节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2013-04-26
难易度:Low
关键字:exhaust, greeting, marathon, landmark
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom.
My name is Gabe.
And my name is Carolyn.
And you're joining us for our lesson called The Greatest Races.
Well, I know that many people do enjoy running.
Many people enjoy exercising and racing with other people or against other
people.
So I wonder if you have ever joined a race, and maybe what's the furthest you
have ever run.
Or have you ever joined a race?
Carolyn, what about you?
Well, the furthest I've ever run was probably 8 kilometers.
And that was at the gym, not in a race.
But I have been able to watch several races, several marathons actually, and
take pictures of my friends as they crossed the finish line.
Well, hey, that's great to know because the next time I'm in a race, maybe you
can take some pictures as I cross the finish line.
Well, if you let me know when your race is, I would be happy to take some
pictures for you.
All right.
Well, maybe I will run one of these great races one day.
We're going to get started with the first reading of our lesson today - The
Greatest Races.
The Greatest Races.
Races around the world push runners to their limits.
An exhausted runner raced into the Greek city of Athens.
It was 490 B.C.
The man had come from the town of Marathon to deliver a message.
The Greeks had won a battle against an attacking army.
The runner reached Athens and shouted, "Greetings, we win!" before falling down,
dead.
This story may or may not be true.
However, because of it, people run 42,195-meter races - the distance between
Marathon and Athens.
These athletic events are called marathons.
Well, at the beginning of our article, we see races around the world push
runners to their limits.
And this is a very great phrase: to push someone to their limits.
"Push to one's limits" is a phrase we do want to look at.
And if you are pushed to your limits, what does that mean, Gabe?
Well, that means you are doing something a little more challenging than you have
done in the past.
So you are pushed to your limits.
You think it's all you can do, but then you actually do some more.
So some races will push you to your limits if you are a runner.
How else might you use that phrase, Carolyn?
Well, a competition can also push someone to their limits.
If you are pushed to your limits, then you are at the very edge, you don't think
you can go any further.
And a race like this, a very long race, can certainly push you to your physical
limits.
That's right.
Of course, you're talking about physical limits.
There might be other limits as well.
You think you can only study for so long.
Or maybe you think you can only take so many classes during a semester.
And you push yourself to your limits, and you work really, really hard in
school.
I think many students also push themselves to their limits.
Maybe they even push their limits back.
Well, how do we get started here, Carolyn?
Well, we do learn about someone who pushed his limits.
We see an exhausted runner raced into the Greek city of Athens.
And here we have a key word, the word "exhausted." If something is exhausted,
then it is out of energy.
It is very, very tired.
So here are the runner was exhausted.
He had no more energy left.
Well, do you ever feel exhausted?
You might say, "I'm so exhausted." I've been working hard all day on a project.
Now I am exhausted.
I was in a bicycle race not too long ago.
And we rode for about 80 kilometers.
I was exhausted by the end of the day.
But I'm really glad that I joined the race.
So you can be exhausted from exercising or doing something physically.
You might also be exhausted from talking.
And if I keep talking, I might feel very exhausted.
So Carolyn, please say something.
Well, there are things that can make you feel very tired, very exhausted.
And we see in our article, it was 490 B.C.
So this was a very long time ago.
And the man... had come from the town of Marathon to deliver a message.
And what was his message, Gabe?
The Greeks had won a battle against an attacking army.
So they won.
There were some enemies attacking them.
And then the runner reached Athens and shouted, "Greetings, we win!" before
falling down, dead.
Well, that is one great thing to say before you die, I guess.
Carolyn, should we talk about one of those words?
Yes, we should.
When the runner arrived in Athens, he said "Greetings!" And "greetings" is a
very interesting word here.
It's not one that I hear too often now.
But greetings is a kind of greeting.
It's another way to say hello.
So if you say "Greetings," you are greeting someone.
You are saying hello to them.
That's right.
So you might talk about maybe season's greetings.
Some cards during Christmastime will say "Season's Greetings." That's kind of a
special way to say hi to somebody.
Or you could say: Hey, please send greetings for me.
I can't go with you to visit, but please send greetings for me.
That's right.
So there are some ways to use this.
And you can try using this instead of hello.
You can say greetings.
And continuing on in our article, we see this story may or may not be true.
So we aren't sure if this actually happened or if it's just a story.
However, because of it, people run 42,195-meter races - the distance between
Marathon and Athens.
That is an incredible distance to run.
He ran a long time.
Well, the next sentence says these athletic events are called marathons.
All right.
So why is it called marathon?
Because one of the places is called Marathon.
Well, let's take a look at that word.
It is "marathon." Of course, it was just originally the name of a place.
But now it's a long race that is 42,195 meters long.
Or about 42 kilometers is what they usually run in a modern marathon.
That's right.
Well, have you ever run a marathon?
Carolyn, I don't think you have.
Have you?
I have not, but I have had the experience of going to watch my friend run in a
marathon.
And she actually placed fourth or fifth, I think.
So it was very, very exciting.
Well, that is really cool.
I have never participated in a marathon, either.
But I think maybe I'll start with a half marathon.
They're other kind of races.
A half marathon, of course, it's half as long as a marathon.
Well, it's time for us to continue learning something with Steve and Ken in the
Information Cloud.
And then we'll visit Michelle.
There are, in fact, two roads that go from the Greek town of Marathon to the
capital of Athens.
One is exactly 34.5 kilometers long.
And the other is 40.8 kilometers long.
So you might ask: Where does 42.195 kilometers, the official distance of a
modern marathon, come from?
Well, it does seem pretty random, doesn't it?
I mean, couldn't marathon organizers have chosen a simpler number for the race
distance, something like 40 kilometers?
Well, for many years, they did.
In the 1896, 1900 and 1904 Olympic Games, 40 kilometers was the official
marathon distance.
But then the distance got wacky.
And here's why.
In 1908, the Summer Olympic Games were held in London, England.
Of course, the British royal family wanted to have a good view of the race.
And naturally, the Olympic officials wanted to make the King and Queen happy.
Right.
So the marathon was to start at Windsor Castle and finish right in front of the
royal family's viewing box.
But to make that happen, the race distance had to be extended 2.195 kilometers.
And somehow, it stuck.
Now the awkward-sounding 42.195 kilometers is the official Olympic marathon
distance.
(Chinese).
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle.