节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2013-05-03
难易度:Medium
关键字:exhibit, symphony, annual, orchestra, sunset
Well, we hve learned a lot about Memphis and what happens in the month of May in
this great city.
And today we've been talking about the international events going on there.
This year they are focusing on Sweden, and there will be many exhibits that you
can attend to learn more about this honored country.
Well, we still have a few more things to learn about this great May festival.
Let's start with the second reading for today.
(Music).
Memphis in May.
Sunset Symphony.
Memphis in May concludes on May 25 with a little something for everyone.
Bring your picnic basket, make yourself comfortable with a great view of the
river and enjoy performances by local bands.
At 6:00 p.m., watch as planes perform amazing tricks in the skies above during
the annual air show.
Beautiful melodies fill the air at 7:30 p.m. when the Memphis Symphony Orchestra
plays popular favorites.
The festival closes at 9:00 p.m. with a spectacular fireworks display over the
mighty Mississippi River.
What a perfect ending to a month-long celebration!
Well, that does sound like the perfect ending for this month-long festival.
We're talking all about the Sunset Symphony here.
Two S words - Sunset Symphony, it's kind of fun.
Well, let's talk about that first one first.
Carolyn, what's a sunset?
Well, a sunset is what you see when it's the end of the day, and the sun is
going down, or it looks like it's going down.
And it's very beautiful at sunset because the sky becomes very different colors
depending on where you are in the world.
That's right.
And of course, that happens in the evening.
But the next morning, you might see a sunrise - S-U-N-R-I-S-E.
So there's the sunrise in the morning, which is also beautiful, and the sunset
at night.
And here we're talking about the Sunset Symphony.
Symphony, straight from our Word Bank.
A symphony is a piece of Western classical music that a music group might
perform.
That's a symphony.
And it's a lot of fun to attend something where they are playing a symphony, to
listen to symphony music.
It's very beautiful and really opens your brain to thinking and thinking new
thoughts.
That's right.
And some music can really do that.
It can inspire you to think some interesting things.
I think of Bach or Beethoven, Rachmaninov.
I think of these kind of musicians when I think of symphonies because they wrote
many symphonies, or some of them did.
Well, we're going to continue with our lesson.
How do we begin, Carolyn?
We see Memphis in May concludes on May 25 with a little something for everyone.
So this month-long celebration ends, it concludes on May 25, and there is a
little something for everyone.
What does that mean, Gabe?
I know, right?
That's kind of an interesting phrase: a little something for everyone.
Well, this means that there are so many different people going with different
interests.
Maybe you're not interested in music.
Maybe you're interested in something else.
Well, there's something for you.
Maybe you are interested in music, so there's something for you.
Maybe you're interested in flying a kite.
There's something for you as well.
There's a little something for everyone.
So everyone who goes can enjoy themselves.
And we see you can bring your picnic basket, make yourself comfortable with a
great view of the river and enjoy performances by local bands.
So it does sound like there's something for everyone.
There is something for everyone.
You can make yourself comfortable.
Let's take a look at that phrase: to make yourself comfortable, or make yourself
something.
That means maybe you weren't before, but then now there's a way for you to do
this.
There's a way for you to become comfortable.
Make yourself comfortable.
That's right.
And a lot of times I think of this phrase as being kind of an invitation.
So when you are visiting someone at their house, they might say: Oh, make
yourself comfortable, or make yourself at home.
Just treat this house as if it were your own house, so make yourself at home.
That's right.
The next time someone comes to your house, you can say make yourself at home, or
make yourself comfortable.
Well, let's continue.
At 6:00 p.m., watch as planes perform amazing tricks in the skies above during
the annual air show.
Well, I see a word from the Word Bank there.
It is "annual." What does that mean, Carolyn?
Well, it means it's something that happens every year at the same time during
the year.
So you might have an annual event like a festival.
It's at the same time each year.
I can think of a great annual festival.
A great thing to celebrate is July 8.
I celebrate this day annually because it's my birthday.
Oh. Well, that is an annual celebration.
Your birthday comes once every year, so... and it's on the same day.
That is annual.
Very good, Gabe.
It's true.
But usually you use this word "annual" to talk about something a little bigger
than just one person.
So you can celebrate at Memphis in May.
You can see these planes flying in the skies above during the annual air show.
It's time for us to learn something about that word "skies" with Steve and Ken.
Let's go to the Info Cloud.
Hi, friends.
What's up?
And I hope you won't respond: The sky.
That's an old high school joke, Ken.
But since you brought it up, why don't we talk about the sky today.
We all know what it is.
Or what they are!
"Sky" is often used in the plural form - skies.
The earliest meaning of sky was cloud.
And so "the skies" meant the clouds.
Nowadays, skies no longer means clouds.
The skies refer to different areas of the sky.
For instance, during World War II, the British Royal Air Force fought to keep
the skies of England safe.
And meteorologists often talk about clear skies or gray skies.
I think the implication is that audiences living in different places see
different portions of the sky, hence, the plural form.
Right.
Ken, I'm sure you remember United Airlines used to have a slogan: Fly the
friendly skies.
Yep, I sure do.
But these days, with air traffic congestion, I think "Fly the crowded skies" is
more the case.
OK. Keep in mind, everyone, that sky and skies are not always interchangeable.
For example, I couldn't say: Look! There's an airplane up in the skies.
Good point.
(Chinese).
Continuing on with the Sunset Symphony.
Beautiful melodies fill the air at 7:30 p.m. when the Memphis Symphony Orchestra
plays popular favorites.
So at 7:30 in the evening, the sun is setting, and there is the Memphis Symphony
Orchestra getting ready to play popular favorite songs.
Now here we have another musical word from our Word Bank, the word "orchestra".
What is the difference between a symphony and an orchestra, Gabe?
Oh, good question.
Well, earlier we talked about symphony.
It's a piece of Western classical music, and it's performed by an orchestra.
So the orchestra is the group of musicians who play symphonies.
An orchestra has a conductor, someone who directs, and they play these
symphonies.
So you can be an orchestra member if you play a musical instrument.
Oh, I see.
Well, I really like to listen to orchestras perform symphonies.
Continuing on we see: The festival closes at 9:00 p.m. with a spectacular
fireworks display over the mighty Mississippi River.
Oh. This sounds like a really great place to watch fireworks.
What do you think, Gabe?
I think so, too.
It sounds spectacular.
If something is spectacular, usually there's a lot to take in with your eyes and
maybe with your ears as well.
It's spectacular.
And you see that word "fireworks." It's always with an "s," actually.
You can see a fireworks display.
Do you like fireworks?
Well, we continue: What a perfect ending to a month-long celebration!
What do you think, Carolyn?
Is this a good ending to this month-long celebration?
Well, it's a celebration of music and culture and food.
And if you have your picnic basket, and you listen to the orchestra play a
symphony,
and then you watch the fireworks over the Mississippi River.
I think this is a pretty good way to end the Memphis in May festival.
That's right.
Well, we have a good ending for you today.
We're going to watch a video, learning a little bit more about Memphis.
And then we'll join Michelle in the Language Lab.
Memphis means fun for the whole family.
The highly-rated Memphis Zoo is home to 2,800 animals on 70 acres, including two
giant pandas.
The zoo has daily animal shows and feedings.
Take a ride on a riverboat, you'll find a variety of options from sightseeing to
dinner cruises, holiday cruises, and even private charters.
Watch the famous Peabody Ducks as they're led down the red carpet every day at
11:00 a.m. to a fountain in the historic hotel's lobby.
And every evening at 5:00, they waddle up the red carpet again to spend the
night in their "Duck Palace" on the hotel roof.
At Shelby Farms Park, the largest urban park in the U.S, you can ride a bike,
ride a horse, rent a paddleboat, fish, play...
There's lots of space to have lots of fun.
Learn about firefighting history and the lives of firefighters at the Memphis
Fire Museum.
Kids love to ride the snorkel basket simulator and play in the model firehouse.
And if you're a baseball fan, don't miss Autozone Park, one of the finest
ballparks below the major league level.
Watch the Memphis Redbirds play, or take a behind-the-scenes tour.
OK.
(Chinese).
And don't go away yet.
Keep watching as our lesson continues.
Well, you've learned all about Memphis in May, this wonderful festival.
You've even seen some videos about Memphis.
You've learned all about Memphis.
Now I do wonder what sounds most interesting to you from this lesson.
Would you like to attend the Beale Street Music Festival, maybe eat some pork
barbeque, or learn a little bit about Sweden?
What do you think, Carolyn?
Well, I am very interested in cultures.
So I really want to experience the Memphis style of music.
They are very famous for their own very unique types of music.
And I would also really like to learn a little bit more about cultures around
the world.
So we would have to see which year I go and which country would be honored that
year.
Well, I'd be interested in going to learn more about Sweden or another honored
country,
but only if I can eat some pork barbecue at the same time because I'm getting
hungry right now.
I think it's time for us to end today's lesson.
But we hope you do come back to Studio Classroom next time.