VOA慢速英语 2008 0428a
时间：2018-12-07 作者：英语课 分类：VOA慢速英语2008年（四）月
英语课
This is the VOA Special English Development Report.
Whoever thought learning new words could feel socially responsible? A Web site called FreeRice.com is an English vocabulary game. It explains its purpose like this: "For each word you get right, we donate 20 grains of rice through the UN World Food Program to help end hunger."
The site began in October. It says thirty billion grains of rice have been donated so far. The United Nations World Food Program does not really get rice. The donations are given in the form of money.
Advertisers whose names appear with links at the bottom of the game pay for the rice. Individuals can also become sponsors.
Words are presented with four choices of answers. Players click on the one that best defines 1 the word. If they answer correctly, they get a harder word. If they choose wrong, they get an easier word. Spoken pronunciations are also provided.
Currently 2, the FreeRice game has fifty-five levels of difficulty. Players rarely get past level forty-eight.
"Does FreeRice make any money from this?" That is one of the frequently asked questions on the site. "No, it does not. FreeRice runs the site at no profit," says the answer.
Internet businessman John Breen created FreeRice. Since October, five hundred seventy metric tons of rice have been donated, enough to feed about a million and a half people for one day.
The game is said to be especially popular with college students and young people who visit social networking sites.
Jennifer Parmelee is a World Food Program spokeswoman in Washington. She says cash donations help the agency to buy food locally and transport it quickly to where it is needed.
For example, with donations from the site, rice for Nepal was recently bought in the area at half the world market price. Bangladesh, Cambodia and Uganda also have received food through FreeRice.
Over the last nine months, though, the cost to secure food aid has increased fifty-five percent. Jennifer Parmelee says this is the biggest crisis 3 the World Food Program has faced in its forty-five year history.
She says creative projects like FreeRice are badly needed right now.
And that’s the VOA Special English Development Report, written by Jill Moss 4. To learn more about the world food crisis, and to get transcripts 5 and MP3s of our reports, go to voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Steve Ember.
Whoever thought learning new words could feel socially responsible? A Web site called FreeRice.com is an English vocabulary game. It explains its purpose like this: "For each word you get right, we donate 20 grains of rice through the UN World Food Program to help end hunger."The site began in October. It says thirty billion grains of rice have been donated so far. The United Nations World Food Program does not really get rice. The donations are given in the form of money.
Advertisers whose names appear with links at the bottom of the game pay for the rice. Individuals can also become sponsors.
Words are presented with four choices of answers. Players click on the one that best defines 1 the word. If they answer correctly, they get a harder word. If they choose wrong, they get an easier word. Spoken pronunciations are also provided.
Currently 2, the FreeRice game has fifty-five levels of difficulty. Players rarely get past level forty-eight.
"Does FreeRice make any money from this?" That is one of the frequently asked questions on the site. "No, it does not. FreeRice runs the site at no profit," says the answer.
Internet businessman John Breen created FreeRice. Since October, five hundred seventy metric tons of rice have been donated, enough to feed about a million and a half people for one day.
The game is said to be especially popular with college students and young people who visit social networking sites.
Jennifer Parmelee is a World Food Program spokeswoman in Washington. She says cash donations help the agency to buy food locally and transport it quickly to where it is needed.
For example, with donations from the site, rice for Nepal was recently bought in the area at half the world market price. Bangladesh, Cambodia and Uganda also have received food through FreeRice.
Over the last nine months, though, the cost to secure food aid has increased fifty-five percent. Jennifer Parmelee says this is the biggest crisis 3 the World Food Program has faced in its forty-five year history.
She says creative projects like FreeRice are badly needed right now.
And that’s the VOA Special English Development Report, written by Jill Moss 4. To learn more about the world food crisis, and to get transcripts 5 and MP3s of our reports, go to voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Steve Ember.
1 defines
规定( define的第三人称单数 )； 使明确； 精确地解释； 画出…的线条
- This name defines us all. 这个名字造就了我们。 来自演讲部分
- The range of incomes over which this happens defines the 'poverty trap'. 发生在这种情况的收入范围，称为“贫困陷阱。”
2 currently
adv.通常地，普遍地，当前
- Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
- Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。
3 crisis
n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段
- He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
- The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。
4 moss
n.苔，藓，地衣
- Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
- He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。
5 transcripts
n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本
- Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
- You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句