时间:2018-12-16 作者:英语课 分类:2018年VOA慢速英语(十)月


英语课

Venezuelan Teen’s Drawings Show Country’s Problems


Nearly two million people have fled Venezuela in recent years as the country grows poorer and faces increasing hunger and crime.


The United Nations recently estimated 1 more than 4,000 Venezuelans are crossing the border into Colombia each day. The U.N. says many of them seek international protection and are in need of aid.


For those remaining, the economic pressures in Venezuela can make daily life difficult. One teenager has found a way to express his feelings about the difficult situation in his country.


Gabriel Moncada draws cartoons that explore economic and political subjects. The 13-year-old schoolboy told Reuters news service that he has always enjoyed drawing animals and cars.


But a few years ago, he began creating pictures of people dealing 2 with the country’s economic issues. The problems include severe inflation 3, migration 4 and shortages 5 of food and medicine.


“Kids start to realize (what is happening),” Moncada said. “Because they do not go to the movies as much, they realize they cannot stay in the street late, there is not as much food in the house or the same products.”


One of his drawings shows an increasingly 6 common sight in Venezuela, people eating from waste containers. His cartoon shows two rats standing 7 below a collection of waste as humans dig through it. One rat asks, “Where’s the food?” The other answers, “They have taken it from us.”


In another, an image representing Lady Justice is seen fleeing Venezuela with a sword in one hand and a travel bag in the other.


One cartoon shows a crying boy telling his father he does not want school to start again. His worried father – who is looking at a list of costly 8 school supplies – answers, “Me neither, my son.”


In another drawing, a Venezuelan citizen is seen running toward 9 an alien spaceship, begging for help.


Moncada’s mother is Cecilia Gonzalez, a 46-year-old radio reporter. She says she started to publish her son’s cartoons on her Facebook page in late 2016. Shortly after that, a friend asked if she could publish them on her news website. Since then, the cartoons have appeared on the news site weekly.


Moncada’s mother said that, at first, her family thought it might be better to try to shelter Moncada from the reality of Venezuela’s problems. But she gave up once the difficulties became increasingly clear.


“Nothing is like it used to be, and they realize that,” Gonzalez said. “You bring your kids to school and there are three or four children eating out of the garbage on the corner.”


Moncada said his cartoon art is a way to deal with his own feelings and experiences while sharing them with others.


“The drawings are a way to express myself,” he said. “I think it is a creative, fun, and different way of showing the problems we experience daily.”


I’m Bryan Lynn.


Words in This Story


cartoon – n. a picture that looks at people or objects in a funny way


Lady Justice – n. a female 10 figure that serves as a symbolic 11 representation 12 of the justice system


sword – n. a weapon with a long, metal blade 13 and a handle, used especially in the past


beg – v. ask someone for food or money, because you do not have any


garbage – n. wasted or spoiled food and other unwanted items, such as from a kitchen or household



1 estimated
adj.根据估计的
  • She estimated the breadth of the lake to be 500 metres. 她估计湖面大约有500米宽。
  • The man estimated for the repair of the car. 那人估算了修理汽车的费用。
2 dealing
n.经商方法,待人态度
  • This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
  • His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。
3 inflation
n.胀大,夸张,通货膨胀
  • Gold prices are often seen as an indicator of inflation.黃金价格常常被看作是通货膨胀的指标。
  • The inflation of the airbed took several minutes.给空气床垫充气花了几分钟时间。
4 migration
n.迁移,移居,(鸟类等的)迁徙
  • Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
  • He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。
5 shortages
n.不足( shortage的名词复数 );缺少;缺少量;不足额
  • Food shortages often occur in time of war. 在战争期间常常发生粮食短缺的情形。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • At the same time, worldwide food and fuel shortages eased. 同时,世界性粮食和石油短缺的现象终止了。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
6 increasingly
adv.逐渐地,日益地,逐渐增加地
  • Rivers are being increasingly made use of by man. 河流正在日益为人类所利用。
  • I find it increasingly difficult to live within my income.我发现靠收入过日子越来越难了。
7 standing
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
8 costly
adj.昂贵的,价值高的,豪华的
  • It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
  • This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用,左不过贵了些。
9 toward
prep.对于,关于,接近,将近,向,朝
  • Suddenly I saw a tall figure approaching toward the policeman.突然间我看到一个高大的身影朝警察靠近。
  • Upon seeing her,I smiled and ran toward her. 看到她我笑了,并跑了过去。
10 female
adj.雌的,女(性)的;n.雌性的动物,女子
  • We only employ female workers.我们只雇用女工。
  • The animal in the picture was a female elephant.照片上的动物是头母象。
11 symbolic
adj.象征性的,符号的,象征主义的
  • It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
  • The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。
12 representation
n.表现某人(或某事物)的东西,图画,雕塑
  • The painting is a representation of a storm at sea.这幅画描绘的是海上的暴风雨。
  • All parties won representation in the national assembly.所有政党在国民大会中都赢得了代表资格。
13 blade
n.刀刃,刀片;叶片
  • Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。
  • He is a good blade.他剑术高明。
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