford,
and they've already traveled around the U.S. 10 times.
Well, that sounds pretty impressive, already to travel around the U.S. 10 times.
Well, what did he say?
We're pretty intent on touring for the rest of our lives.
They're intent.
Let's take a look at word.
It's from our Word Bank.
If you're intent on doing something, that means you plan to do it.
How else could you use that word?
Well, it means that you plan or you want to do it.
Maybe someone will ask you, "Oh, well, what is your intent?" What do you want?
What do you want?
What is your intent?
Or often I will actually see this word with the word "on." So I'm intent on
doing something.
I am intent on finishing my project by the end of tonight.
I don't want to keep working on it for many days.
I'm intent on finishing it by tonight, so I'm going to work hard.
Well, that is very good is... it is important to be intent on working hard.
And perhaps you are intent on improving your English.
The band here is intent on touring for the rest of their lives.
So they really enjoy touring, traveling, performing, and they've already
traveled around the U.S. 10 times.
That's right.
Well, they are wanting to tour.
Maybe it's a little different from going on a tour.
Let's take a look at the Info Cloud right now and see what Steve and Ken have to
share with us about this word "tour".
Marcus Mumford says that his band intends to tour as much as possible, maybe for
the rest of their lives.
So they intend to go on tour a lot.
When bands, orchestras, actors and dancers go on tour, they go from place to
place, putting on shows in front of live audiences.
Right.
But if you're a tourist, you don't go on tour; you go on a tour.
When you go on a tour or take a tour, you visit a place.
You could take a tour of a museum, art gallery, city or country.
Whenever you go somewhere new and you want to learn more about the place, you
can take a tour.
And how do you take a tour?
You can either find a tour guide who will show you around.
Or if you're adventurous, you might buy a travel guide or guidebook and explore
on your own.
So remember, a tour guide is a person, a travel guide is a book.
And both can be useful when you go on a tour.
(Chinese).
Well, there are a few different ways that you can use that word "tour." So do
you like to tour with a band?
Or do you like to go on a tour?
Continuing in our article.
Their variety of locations also lets them grow the Mumford family tree.
Now this is kind of interesting.
They want to grow the Mumford family tree, Gabe.
Right.
Well, a family tree is maybe a diagram or a picture of the... the relatives in
your family.
Maybe you've made a family tree before with your grandparents on the top or even
your great-grandparents above,
and then lines pointing down to your mother and father, aunts and uncles.
That's a family tree.
So the Mumford family tree is... well, it's not just this band of musicians.
Their family tree grows with every concert that they do because they hope to
include audiences into their family tree.
That's right.
And talking about the variety of locations:
Ranging from outdoor festivals... outdoor festival audiences of thousands upon
thousands to smaller gatherings at indoor clubs.
So they do huge concerts with thousands and thousands of people,
but also concerts at much smaller places with just a small group of people.
That's right, so there's quite a range of kinds of audiences.
And you see that phrase: thousands upon thousands.
You could say hundreds upon hundreds or millions upon millions of something as
well.
That just means a lot.
All right. Let's continue.
That's probably why throngs of American teens and British Prime Minister David
Cameron,
who requested they perform at the White House, name them their favorite band.
All right. Let's take a look at one of those words in that sentence.
It's from our Word Bank: throng.
A throng is an intensely packed group of people or animals, a throng.
That's right.
So here we're talking about a very large group of people, maybe at this concert
with thousands upon thousands of people in the audience.
That would be a throng.
And they have throngs of American teens and even the British Prime Minister call
them their favorite band.
That's right.
Now we learned something about the British Prime Minister here David Cameron,
and that is that he requested this band play at the White House, which is in
which country, Carolyn?
Well, the White House is in the United States; and David Cameron is the Prime
Minister of Great Britain.
That's right.
So they are definitely making their name known internationally and being
recommended to play in other countries.
Sounds pretty cool.
Well, it's time for us to enjoy a review skit right now.
And then we'll go visit Michelle in the Language Lab.
(Music).
Hey... what are you doing?
I'm practicing the banjo.
What for?
I want to join Mumford & Sons.
Mumford & Sons.
What's that?
Huh? You haven't heard of Mumford & Sons?
No.
Well, get online and check them out.
Their songs will blow your mind.
Why? What's so special about Bedford and Friends?
No. It's Mumford & Sons.
They are a young British band with an infectious sound.
They've reached amazing heights.
Amazing heights, huh?
Yes! Six Grammy nominations.
Whoa! That is impressive.
They make fans feel at home and make their music accessible online.
Do they ever tour?
Oh, yes.
They are intent on touring.
Their audiences range from thousands upon thousands to small gatherings.
Oh.
And they keep ticket prices low, too.
They want people to join them.
Wow! That's really great.
Yeah. That's why I'm practicing.
I want to join Mumford & Sons.
They don't want you to join their band.
They don't?
No. They want you to join their audience.
Oh. Then I guess I can stop practicing.
Good.
(Chinese).
And now let's return to our teachers.
I've enjoyed learning about Mumford & Sons so far today.
And there's one sentence that I want to read again.
Their concerts, they range from outdoor festival audiences of thousands upon
thousands to smaller gatherings at indoor clubs.
Well, I do wonder what kind of music atmospheres you like for your concerts.
What kind of concert atmospheres do you like?
Carolyn?
Well, it really depends on the kind of music.
If it's very loud, fast, exciting music, I like to be in a very big place with
lots of people that I can share that energy with.
But if it's quieter, softer, maybe piano, jazz, I like a smaller atmosphere.
I agree with you.
And I love jazz music, so often I will choose a little place like a jazz club of
some kind,
and a place where I can actually still talk to my friends and listen to music at
the same time.
Well, what about you?
What kind of place do you like to go and listen to concerts?
We'll see you next time because we have more to learn about Mumford & Sons right
here on Studio Classroom.
See you then.