歌坛新星New Music Stars

第1课歌坛新星New Music StarsPop stars have traditionally not come from the upper classes of society. Eminem grew up on a trailer park. 50 Cent is from the dangerous ghettoes of New York. The Beatles grew up in the poor, industrial city of Liverpool.However, some musicians have come from the army. Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, served with the American Army in Germany whilst Jimi Hendrix was in the parachuteregiment.Following in that tradition comes the latest British musical sensation, James Blunt. His last single, …You‟re Beautiful‟, was ahuge hit, and his concerts have sold out all over the country.But what is a well spoken ex-army officer doing making music? James Blunt comes from a family with a long tradition of military service. His early life was not filled with music. His army officer father thought all music, even classical, was unnecessary noise.Being from a good family, he was sent to boarding school at the age of seven. He then went on to University to study engineering, then Sand hurst, the officer training college. His life seemed certain to follow that of his father‟s and grandfather‟s before him - private schools, a good university and a career as an officer in the Household Cavalry, one of the best regiment sin the British Army.He had, however, started playing the guitar as a teenager. When he was sent to Kosovo, he didn‟t just take his gun – he also took his guitar, attached to the side of his tank . As he drove through villages damaged by the war, he used to sing the John Lennon s ong …Give Peace a Chance.‟ “Well,” he later said, “we were peacekeepers.”So where did all this lead him ? Well, in 2003 he left the army and went to Los Angeles to make a record. His accent was considered too posh for many record producers and companies in England.In America, however, it helped open doors. In 2004, his first album …Back to Bedlam‟ was released, and the singles …High‟, …Wise Men‟ and …You‟re Beautiful‟ have been great successes. For the singing soldier swap ping a gun for a guitar has been a good choice.GLOSSARY 词汇表upper classes上层社会，贵族阶层trailer park活动房屋或(家庭拖车的)停车场ghettoes （城市中的）少数民族聚居区parachute 降落伞single 单曲huge hit 巨大成功sold out 售完，卖光well spoken 善于辞令的；谈吐文雅的ex 前… army officer 军官；陆军军官military 军事的，军队的boarding school 寄宿学校regiments 团tank 坦克peacekeepers 维持和平的人；维和战士lead 指引；带领album 专辑swapping 交换第2课Online GamingUK online game rsareon red alertas they prepare for the arrival of the Cyber athlete Professional League World Tour.The tour, which takes in nine countries on four continents, is the first of its kind and demonstrates the desire amongst the pro-gaming community to be taken seriously as a professional sport.For those who don‟t know, online gamers compete against each other playing popular games such as Counter Strike, World of War craft, and Unreal Tournament. The games are played on PCs rather than games consoles.Thousands of fans are expected to descend upon Sheffield, a city in the north of England, to watch their favourite pro-game rs battle it out in a $1million tournament. One competitor who is sure to cause as plas his 23-year-old American, Jonathan Wendel, better known by gaming alias, “Fatal1ty”.Despite his youth, “Fatal1ty” is a gaming legend, having won three Cyber athlete Professional League championships and beco me the world‟s first Doom 3 world champion, for which he won $25000 prize money. He has also sign edlucrative sponsorship deal swith companies which produce peripheralsand accessories for gamers.The UK is also fielding a strong team. Top UK player, David Treacy, a member of the British team Four-Kings, has already secured a place in the events grand final in the United States. The Four-Kings Counter Strike team have also made good progress taking second place overall in the first season of the tournament and winning $20000 in prize money.The team have recently competed in the World E-Sports Games league in South Korea. The reception they received there demonstrates the growing status of pro-gamers. …They were mobbed for photographs and autographs before they played the season final‟, says Four-Kings co-manager Phillip Wride.Chinese gaming fanatics don‟t have long to wait for their opportunity towitness the spectacleof world-class gaming. The CPL World Tour comes to Beijing on October 13th with a top prize of $50000. So keep your finger on the trigger– maybe you could be the next world champion.GLOSSARY 词汇表(收听发音, 请单击英语单词)online gamers 网络游戏手on red alert 处于紧急危险状态Cyberathlete 电脑/网络运动员pro-gaming 职业游戏PCs 个人电脑games consoles 游戏机battle it out 奋力争夺cause a splash 引人注目；引起轰动gaming alias 游戏化名lucrative sponsorship deals利润丰厚的赞助交易peripherals 辅助设备mobbed 被包围、簇拥secured a place进入比赛；获得比赛资格fielding a strong team培养一个强大的队伍autographs 亲笔签名witness the spectacle 目睹盛况trigger 扳机第3课在线学习哈利波特Harry PotterHarry Potter has been a global publishing phenomenonAll around the world millions of people are eagerly waiting for the 16th of July. That‟s because it is the day when the sixth Harry Potter novel will be published worldwide.If you are one of the few people who have never read any of the Harry Potter novels, they can be summarised as the magical adventures of a boy wizard who attends a wonderful school for wizards.The first Harry Potter novel was published in 1997. Since then the Harry Potter series has become a publishing phenomenon, selling over 250 million copies worldwide. The Harry Potter books are sold in more than 200 countries and have been translated into 60 different languages from Hindi to Ancient Greek.The novels have also been successfully adapted for the big screen. The first three films have all been smash hit sat the box office. The most recent film …Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban‟ broke records in the UK, taking ￡11.5 million in its first three day son release. It went on to take more than $750 million worldwide!It has been an incredible journey for the author of the books, JK Rowling. Just seven years ago she was a single mother writing her books in a café. Now she is amulti-millionaire, Britain‟s richest woman and ranked as the world‟s best-paid author. It is difficult top in point the secret to the Harry Potter series‟ success. For whatever reason, the books have captured the imaginationof millions of readers from around the world. Fans are passionate about the books and films, and there are many websites devoted to Harry and his friends and enemies.Indeed, there has been a great deal of go ssipand speculation surrounding the new book. However, for the moment the story remains a well-guarded secret. If you want to know what happens in the sixth Harry Potter book, you‟ll just have to read it! GLOSSARY 词汇表(收听发音, 请单击英语单词)novel 小说published worldwide 全球出版发行wizard （男）魔法师；男巫publishing phenomenon 出版业的奇迹the big screen 荧屏smash hits 巨大成功box office 票房on release 出版；发行single mother 单身母亲to pinpoint 精确查明captured the imagination捕获…的想像力；使…极度着迷gossip闲话；流言蜚语speculation 猜测well-guarded secret 严守的秘密第4课Tingclass British music online readingMusic downloads have increased dramatically in the UKDo you like music? Of course you do. Are you still going to the record shop to buy your records? If you are, you may not be for much longer.According to the British Phonographic Industry – the BPI, the organisation responsible for music sales in the UK, more than ten million songs have been downloaded legally from the Internet in the UK in 2005.That figure is more than twice as much as were downloaded in 2004, and experts think it will continue to grow over the coming years.However, the traditional single has not disappeared. In fact, there was an 87% increase in sales of7-inch vinyl singles this year. "You cannot write off traditional form at s just yet", said Mr Jamieson spokesman for the BPI.Since music download services began a year ago, the British music industry has been quick to take advantage and is now beginning to feel the benefits. While the fight again stille gal downloading continues, it seems the public have been happy to join the newlegal services. You access the web page, choose the songs you want, type in your credit card details and you can download immediately.The British public still enjoys buying records, however, and sales have been the best since 1998, according to the BPI. New rock groups such as Baby shambles, Kaiser Chiefs and Franz Ferdinand have been extremely popular and helped make sales so high.British music is also incredibly popular in the USA at the moment. Last year 75 UK albums sold over 100 000 units in the US, compared to just 66 in 2003. Coldplay also had number one album sin the UK at the same time as the US, the first time this has happened since 2000.With music you can buy in the shops and music you can download from the Internet, from Coldplay to Oasis, Gorillaz to Franz Ferdinand, British music is going from strength to strength!GLOSSARY 词汇表(收听发音, 请单击英语单词)downloaded 下载twice 两倍的7-inch vinyl singles 7英寸唱片write off 认为…无价值；勾销formats 格式spokesman 发言人illegal 非法的albums 专辑strength 力量第5课英国的剧院Theatre in the UKOne of the many theatres in London's West EndFor many people the high light of a visit to London is the chance to see a West End show.The West End of London, situated a stone‟s throw from Piccadilly Circus and Chinatown, is home to dozens of beautiful theatres.London‟s West End theatres are currently enjoying a boom in popularity and ticket sales. According to the Society of London Theatres, nearly 12 million people attended a West End show last year, whilst audience numbers in 2005 look set to out strip that impressive figure.One possible reason for the success of contemporary theatrical productions is the casting of A-list Hollywood actors in lead roles. Val Kilmer, star of films like Top Gun and Batman Forever, is currently appearing in The Postman Always Rings Twice.And he is not alone - other American movie stars performing in London include Oscar winner, Kevin Spacey, and David Schwimmer, who found international fame in the hit TV sitcom, Friends.British screen stars are also treading the board sin West End shows. Scottish actor, Ewan McGregor, is appearing in the classic 1950smusicalGuys and Dolls – an experience very different to making movies. McGregor says …The actual process of making films is extraordinarily tedious. It is very difficult to keep your energy and focus. Whereas what is wonderful about this is we have to create it together.‟Ironically, it is not just that film stars are acting in plays nowadays but films themselves are being adapted for the stage. Amongst the films that can now be seen as play so r musicals are The Lion King, A Few Good Men, and Billy Elliot.The longest-running shows in the West End are usually musicals. The Andrew Lloyd Webber show, Cats, ran for 21 years and 7000 performances, making its composer a multi-millionaire.However, not all musicals do so well. Oscar Wilde: The Music a lran for only one night, closing after terrible reviews and poor boo kings. It was quite possibly the big gestflo pin London theatrical history.GLOSSARY 词汇表(收听发音, 请单击英语单词)the highlight最精彩的部分；亮点a stone‟s throw一掷石头那么远的距离（指很近）a boom 兴盛to outstrip 超越，超出casting 出演，演出A-list 一流lead roles 主角sitcom 情景喜剧treading the boards 踩在舞台木板上musical 音乐剧extraordinarily tedious 极度枯燥乏味的ironically 有讽刺意味地plays 剧目longest-running 上演时间最长的ran for 上演了bookings 订座flop失败第6课The Olympics 奥林匹克运动会After a hard-fought campaign, London has been awarded the right to ho st the 2012 Olympic Games. The UK capital saw off competition from four rival cities: Paris, Madrid, Moscow and New York.Londoners can now look forward to the transformation of their city in the same way as their counter part sin Beijing. Indeed, there are many similarities in the two cities‟approach to hosting the games. Both cities need to invest in developing their in frastructurein order to cope with the demands of the event.However, this kind of in vest mentis far from cheap - it is estimated that it will cost around $40 billion to prepare for the 2008 games, much of which will be spent on transport links.Never the less, the benefits of becoming an Olympic city can be enormous – Barcelona, which hosted the 1992 games, was completely regenerated and has since become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Residen ts of Stratford, in London‟s deprived East End, are hoping that their neighbourhood wil lunder go a similar trans form ation as it is one of the areas where many new sports facilities will be built. One of the East End‟s most famous sons, David Beckham, has given the Olympics his blessing - “to have the Olympics in our man or would be a special thing.”David Beckham is not alone in supporting the successful bid; Manchester United and England defender, Rio Ferdinand, says, “This will be a great boost for the whole of the country. I‟m looking forward to being at the 100m final in 2012.”One thing that will change in the 2012 games is the number of sports. The International Olympic Committee has decide d to axe baseball and softball from the games. IOC president Jacques Rogge explained, "Needless to say, these sports are very, very disappointed, but it does not disqualify them forever as Olympic sports," he said.However, one unlikely British sport is attempting to gain Olympic status. “As the newest recognised sport darts…would be proud to be considered as the host nation's 'invitation sport' in 2012.” says British Darts Organisation chief, Olly Croft. GLOSSARY 词汇表(收听发音, 请单击英语单词)to host 主办saw off 击败了（竞争对手）counterparts 对等的，相当的，同行infrastructure 结构，构造investment 投资nevertheless 虽然如此，但是deprived East End贫穷落后的东城区undergo a similar transformation重新改造，改头换面our manor 我们的地区（俚语）boost援助，支持to axe 取消，消减gain Olympic status取得举办奥林匹克运动会的资格darts 飞镖，一种室内游戏。