节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2012-12-27
难易度:Low
关键字:boast, claim, impressive, sell out, spectacular, performer
Hi, everybody.
Welcome to Studio Classroom Worldwide.
So happy you've joined us today.
My name is Steve.
Today we celebrate the birthday of New York City's Radio City Music Hall.
Radio City was born and built during the Great Depression, and that's something
that greatly influenced its purpose and its design.
Radio City broke new ground by offering high quality entertainment at prices
ordinary people could afford.
And as for its design, Radio City was built to be a symbol of optimism and hope,
a place that would elevate and inspire all who walked through its doors.
So let's get inspired as we learn about this palace for the people - Radio City
Music Hall - on page 46.
Radio City Music Hall.
The largest indoor theater in the world celebrates 80 years of entertainment.
Hollywood once boasted of having more stars than the heavens.
Radio City Music Hall could make the same claim.
Many, many stars from music and film have appeared on the stage or screen of the
theater.
The hall in Midtown Manhattan was built by John D. Rockefeller and his partner
Radio Corporation of America.
Radio City is the largest, grandest theater in the world.
Nothing blocks the audience's view of the stage.
Each seat is a great one - all 6,000 of them.
Hello, friends.
Thank you for joining us.
My name is Ryan.
And my name is Kaylah.
And today we are talking about Radio City Music Hall.
Now you might have actually heard of this very famous theater before.
OK. It is the largest indoor theater in the world.
Whoa! And it's celebrating 80 years of entertainment.
OK. There are outdoor theaters.
You might know a theater as a place you go for entertainment.
It's a stage and there's a performer.
So they have outdoor ones, but Radio City Music Hall is the largest indoor
theater in the world.
It's been around a long time.
It's been around, well, for 80 years.
We're now celebrating its 80th year in existence.
Now Hollywood once boasted of having more stars than the heavens.
Now to "boast" about something means to be... to have and own something that
you're extremely proud of,
and you speak of your pride that you have these things.
Exactly. So if I have something that is very valuable to me, I can tell everyone
about it, then I am boasting about it.
And they definitely can boast in Hollywood, they have so many stars.
Well, we have more information on the sentence.
So let's visit Liz with Grammar on the Go.
Hi there, friends.
I hope you're doing well today.
My name is Liz.
And it's time for Grammar on the Go.
Our HISTORY article for the month is about Radio City Music Hall, the world's
largest indoor theater.
And the writer begins with this sentence:
Hollywood once boasted of having more stars than the heavens.
That's our Grammar Tip sentence for today.
And today we're going to talk about writing the introduction to an essay or
article.
Now our article is about Radio City Music Hall, which is in New York, but why
mentioned Hollywood in the opening sentence?
Actually, this is one way to get the audience's attention.
Although Radio City Music Hall is the world's largest indoor theater, not
everyone in the world knows about it.
So rather than just begin with "The world's largest indoor theater is found in
New York," the writer chooses to begin with something that the audience is more
familiar with - Hollywood.
People know Hollywood.
And Hollywood has something that is in common with Radio City Music Hall: having
more stars than the heavens.
So if you ever have to give a speech or write about something that your audience
may not be too familiar with, don't just jump straight into the topic.
It's easy for your audience to lose interest when they hear about something they
aren't familiar with.
Instead, try to find something else that shares a similar trait or
characteristic,
something that your audience would certainly know about, and begin from there.
Then you let your audience know that there is something else that is similar,
something that they may not know about.
By then your audience would be interested in finding out more about your
subject.
And that's it for today.
And thank you for joining me here.
This is Liz signing off.
See you next time.
Thank you, Liz.
Now it's interesting to say that Hollywood has more stars than the heavens.
Of course, "stars" here is referring to famous actors and actresses.
OK. Well, they definitely can boast a lot in Hollywood.
But Radio City Music Hall could make the same claim.
Wow! Well, a "claim" is to say something that you believe is true or is a fact.
OK, so they definitely can claim it.
But why?
Well, many, many stars from music and film have appeared on the stage or screen
at Radio City Theater.
OK. So we're saying "many, many," we're emphasizing just how... that so many
people have come through.
So we're using a double word here to emphasize just the large amount of people.
Exactly, so.
We're saying here they can say the same thing as Hollywood.
That's right.
Now a lot of them have come through there.
They performed on both the stage and the screen.
Wait a minute.
Usually theaters have either a stage or a screen.
Well, let's take a look at why Radio City Music Hall has both.
OK. Well, the hall in Midtown Manhattan was built by John D. Rockefeller and his
partner Radio Corporation of America.
OK. So well, hey! Radio.
There's the name Radio City Music Hall, Radio Corporation of America.
Well, John D. Rockefeller is one of the richest men in American history.
And his family set up a lot in New York.
You might recommend... recognize the name of the building - the Rockefeller
Center.
Exactly. So they set out to build this building in order to entertain people.
Now set out to do something means they started to or their goal of building this
building was so that people would have a place to be entertained.
OK. Well, Radio City is the largest, grandest theater in the world.
So we know it's the largest; but grandest?
"Grandest" means the most beautiful.
There's a lot of design and being that John D. Rockefeller was involved in this
means there was lots of money to make it just incredibly grand.
Exactly.
They did... they decided to make it as big as they could and as nice as they
could for the people in New York and, really, the people in America.
This is a very famous theater.
Well, I think something that also makes it grand is nothing blocks the
audience's view of the stage.
Now friends, if you ever go to a theater, there's usually a second level.
And they have pillars so that you... they hold up that... that top floor.
Well, here there's no seats blocked by those pillars.
Everyone can see.
Exactly. Anyone can see the stage.
They can see it well.
In fact, every seat is a great seat.
That's right.
Each seat is a great one.
There's no blocked views, each seat - all 6,000 of them.
Wow! Now that is huge.
Six thousand people can enjoy music or a show in this music hall with a great
view.
Now Ryan, usually when you see a show and there's an audience that's very large,
the close seats are more expensive because they're good seats.
And the back, it's cheaper because they're not as good.
But at Radio City Music Hall, they're all great seats.
It doesn't matter.
So 6,000 people can enjoy a perfectly amazing show.
So friends, if you want to listen to music or watch a show here, there are
plenty of seats available to you, and each one is a good one.
We've got more information for you coming up.
But first, let's watch the skit.
Welcome to Radio City Music Hall.
Hooray!
I want to see some movie stars.
This is the place.
We have more stars than the heavens.
That's what Hollywood once boasted.
And Radio City Music Hall can make the same claim.
Really?
Of course.
Many, many, many stars have appeared here.
Some on the stage, and some on the screen.
Wow! That's so exciting.
Yes. Radio City is the largest, grandest theater in the world.
Does it have lots of seats?
Oh, yes. It has 6,000 seats, and each seat is a great one.
Wow! I wonder where I'll sit.
For years, the theater offered a stage show and a movie for one price.
Oh, two for one? I like that.
Now Radio City is a popular place for concerts, stage shows and special events.
What's the most popular show?
Radio City Christmas Spectacular.
It's part of New York's Christmas tradition.
That sounds great.
I want to buy a ticket for that.
Oops! Sorry. It's all sold out.
Sold out?
Yes. One million people enjoy that show every season.
Well, don't you have room for one million and one?
Please, please, please.
Sure. You can go and buy tickets over there.
Hooray! I love Radio City.
Everyone does!