2016年10月20日 星期四

News English - 238

Bob Dylan Awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature
American musical icon Bob Dylan has been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Dylan, who is now seventy-five, hails from Duluth, Minnesota. In 1960, he dropped out of college and changed his name from Robert Zimmerman to Bob Dylan. The next year, he moved to New York to pursue a musical career.
Dylan started out as an earnest folk singer and was influenced by early folk music pioneers like Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. Like his idols, he wrote songs about the poor working class people of America and their struggles, and travelled around singing them to whoever would listen. As his songbook grew and his talent bloomed, Dylan penned songs that became anthems for the so-called “Flower Power” generation, who were young people growing up in the turbulent decade of the 1960s. The popularity of songs like “Blowing in the Wind”, “Like a Rolling Stone” and “Mr. Tambourine Man” led journalists to call Dylan “the voice of a generation”. Dylan hated being labeled this way and was never shy about voicing his displeasure when reporters called him this in interviews and articles. He didn’t want the pressure and responsibility of being anybody’s spokesperson, and his sudden fame made him uncomfortable. He just wanted to make music and to be himself.
The decision to award Dylan the Nobel Prize for Literature came as something of a surprise, but is being widely applauded. This marks the first time the honor has been given to a musician, although Dylan’s talents actually extend far beyond music. He is a talented writer who has authored an autobiography and released a collection of his poetry. His written prose flows with a unique, unmistakable style that is as instantly recognizable as his singing voice. He draws and paints, and his artworks are sold to collectors for considerable amounts of money.
The Nobel Prize was awarded to recognizes Dylan’s musical output over several decades. His selection by the Nobel Committee is an affirmation of his genius and a recognition of his seemingly boundless creativity at the highest level.
Amazingly, even at his advanced age, Dylan is still performing at venues around the world. His touring schedule is a punishing one that would easily wipe out most artists half his age. As one of the most influential artists of all time, he is truly a living legend.

Reading Comprehension
(     ) 1. According to the passage, why is the decision to award Dylan the Nobel Prize for Literature something of a surprise?
(A) Dylan is known more for painting and drawing than literature.
(B) Dylan always hated being labelled as “the voice of a generation”.
(C) Dylan is now seventy-five, an advanced age.
(D) This marks the first time the honor has been given to a musician.
(     ) 2. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT a song written by Bob Dylan?
(A) “Blowing in the Wind”                    (B) “Like a Rolling Stone”
(C) “Flower Power”                               (D) “Mr. Tambourine Man”
(     ) 3. According to the passage, what did Bob Dylan write songs about in the early days of his career?
(A) His hometown of Duluth, Minnesota.
(B) His idols, Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie.
(C) The City of New York.
(D) The working class people of America and their struggles.
(     ) 4. It could be inferred from the passage that ______.
(A) although famous, Bob Dylan is a private person
(B) although poor, Bob Dylan is a creative person
(C) although rich, Bob Dylan is a person who loves fame
(D) although a famous artist, Bob Dylan is still working class
(     ) 5. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
(A) Bob Dylan doesn’t perform much anymore.
(B) Bob Dylan did most of his performing in 1961.
(C) Bob Dylan still performs a lot now.                
(D) Bob Dylan’s best performances were all during the 1960s.

Vocabulary and Phrases
1.    icon [`aIkAn] n. [C] 偶像
Iggy Pop has been a punk icon since 1960s. He has influenced a lot of punk band until now.
2.   earnest [`3nIst] adj. 認真的,熱中的
Robert is an earnest student who always takes note in class and studies in the library after class.
3.    pioneer [&paI1`nIr] n. [C] 先驅者
The Soviet film director, Sergei Eisenstein, was a pioneer of the theory and use of montage (蒙太奇).
4.          bloom [blum] vi. 開花
Most plants flower in the spring while the Chinese plum tree blooms in the winter.
5.    pen [pEn] vt. (詩、文章等)
The writer who penned several novels about mysterious events becomes more and more popular around the world.
6.          anthem [`8nT1m] n. [C] 聖歌
national anthem 國歌
Before the beginning of the baseball game, national anthems of each country are played.
7.          journalist [`dZ3n1lIst] n. [C] 新聞記者
The journalist tries her best to be neutral (中立的). In other words, she tries hard to avoid putting her personal opinions or comments into her reports.
8.          spokesperson [`spoks&p3sN] n. [C] 發言人
The presidential spokesperson confirmed that the president will visit some countries in South America for the first time.
9.          applaud [1`plOd] vi. 鼓掌,喝采
When the opera ended and the curtain fell, the audience stood up and applauded excitedly.
10.  autobiography [&Ot1baI`Agr1fI] n. [C] 自傳
The autobiography of the famous actor reveals a lot of anecdotes (軼事) that few people knew.
11.      unmistakable [^nm1`stek1bL] adj. 不會錯的,明顯的
Even though I couldn’t see the man walking to me in the dark night, I heard his unmistakable voice and knew that he is my father.
12.  recognizable [`rEk1g&naIz1bL] adj. 可認出的,可辨認的
Those photographs taken by Jenny are immediately recognizable because of the bright color and unique composition (構圖).
13.      considerable [k1n`sId1r1bL] adj. 相當多(或重要)
When it comes to friendship, respect and trust are of considerable importance.
14.  output [`a5&p5t] n. [U][C] usu. sing. 產出
The writer is famous for her creative output. Almost all of her novels are bestsellers.
15.  committee [k1`mItI] n. [C] 委員會
The Gender Equality Committee aims to promote gender-equality awareness and eliminate gender bias in our society.
16.  affirmation [&8f2`meS1n] n. [U][C] 肯定;確認
Betty regards her employer’s compliment as an affirmation of her hard work.
17.  boundless [`ba5ndl1s] adj. 無限的,無盡的
The kitten looks as if it has boundless energy that it can run and jump all the day without taking a rest.
18.  venue [`vEnju] n. [C] (運動會、會議等的)舉辦地點
Harris didn’t check his mail this morning, so he didn’t know that the venue of the conference was changed to another one.

Words for Recognition
1.          Nobel Prize 諾貝爾獎
根據瑞典化學家阿爾弗雷德·諾貝爾遺囑所創立的獎項,於1901年開始頒發,目的是為了表揚對社會有傑出貢獻的人。獎項包括:物理學獎、化學獎、生理學或醫學獎、文學獎、和平獎,以及經濟學獎。
2.          hail [hel] vt. 歡迎,歡呼
3.          Duluth 杜魯斯
位於美國明尼蘇達州的港口。
4.          Minnesota 明尼蘇達州
為美國中西部最大州之一,有眾多的河流和湖泊。
5.          folk singer 民謠歌手
6.          Pete Seeger 皮特.西格 (1919~2014)
是美國民歌復興運動的先驅,有「美國現代民歌之父」之稱。他時常參與各種抗議運動。二戰結束後,西格成立了「人民之歌(People’s Song)」,為美國史上第一個民歌手組成的組織。
7.          Woody Guthrie 伍迪.蓋瑟瑞 (1912~1967)
美國著名民歌手,歌曲多為社會底層的勞動者所創作。他在自己的吉他上寫著「這把吉他會殺死法西斯主義者(This Machine Kills Fascists)」。
8.          Flower Power 權力歸花
「權力歸花」是美國1960年代末期到1970年代初期盛行的口號,源於反越戰的抗爭,代表消極抵抗以及非暴力思想。此時期的嬉皮(Hippies)會將花朵穿戴在身上,並發放花朵給路人,他們又被稱作「花的孩子」。
9.          turbulent [`t3bj1l1nt] adj. 動盪的
10.     tambourine [&t8mb1`rIn] n. [C] 鈴鼓
11.      prose [proz] n. [U] 散文
12.     advanced [1d`v8nst] adj. 年老的
13.      punishing [`p^nISI9] adj. 繁重的

Translation
巴布‧狄倫獲頒諾貝爾文學獎
美國音樂偶像巴布‧狄倫獲頒諾貝爾文學獎。今年七十五歲的狄倫來自明尼蘇達杜魯斯,受當地人們歡迎。1960年,他放棄大學學業,並將姓名從羅伯‧齊默曼改為巴布‧狄倫。隔年,他搬到紐約去追尋音樂事業。
    狄倫一開始就是個認真的民謠歌手,他受許多早期民歌先驅的影響,如皮特‧西格與伍迪‧蓋瑟瑞。他跟他的偶像一樣,寫的歌是關於美國工人階級與他們的奮鬥抗爭,他旅行到各地,唱給任何願意聆聽的人。隨著他的歌本的豐富以及才華的展現,在那個動盪的1960年代,他寫的歌成為「權力歸花」運動世代的頌歌。他最有名的歌如〈隨風飄搖〉、〈像一塊滾石〉、〈鈴鼓先生〉,讓記者們稱他為「一個世代的聲音」,但狄倫厭惡標籤化,當有記者在採訪或文章中這麼稱呼他時,他從不諱言表達自己的不悅,他不想承擔成為任何發言人的壓力及責任,因此一夕成名讓他不自在,他只是想做音樂還有做自己。
    狄倫獲得諾貝爾文學獎的決定出乎意料,但也得到眾多的讚賞,他是第一個獲得此殊榮的音樂家,儘管狄倫的才華其實遠遠超越音樂的層面。他是位有才華的作家,曾寫過一本自傳並發行過一本詩集,他的散文流露出一股獨特、明顯的風格,就如同他的歌聲一樣能立即辨認。他也畫畫,透過賣畫作給收藏家獲得相當多的錢。
    諾貝爾獎肯定了狄倫這幾十年來的音樂產出,諾貝爾委員會的選擇是對他的天份的肯定,也是對他那似乎無限的高水平創作力的認可。
    令人感到驚奇的是,即使狄倫年事已高,他仍在世界各地表演,他繁重的巡迴行程表輕易地就能擊敗許多年齡不到他一半的藝人。身為有史以來最具影響力的藝人之一,巴布‧狄倫的確是個在世的傳奇人物。


閱讀測驗解答:1. D  2. C  3. D  4. A  5. C


2016年10月10日 星期一

News English - 237

The White Helmets Who Save Syrians
        For the last five years or so, a terrible civil war has been raging in Syria, a small country in the Middle East. The conflict began in 2011 during the so-called Arab Spring, and it became violent when the government of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad began to crack down on protestors who were demanding the removal of al-Assad. It has since come to involve several factions, with many of these groups receiving both official and unofficial support and aid from several foreign nations, including the United States of America and Russia.
Sadly, the Syrian people have had to endure years of fighting, not to mention almost daily bombings, and images of shell-shocked Syrian survivors have filled social media sites. As a result, many Syrians have chosen to leave their country and become refugees, with thousands making the risky journey to Europe and Canada.
        However, a few brave Syrians have chosen to stay behind and help those who are still trying to live in this war-torn country. These courageous people are members of the Syrian Civil Defense, although they are better known as the “White Helmets” because of the safety hats they wear during their rescue work. The White Helmets are an all-volunteer organization, and the group’s members come from all walks of life. The group is not political at all, and it does its best to save people on all sides of the conflict, providing medical assistance to anyone in need. In fact, the group’s motto is “To save a life is to save all of humanity.”
        Their work is certainly dangerous. It has been estimated that 130 out of the 3,000 White Helmet members have been killed over the years. Most recently, in August of 2016, Khaled Omar, a 31-year-old member of the White Helmets who became famous when a video of him saving a “miracle baby” went viral in 2014, was killed by shrapnel in Aleppo.
        At the same time, however, it has also been estimated that the White Helmets have been responsible for saving more than 56,000 people in Syria, despite having to brave bombings and even sniper fire to do their work. Perhaps this is why they have been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize this year. In the nomination, the White Helmets were praised for their work: “Unpaid and unarmed, the White Helmets rush into bomb sites to rescue fellow Syrians from the rubble, regardless of religion or politics.” The nomination continued: “Their efforts to save lives in the most dangerous place on earth are awe-inspiring, and merit the deepest respect.”

Reading Comprehension
(    ) 1. What is the main topic of this article?
(A) A new fashion trend that is popular in the Middle Eastern country of Syria.
(B) A history of the most recent Nobel Peace Prize winners from around the world.
(C) The cause of the civil war in Syria that began in 2011.
(D) The brave efforts of a group of volunteers in Syria known as the White Helmets.
(    ) 2. The word “endure” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to “_______.”
(A) run away   (B) put up with  (C)look back on  (D) fight over
(    ) 3. According to the passage, how many White Helmets have been killed over the past
        five years?
(A) 130       (B) 3,000       (C) 56,000      (D) The article did not mention.
(    ) 4. What can be inferred from the passage?
(A) Life in Syria is difficult but safe, thanks to the White Helmets.
(B) The White Helmets are professionals who are well-paid for the dangerous work
   they do.
(C)  Many refugees are now returning to Syria to volunteer with the White Helmets.
(D) The White Helmets will continue to do their work until the war is over in Syria.
(     ) 5. which word best describes the White Helmets?
(A) Foolish.    (B) Greedy.      (C) Uncaring.   (D) Courageous.
Vocabulary and Phrases
1. rage [redZ] vi. 肆虐,猛烈進行
The air raid has been raging in this country. Thousands of people are killed and wounded.
2. crack down on [`kr8k da5n An] phr. 嚴厲制裁
The government of Philippines cracks down on drug pushers (毒販) severely.
3. protestor [pr1`tEst2] n. [C] 抗議分子
A lot of protestors were gathering in front of the Presidential Office Building to fight for their rights and hope to deal with the problem of the pension scheme.
4. demand [dI`m8nd] vt. 強烈要求
  Brad demanded to see his children and negotiated child custody (子女扶養權) with his
wife.
5. removal [rI`muvL] n. [U] 免職,開除
The removal of Kevin shocked everyone in the office because he is the one who put our company together.
6. faction [`f8kS1n] n. [C] 派別,派系
The religion split into different fractions but the basic beliefs are still the same.
7. unofficial [&^n1`fIS1l] adj. 非官方的,非正式的
The report is unofficial. We should be skeptical about it.  
8. endure [In`dj5r] vt. 忍受,忍耐
Farmers have to endure the heat of the burning sun when they work in the fields in summertime.
9. refugee [&rEfj5`dZi] n. [C] 難民
  Thousands of refugees fleeing from the war zone were in search of safety in
    neighboring countries.
10. risky [`rIskI] adj. 的風險,冒風險
  It’s risky to invest impulsively. We should think twice before you leap.
11. assistance [1`sIst1ns] n. [U] 幫助,協助
When Sean saw an old woman carrying a heavy bag, he ran over and came to her
assistance right away.
12. motto [`mAto] n. [U] 座右銘;格言
Levine’s motto is “Never give up.” He is really positive.
13. humanity [hju`m8n1tI] n. [U] 人,人類
   Environmental damage is a threat not only to humanity, but also to other living things.
14. estimate [`Est1&met] vt. 估計,估算
Mr. White estimated that about seventy percent of his students would pass this test.
15. nominate [`nAm1&net] vt. 提名
Linda was nominated for the class leader on the first day of school.
16. unpaid [^n`ped] adj. 無償的,沒有報酬的
Mandy quite enjoys being an international volunteer. Although it is unpaid, she likes the
feeling of helping people around the world.
17. unarmed [^n`Armd] adj. 非武裝的,徒手的
The general emphasized again and again, “Do not shoot unarmed citizens. Don’t
hurt innocent people.”
18. rubble [`r^bL] n. [U] 瓦礫堆,碎磚爛瓦
   The big earthquake reduced many houses in the city to rubble.
19. regardless [rI`gArdlIs] adv. 不管怎樣,無論如何
   Regardless of his parents’ objection, Ian still went to war-torn countries to help the
 people there.
20. merit [`mErIt] vt. 值得;應受
   Josh said that he did nothing wrong to merit such an outrageous treatment.

Words for Recognition
1. Syria [`sIrI1] n. 敘利亞
  Syrian [`sIrI1n] n. 敘利亞人
  阿拉伯敘利亞共和國,通稱敘利亞。首都為大馬士革。敘利亞是世界最古老文明
  發源地之一,此外也是基督教的發祥地和傳播中心;後來阿拉伯帝國在中東地區
  的擴張,成為伊斯蘭教傳播中心之一,
2. Russia [`r^S1] n. 俄羅斯
  俄羅斯聯邦,簡稱俄羅斯。橫跨歐、亞兩大洲。俄羅斯歷史始於歐洲的東斯拉夫
  民族,國家從拜占庭帝國採納了東正教,隨後由此開始,千年拜占庭與斯拉夫文
  化的融合成為了今日的俄羅斯文化。
3. shell-shocked [`SEl `SAkt] adj. (因戰爭)受極度驚嚇的
4. war-torn [`wOr `tO:n] adj. 受戰爭蹂躪的,飽受戰亂的
5. Syrian Civil Defense [`sIrI1n sIvL dI`fEns] n. 敘利亞民防隊
  又稱白盔隊,或白帽救援隊,主要由敘利亞人民志願組成的一個非官方組織,目
  的為拯救那些飽受敘利亞內戰且手無寸鐵的人民。在敘利亞境內共有119個救援
  中心,同時得到西方世界和國際非政府組織「危機救援」的支持。
6. Khaled Omar
  全名為Khaled Omran Harrah,於2014年拯救10天大的「奇蹟寶寶」,而躍上國際
  版面。但卻在政府軍所謂的「雙擊行動」中喪生。
7. shrapnel [`Sr8pn1l] n. [U] 炸彈碎片;流彈
8. Aleppo n. 阿勒坡
  是敘利亞的第一大城市,比首都大馬士革的人口還多。從歷史上看,阿勒坡是人類最古
  老的定居點之一。敘利亞內戰爆發後,2012年開始的阿勒坡之戰在市內造成嚴重破壞。
9. Nobel Peace Prize [no`bEl pIs praIz] n. 諾貝爾和平獎
  是由瑞典發明家,,艾爾弗雷德‧諾貝爾所創立的諾貝爾獎之一,由挪威諾貝爾委
  員會選出得主,與其他在瑞典斯德哥爾摩頒發四個獎項不同,諾貝爾和平獎頒獎
  典禮是在挪威首都奧斯陸舉行,由挪威諾貝爾委員會主席頒獎,
10. awe-inspiring [`OIn&spaI1rI9] adj. 令人敬畏的

Translation
拯救敘利亞人的白盔隊
    大約在五年前,一場嚴重的內戰肆虐於中東的一個小國家,敘利亞。這場衝突始於2011年的阿拉伯之春,且當敘利亞總統,巴沙爾‧阿薩德政府開始嚴厲制裁那些想要阿薩德下台的抗議分子時,這場衝突越演越烈。這場內戰涉及到數個派別,各個團體都有官方和非官方的支持,並且還有來自幾個其他國家的幫助,包括美國和俄羅斯。
令人難過的是,敘利亞人民必須承受數年的戰爭,更不用提及每日的轟炸;飽受驚嚇的敘利亞生還者的照片充斥著社群網站。因此,許多敘利亞人民選擇離開他們的家鄉,成為難民,數以千計的避難者冒著生命的危險前往歐洲和加拿大。
但是,有一群勇敢的敘利亞人選擇留在家鄉,幫助那些還住在這個戰火肆虐的國家的人。這些勇敢的人,為敘利亞民間防衛隊的成員,雖然他們較為人所知的稱呼為「白盔隊」,源自於他們在救援的過程中所戴的安全帽。白盔隊所有的成員都是自願者,並且來自各個不同行業。這個組織沒有政治目的,他們竭盡所有的力氣去拯救衝突中各方人員的性命,提供醫療救援給所有的人。事實上,這個組織的宗旨為「拯救一條生命,就是拯救人類。」
     他們的工作非常危險。據估計,近幾年來3,000名白盔隊的成員已經有130名成員身亡。最近,Omar Khaled,一位31歲的白盔隊成員,因為在2014年一段救出「奇蹟寶寶」的影片在網路上瘋傳而聞名,卻在今年的8月,在阿勒坡遭流彈擊中身亡。
        但是同時,據估計,儘管必須冒著被轟炸和射擊的危險,白盔隊已經在敘利亞成功地救出超過56,000人。也許這就是為什麼今年他們被提名為諾貝爾和平獎候選人的原因。提名文中,白盔隊被讚許:「沒有支薪,沒有武裝,不管宗教信仰,不管政治立場,白盔隊都會衝進爆炸現場,從瓦礫堆下救出敘利亞同胞」。提名文繼續寫道:「在全世界最危險的地方搶救生命,他們的努力是值得敬畏的,他們的功績是值得受至高的尊敬的」。


閱讀測驗解答:1. D  2. B  3. A  4. D  5. D