VOA慢速英语2013 Prisoners in California Help Fight Wildfires
时间：2018-12-07 作者：英语课 分类：2013年VOA慢速英语(六)月
Prisoners in California Help Fight Wildfires
Welcome to American Mosaic 1 from VOA Learning English.
I’m June Simms.
Today on the show we play summery music suggested by listeners. We also look a New York City program that provides information to immigrants interested in American citizenship 2. But first we go to California to learn about a program that helps prisoners and the public at large.
California Prisoners Fight Fires
The western state of California is known for wildfires. This year the fire season has been extremely active. California has some of the most experienced firefighters in the country because of its high risk of fire. Prisoners in California also take part in firefighting efforts. Mario Ritter tells us how and why.
Every morning prisoners in orange clothing go to their jobs as fire fighters. If there is no fire at the time, they carefully clean all the tools needed to make firebreaks. Firebreaks are barriers made of grass or land that slow or stop the spread of fire.
In California, prisoners who have no history of violent crime and are in good physical condition may train and work as firefighters. They may get their prison sentences reduced in exchange for their help fighting fires. But that is not the only appeal of the work program, says Louie Orozco, who was sentenced to prison for robbery.
“It’s pretty exciting. It’s an adrenaline rush, it’s fun at the same time. You’re expected to go out there and fight fires. Climb thousands of feet up hills, rocky terrain 3, and sometimes sandy terrain, with tools you got anywhere between30 and 50 pounds of gear 4 on your back.”
Prisoners in California have been working as firefighters for more than 60 years. They also serve the community in other ways, says Captain Mike Mahler of the state’s Department of Forestry 5 and Fire Protection.
“Our crews are used during floods, search and rescue operations. They put in about 2.5 million hours a year just in emergency response alone.”
More than 4,000 California prisoners work as firefighters. California is not the only state that uses prisoners this way. But, the state’s program is seen as a national model.
The prisoners often work side-by-side with professional firefighters. Captain Kevin Krauss has been supervising 6 prisoner firefighters for seven years.
“I treat them like firefighters. I demand they act like firefighters and I tell them if they want to be heroes, they can be out here, if they want to be zeroes they can go back and they can be incarcerated 7 inside. It’s their choice.”
Captain Krauss says most of them choose to stay with the difficult and often dangerous job, instead of spending their days behind prison walls.
“They get baptized by the devil out on the line. It’s hot, it’s dry, it‘s physically 8 demanding. (There is) Sleep deprivation 9.”
The prisoners receive a small wage. The program began as a way to reduce the cost of fighting fires. Now, however, the program helps rehabilitate 10 prisoners, providing them with skills helpful in ways beyond firefighting.
Louie Orozco says this experience has helped him believe in himself.
“Mentally I see that I can do things I never thought possible. Climbing thousands and thousands of feet up a mountain with gear on your back.”
The prisoner firefighter will turn 40 this year. He will be released from prison in six months. He says he is too old to keep fighting fires. But Mr. Orozco also has some graphic 11 design skills he learned from another prison program. He plans to use that skill to start a new life.
And he will know that after fighting wildfires, he can face any problems that might come with life after prison.
Call Center for Citizenship Questions
Every day in America immigrants become citizens. Last year, the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service swore in almost 700,000 new citizens. 84,000 of them became Americans in the state of New York.
And the United State Congress continues to struggle with an immigration reform bill. Steve Ember tells us about one New York City program that tries to clear up questions about citizenship.
“There’s no law yet…it’ll be months before the legislation 12 passes.”
That’s a volunteer operator at the City University of New York’s immigration call center. It is receiving thousands of calls, many about the latest on the immigration bill.
Volunteers from all cultures and backgrounds have stepped up to help answer the phones.
“I’m handling Spanish calls and Brazilian, too. People who speak Portuguese 13. And we are handling calls from all over New York, but even from Idaho.”
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg told the volunteers that they were taking part in something positive.
“This country needs more immigrants. We’ve got to make sure that immigrants that are here get a chance to participate and build our country. And Washington’s crazy in terms of trying to keep the very people out that build our country and are our future, so you’re helping 14 a lot.”
The call-in program has had an effect. One new citizen is Emma Dyer who emigrated 15 from Panama. Emma found out about the call-in program on television.
“Being a citizen, people know your voice counts, you can make change. That piece of paper means to be a lot of things. Number 1, I can go to the airport - any airport – buy a ticket going to anywhere and coming back with no answer and no question because I have my passport.”
That piece of paper Emma Dyer talks of is the top goal. New citizens are sworn in almost every week in New York City. One recent ceremony brought joy mixed with tears for 150 new citizens from 32 countries, including Ghana, France and Venezuela. Several speak about the experience.
“I’ve gone a long way to come (to) this, and I will cherish 16 the American citizenship right now.”
“To be part of many nations like put together I think is what it means to be American, especially here in New York City.”
“And then you come to a ceremony where you are officially American. It feels so strange. It’s so emotional, too, because you have grown to love a country so much. Everybody loves the United States.”
These new citizens represent America, a nation of immigrants from all parts of the world. And for many, it began with a phone call.
Hot Summer Songs
June 21 officially marked the beginning of summer season in the northern hemisphere 17. School is out and the days are hot and long. For many young people, summer season also means party season.
So what music will they be dancing to? What songs will they take on vacation? Which songs might define 18 summer 2013?
Last year at this time, the hot songs included Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” and, of course, Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe.”
We asked our listeners for their ideas about good summer songs. One listener suggested Ke$ha’s song “Die Young.” It suggests the temporary nature of having fun and being young. Kesha sings: let’s make the most of the night / like we’re gonna die young.
The country-pop artist Taylor Swift also sings about being young on her song “22.” Swift sings about staying up all night, dancing and ignoring responsibilities. The lyrics 19 go like this: we're happy free confused and lonely at the same time /
It's miserable 20 and magical oh yeah /
Tonight's the night when we forget about the deadlines, it's time.
Another listener suggested “I Love It” by the two-member Swedish electronic band Icona Pop. This song is on American radio a lot right now. Who knows? It might become this year’s summer anthem
- The sky this morning is a mosaic of blue and white.今天早上的天空是幅蓝白相间的画面。
- The image mosaic is a troublesome work.图象镶嵌是个麻烦的工作。
- He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
- Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。
- He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
- He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。
- We have to gear our lives to the new changes.我们必须使自己的生活适应新的变化。
- The teeth of the wheel gear into each other.齿轮互相啮合。
- At present, the Chinese forestry is being at a significant transforming period. 当前, 我国的林业正处于一个重大的转折时期。
- Anhua is one of the key forestry counties in Hunan province. 安化县是湖南省重点林区县之一。
- She had something to do in the house, supervising that native. 她待在家里，究竟还有点儿事情可以做做，可以监视那个土人。 来自辞典例句
- In addition, nuisance law fails to provide a systematic mechanism for supervising emissions. 另外，妨害法不能提供一个监督排放的系统性机制。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
- They were incarcerated for the duration of the war. 战争期间，他们被关在狱中。 来自辞典例句
- I don't want to worry them by being incarcerated. 我不想让他们知道我被拘禁的事情。 来自电影对白
- He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
- Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。
- Many studies make it clear that sleep deprivation is dangerous.多实验都证实了睡眠被剥夺是危险的。
- Missing the holiday was a great deprivation.错过假日是极大的损失。
- There was no money to rehabilitate the tower.没有资金修复那座塔。
- He used exercise programmes to rehabilitate the patients.他采用体育锻炼疗法使患者恢复健康。
- The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
- Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。
- They began to draft legislation.他们开始起草法规。
- The liberals band together against the new legislation.自由党员联合一致反对新的立法。
- They styled their house in the Portuguese manner.他们仿照葡萄牙的风格设计自己的房子。
- Her family is Portuguese in origin.她的家族是葡萄牙血统。
- The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
- By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
- He's emigrated to the USA and gone completely native. 他已移居美国且完全成了美国人。
- He emigrated to Belgium. 他移民到比利时。
- I cherish for you the liveliest feeling of affection and gratitude.我对你怀有最强烈的爱和感激之情。
- We must cherish experience acquired at the cost of blood.我们必须珍惜用鲜血换来的经验。
- This animal is to be found only in the Southern Hemisphere.这种动物只有在南半球才能找到。
- In most people,the left hemisphere is bigger than the right.多数人的左脑比右脑大。
- Please define the words.请解释这些字的意义。
- It's hard to define exactly what has changed.很难解释清楚到底发生了什么变化。