时间:2018-12-16 作者:英语课 分类:2013年VOA慢速英语(七)月


英语课

 


Fireworks!


 


Now, the VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories.


I’m Rich Kleinfeldt.


Today we tell about the word fireworks.


The expression “fireworks” gets its meaning from the fireworks that people shoot into the sky when they are celebrating a great event. Rockets explode to fill the dark, night sky with bright reds and blues 1, with yellows and greens and whites.


The expression also means a great show of noisy anger, or something exciting. For example, a defense 2 lawyer in a court trial may become very emotional 3 in arguing with the government lawyer about evidence affecting the accused. The judge finally stops the loud argument and calls the two lawyers forward. He tells them, “I want no more of these fireworks in my courtroom.”


 


Another kind of fireworks can be any event or activity that is especially exciting. One such event is falling in love. If anything can produce fireworks, it is a sweetheart’s kiss or the touch of a lover’s hand. Often movie or television cartoons show fireworks to represent the excitement of a kiss.


People use the expression fireworks throughout the year. But if you live in the United States and want to see real fireworks, the best time of the year is about now. The Fourth of July is Independence Day in the United States. Americans traditionally celebrate their nation’s freedom with giant public parties and fireworks at night.


In Washington, for example, large crowds gather near the Washington Monument to listen to music and watch a huge fireworks show.


In other cities and smaller towns, local people listen to band concerts and watch fireworks explode in a dark sky.


Many other countries around the world also enjoy the tradition of exploding fireworks on special days. In Australia, the city of Sydney begins each new year with a fireworks show at midnight. China is the birthplace of fireworks. Large fireworks shows were held often during earlier times in China. Now, people use small fireworks to help celebrate weddings and birthdays.


?France also has a great fireworks tradition. A large fireworks show always takes place on Bastille Day, which celebrates the beginning of the French Revolution. The French city of Cannes holds an international fireworks competition each year in July and August.


In India, people have been using fireworks for more than 500 years. A great Indian fireworks show takes place during the religious celebration of Diwali, every autumn.


Fireworks shows are popular around the world. But, if I do not end this program right now, there will be fireworks from my producer.


This VOA Special English program “Words and Their Stories” was written by David Jarmul. I’m Rich Kleinfeldt.


 


 



1 blues
n.抑郁,沮丧;布鲁斯音乐
  • She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。
  • He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。
2 defense
n.防御,保卫;[pl.]防务工事;辩护,答辩
  • The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
  • The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。
3 emotional
adj.令人动情的;易动感情的;感情(上)的
  • Emotional people don't stop to calculate.感情容易冲动的人做事往往不加考虑。
  • This is an emotional scene in the play.这是剧中动人的一幕。
学英语单词
Abdullahpur
acheilus
Alkalispirillum
amorphous portion
appraisal clause
argentocracy
articulation (or joint)
association by causation
avian physiology
basic indexing and retrieval system
bed of honour
beire
bothriurids
breakeven level
buggerers
centimetric radar
chain operation
channel set
chivaler
Chuadanga District
Coober Pedy
copter mount
corrugated-metal
damping system
decree nisi of divorce
development strategy
device-dependent I/O
dictatorship of bourgeoisie
distribution of random variable
doughts
drogoul
dry-film resist
false value
feeding principles
gay libs
gesneria family
GFSK
Gleithobel
glycerids
independently of
ink palette
isulating jacket
juvenile white cell
knipl
latest time
leap over the wall
locus of evaluation
lovelessness
lymphatic system diagnostics
measures of peakness
mediumpressure pneumatic conveyer
meted
monitor working area
multi-deck sinking platform
multichaperone
multicurrencies
nannoes
national laws
non disconnecting fuse
oil purifying system
panning technique
Petri dishes
photosensitive emulsion
plural boards
polyarylsulfone (pasf)
prescription
proficiency testing
prosperately
Purley shales
rabbitite
retarding mechanism
rhubarb plant
rough-cast plastering
Sampit, Tk.
search tree
seaworthy certificate
sediment transportation mechanics
serenium
set of independent vertices
sheriffe
shipping intelligence
sling hoop
socket cement
sphenochasm
spliceostatins
spread-bat
Stropharia ambigua
Teasmades
tetranal
tetrapterous
the roma
to tangle with
touch sense
turning tool
Tymtey
unmeritedness
vehicle pitch angle
velocity control of logging
venerist
virgin drop black
wisconsin card sorting test (wcst)
women's troubles