听写原文(special)Slavery in New York City

News Report 1A 16th century castle in Scotland is close to collapsing after lumps of soil were washed away by floods, threatening its foundations. On Sunday, the castle's owner John Gordon, 76, was forced to move out of his property after the River Dee swept away about 60 feet of land, leaving the castle dangerously close to the river, according to the Scottish Daily Record. Abergeldie Castle, located in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, was built by Sir Alexander Gordon of Midmar who later became the Earl of Huntly. The castle, which is located on 11,700 acres, was leased to members of the royal family between 1848 and 1970, including King Edward VII and George V. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has issued more than 35 flood warnings covering several regions, as Scotland continues to clean up after Storm Frank hit the country last Wednesday. "This means that rivers will rise more slowly, but then stay high for much longer, " the environmental agency said.Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard.Question 1.Why did John Gordon move out of the Abergeldie Castle?Question 2.What happened in Scotland last Wednesday?在洪水将大量土地冲走、对地基造成威胁之后，苏格兰一座16世纪的城堡接近倒塌。

THIS IS AMERICA - Coming Face-to-Face With the History of Slavery in New York CityBy Cynthia KirkBroadcast: Monday, February 20, 2006(MUSIC)VOICE ONE:Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. I'm Faith Lapidus.VOICE TWO:And I'm Steve Ember. Slavery was not just in the South. Some early Americans in the North also owned African slaves. In fact, historians say the capital of American slavery for more than two hundred years was New York. In colonial times, one of out five people in the city was a slave.VOICE ONE:Now, many people are interested in learning more about this partof the history of America's largest city.(MUSIC)VOICE TWO: A discovery in New York City in nineteen ninety-one broughtpeople face-to-face with the past. Workers found human remainsas they broke ground for a new federal office building.More than four hundred remains from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries wereunearthed. In nineteen ninety-three, officials declared the African Burial Ground a National Historic Landmark.Now an exhibition at the New-York Historical Society explores the history of slavery in the city. Visitors see hundreds of objects, including slave ship documents, bills of sale andwanted posters for runaway slaves. Events are recreated with sound and pictures. Visitorslearn how slavery was important to the northern economy.1851: A slave namedCaesar (photographerunknown)New York City used to be called New Amsterdam. It was a Dutch colony on the southern end of Manhattan Island, at the mouth of the Hudson River. It was the main settlement in the territory of New Netherland.The Dutch West India Company settled New Amsterdam in sixteen twenty-four. The first slaves from Africa arrived a few years later.VOICE TWO:In the words of the New-York Historical Society: "Enslaved Africans were at work in New Amsterdam from its beginning." The slaves wore Dutch clothing. They learned the Dutch language. They lived much like the Dutch, except they were the property of otherpeople. Slave owners included Peter Styvesant, the director-general of the colony.defenses. Wall Street, where the New York Stock Exchange islocated, runs along what was once the wall of a fort built byslaves. Slaves built Fort Amsterdam, where Battery Park is nowlocated. And they cut the road famous today for its theaters:Broadway.First the Dutch and then the British built the local economy onships, slaves, crops and manufactured goods. Many peopleprofited from slavery. Historians say that without slave labor, NewAmsterdam might not have survived.Peter Stuyvesant(MUSIC)VOICE ONE:In the sixteen forties, the Dutch West India Company began to give slaves "half-freedom." They could settle nearby in what the Dutch called "the land of the blacks."But the people who lived there had to pay a yearly tax. They had to work for the colony whenever needed. And their children became slaves. But the people were free to farm their own lands and sell what they grew.New Amsterdam did not have enough colonists to do the work needed to create a major port city. As the New-York Historical Society explains, efforts to get more Dutch people to move there largely failed. So did efforts to put Native Americans from nearby villages to work, and keep them from fleeing.The Dutch often seized European ships in the Atlantic and captured their African crewmembers. In the words of the historical society: "Bringing the captured African seamen to New Amsterdam seemed to solve these problems. The Africans could be forced to work, and they could not escape and go home."In sixteen sixty-four, the British captured New Amsterdam. They renamed it New York. The British expanded slavery and strengthened slave laws. Blacks could not own property. They could not gather at night or in groups of more than three. And there were restrictions on where they could go. Historians note that the British rewrote many of these laws often, which suggests that the measures did not work well.Records show that the British were much rougher in their treatment of slaves than the Dutch had been. Slaves faced death or other severe punishment for crimes like robbery, setting fires or plotting to revolt. Punishments were often carried out in public.Yet even under repressive laws many slaves married and had families. They attended religious services and produced poetry, art, music and literature. Denied a vote, they organized political pressure groups and created a "lively press," the New-York Historical Society says.VOICE ONE:During the seventeen hundreds, historians say, forty percent of all households in New York owned slaves. At the time of the American Revolution, New York had more slaves than any American city except Charleston, South Carolina. Charleston is a major port in the South."Almost anything that people bought in New York – cheese, tobacco, cloth, rum, sugar, butter – was grown or made by enslaved labor," the historical society says. Often the goods arrived on ships owned by slave traders.The local economy was built on a large, unpaid labor force that kept stores well-supplied and prices reasonable.VOICE TWO:Unlike the South, New York City did not have large plantation farms. Slaves did not live in rooms with large numbers of other slaves. They lived in the kitchens or back rooms of their owners' houses.house servants. In New York, enslaved men often learned askill. Early builders and manufacturers depended on them. A fewwere taught to read and write.Most females slaves worked as servants and could not read orwrite.(MUSIC)VOICE ONE:A scrubwomanSome slaves rebelled. A reported plot in seventeen forty-one led to the execution of thirtyblacks and four whites. It became known as the "Great Negro Plot" to destroy New York.In the end, the American Revolution crushed the system of slavery in New York City. The thirteen British colonies in America declared their independence on July fourth, seventeen seventy-six.The British lost the war in seventeen eighty-three. But they kept their promise of freedom and passage to Canada for more than three thousand slaves who fought on their side. VOICE TWO:The issue of slavery had always divided people in the city. But after the war, more and more white New Yorkers started to think that slavery should end. They saw that it conflicted with the goals of freedom and equality that led to the revolution and the creation of the United States.Poor European immigrants increasingly did the work that slaves had done. Slave labor, though, was still important to the New York City economy.Slavery would end, but it would end slowly.VOICE ONE:The legislation was a compromise. Laws delayed the end of slavery in New York State until July fourth, eighteen twenty-seven. Some other states in the North also passed similar laws of gradual emancipation.New York City became actively involved in the Underground Railroad which helped blacks escape from slavery.In the Confederate states of the South, the plantation economy still depended on slaves. It took President Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War in the eighteen sixties to end slavery in America.VOICE TWO:Listen now to some of the reactions that visitors have recorded at the slavery exhibit in New York:(SOUND)VOICE ONE:"Slavery in New York: A Landmark Exhibition" has been extended through March twenty-sixth at the New-York Historical Society. The Web site is slaveryinnewyork, all one word, dot o-r-g (). There is also a related book called "Slavery in New York," edited by two history professors, Ira Berlin and Leslie Harris.(MUSIC)VOICE TWO:THIS IS AMERICA was written and produced by Cynthia Kirk. Internet users can read and hear our programs at voaspecialenglish. I'm Steve Ember.VOICE ONE:And I'm Faith Lapidus. We hope you listen again next week for THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English.。

1. New York is a city of things unnoticed. It is a city with cats sleeping under parked cars, two stone armadillos crawling up St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and thousands of ants creeping on top of the Empire State Building. The ants probably were carried there by winds or birds, but nobody is sure; nobody in New York knows any more about the ants than they do about the panhandler who takes taxis to the Bowery; or the dapper man who picks trash out of Sixth Avenue trash cans; or the medium in the West Seventies who claims, ‘I’m clairvoyant, clairaudient and clairsensuous.’纽约拥有众多不为人注意的事物。

在这个城市有猫睡在停泊的车下，两只犰狳攀上圣帕特里克教堂，还有成千的蚂蚁爬上帝国大厦的楼顶。

那些蚂蚁或许是被风或者鸟带上去的，可谁也说不准。

在纽约没有人了解蚂蚁，就像他们不知道那个乞丐去保利区乞讨时乘的是出租车；还有那个衣冠楚楚的家伙专门在第6 大街从垃圾筒里捡垃圾；还有西70 街的那位灵媒宣称：“我无所不见、无所不闻、无所不觉。

”2. New York is a city for eccentrics and a center for odd bits of information. New Yorkers blink twenty-eight times a minute, but forty when tense. Most popcorn chewers at Yankee Stadium stop chewing momentarily just before the pitch. Gumchewers on Macy's escalators stop chewing momentarily just before they, get off —— to concentrate on the last step. Coins, paper clips, ball-point pens, and little girls' pocketbooks are found by work-men when they clean the sea lions' pool at the Bronx Zoo.纽约是一个古怪者的天堂，是奇事异闻的中心。

为奴十二年英文原著英文原著英文回答：Twelve Years a Slave is a memoir by Solomon Northup, a free black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the Deep South in 1841. The book was published in 1853 and became a bestseller, helping to galvanize the abolitionist movement in the United States.Northup was born free in Saratoga Springs, New York, in 1808. He was a skilled carpenter and musician, and worked as a waiter and a hotel clerk. In 1841, he was approached by two men who offered him a job as a performer in a circus in Washington, D.C. Northup agreed, but once he arrived in Washington, he was drugged and sold into slavery.Northup was held captive for twelve years, during which time he was sold to several different owners in Louisiana and Mississippi. He was beaten, starved, and humiliated. In 1853, he finally escaped with the help of a whiteabolitionist.Northup's memoir is a vivid and harrowing account ofthe horrors of slavery. It is also a testament to his indomitable spirit and his determination to survive. Twelve Years a Slave has been praised as one of the most important works of American literature, and it continues to be read and studied today.中文回答：为奴十二年是所罗门·诺萨普自传，他是一位自由的黑人，1841年在南部被绑架并卖为奴隶。

1. New York is a city of things unnoticed. It is a city with cats sleeping under parked cars, two stone armadillos crawling up St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and thousands of ants creeping on top of the Empire State Building. The ants probably were carried there by winds or birds, but nobody is sure; nobody in New York knows any more about the ants than they do about the panhandler who takes taxis to the Bowery; or the dapper man who picks trash out of Sixth Avenue trash cans; or the medium in the West Seventies who claims, ‘I’m clairvoyant, clairaudient and clairsensuous.’aaaaa纽约拥有众多不为人注意的事物。

在这个城市有猫睡在停泊的车下，两只犰狳攀上圣帕特里克教堂，还有成千的蚂蚁爬上帝国大厦的楼顶。

那些蚂蚁或许是被风或者鸟带上去的，可谁也说不准。

在纽约没有人了解蚂蚁，就像他们不知道那个乞丐去保利区乞讨时乘的是出租车；还有那个衣冠楚楚的家伙专门在第 6 大街从垃圾筒里捡垃圾；还有西70 街的那位灵媒宣称：“我无所不见、无所不闻、无所不觉。

”2. New York is a city for eccentrics and a center for odd bits of information. New Yorkers blink twenty-eight times a minute, but forty when tense. Most popcorn chewers at Yankee Stadium stop chewing momentarily just before the pitch. Gumchewers on Macy's escalators stop chewing momentarily just before they, get off —— to concentrate on the last step. Coins, paper clips, ball-point pens, and little girls' pocketbooks are found by work-men when they clean the sea lions' pool at the BronxZoo.纽约是一个古怪者的天堂，是奇事异闻的中心。

听写16-30篇文本16. The Statue of LibertyThe Statue of Liberty represents a woman holding a torch of fire. It stands on an island at the entrance to the New York City harbor. It is almost 93 meters tall, one of the tallest statues ever built. Its complete name is "Liberty Enlightening the World".The Statue of Liberty was a gift to the people of the United States from the people of France. It was an expression of friendship and the goal of liberty shared by the people of both countries.The statue was designed and built in France. France officially presented the statue to the United States Minister to France in Paris on July 4th, 1884. The statue was then taken apart and sent to the United States. New York City celebrated with a huge parade. Since then, the Statue of Liberty has been a symbol of freedom for people all over the world.17. Universities' Grading SystemsMost American colleges and universities use the grading system of A, B, C, D and F. An A is worth four points, a B three points, a C two points and a D one point. Getting a grade like a B-plus or a C-minus adds or subtracts a few tenths of a point. An F is a failing grade worth zero toward a student's grade point average.A small number of colleges reject the traditional grading system. They are organized into programs taught by teams of professors. Each program brings together different subjects and extends in length over 2 or 3 quarters. Students are required to do a major research project at the end of each program.The professors write detailed evaluations of the students.These are combined with evaluations written by the students themselves.Most teachers would probably agree that traditional grades are sometimes unfair. But professors at big schools say there is not enough time to write evaluations for each student in large classes.18. Strange FestivalsEvery country has its strange festivals. Cheese Rolling is a much-loved event traditionally held in Britain. Participants chase an eight-pound cheese down a long slope, hoping to catch it and become the champion. In Spain, baby jumping is a famous ritual, in which local men jump over all the babies born that year. It is believed to rid the babies of sin and serves as a kind of baptism. There is a naked festival held at various times in Japan. Wearing just a small piece of cloth, the freezing participants run around a city, competing for lucky charms. From chasing cheeses to running naked, it is hard to explain where most of these ideas came from and what they mean to us now. However, they are part of our cultures. Despite our different traditions, languages and histories, we do seem to have one thing in common: our love of celebrations.19. Teaching AssistantsForeign students at American colleges and universities may earn money after they successfully complete an entry-level study program. Those wishing to continue their education could work as a teaching assistant, or T.A.A teaching assistant usually works about twenty hours each week. Teaching assistants are paid to help professors teach students in entry-level studyprograms.Generally, the professor gives a talk, or lecture, to a large group of students one or two times a week. The teaching assistant meets with smaller groups of students during the week. The T.A. gives tests and reads any homework or reports the students may be required to write.Teaching assistants also meet with students who seek help. They attend teaching meetings. And some working with science professors help to organize laboratory equipment.Most American colleges and universities must honor legal requirements when employing foreign students as teaching assistants. One of these is that the T.A. must speak English well.20. American Education SystemThe education system in the United States is controlled by state and local governments. But education laws are similar in each state. For example, in all 50 states and 6 territories, all children must attend school from the age of 6 or 7 to the age of 16. Public schools are free of charge for grades 1 through 12. Private schools also operate in all states and territories. Some private schools are operated by churches and religious groups. Other private schools are not linked to any religious organization. Private schools must be approved by the state in which they operate. Most private schools do not receive government money. The parents of private school students pay the school. The school year usually begins in September and continues until June. Most states require a school year of 180 days. Some schools have changed this schedule and require students to attend school throughout the year.21. ThanksgivingThe American Thanksgiving, by law on the fourth Thursday of November, has a long tradition in the United States. The firstAmerican Thanksgiving occurred in 1621, with early North American settlers celebrating their first harvest after a harsh winter in the new world. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln made it an official holiday. Today, Thanksgiving serves as a day for family gatherings with luxurious turkey feasts, accompanied by a wide array of side dishes and pies. So this holiday is one of the busiest times for travel in America. Millions of people travel by car, train, or air, to feast with family. Besides, other traditional Thanksgiving events are prominent in the United States as well, including religious services and key youth and professional football games. What's more, the US president pardons a single turkey every year on this holiday. It is a tradition begun by former president Harry Truman in 1947.22. Music in British SchoolsMusic plays a big part in British schools. Pupils can learn an instrument at school. Traditionally, school children learn classical instruments. Younger children often learn the recorder. As they get older, they start to play the violin or piano. In fact, nearly one out of five music students is learning the violin. The piano, or keyboard, is more popular with older children at secondary school. However, more pupils than ever before are now learning the guitar, as they think playing the guitar is cool. British schools do not just offer lessons for instruments,but they have music classes for all pupils. In the past, the focus of classes was very much Western classical music. But the classes now cover a far wider range of styles, including folk music and world music. Many schools have orchestras and put on concerts each term. It is also common for pupils themselves to form their own bands.23. University DaysBritish universities start in September or October. Courses normally last 3 years, but some, such as languages, engineering or medicine, can take much longer to complete. Students usually go to university in a different town, so they need to get used to living alone, paying bills and washing their own clothes! For many, this is a difficult time, but everyone soon becomes used to it!Universities in Britain used to be free, but many students now have to pay for part of their course. Similarly, students used to receive a grant from the government. Nowadays, they have to apply for student loans or take part-time jobs. Either way, it can be difficult and many students have money problems.University life is not just about studying, however. Many students take part in drama productions or play music. Others, of course, take part in a wide range of sports, such as football, rugby and cricket.24. Test of English as a Foreign LanguageIt is the most widely respected English-language test in the world, recognized by more than 8,000 colleges and universities in more than 130 countries. It is called TOEFL, which stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language. TOEFL is an important test for foreign students who want to study inAmerica. More than 4,000 American universities and other schools require students seeking admission to take the test. Each year, nearly a million individuals of all ages take the TOEFL test to demonstrate their English-language proficiency. It measures your ability to use and understand English at the university level. And it evaluates how well you combine your four skills, listening, reading, speaking and writing skills to perform academic tasks. There are two formats for the TOEFL test. The format you take depends on the location of your test center. Nowadays, most testtakers take the Internet-based Test. Test centers that do not have Internet access offer the Paper-based Test. 25. In-service Education and Vocational DevelopmentMany people feel that finding a job successfully is the end of their schooling. This idea is rarely true, however, as each field of work requires a thorough knowledge of it. This may go beyond what could be learned in high school or university. Universities, with their complete curriculum, are intended to first teach us about everything. Later studies fill in the gap of knowledge by offering more specialized courses. Universities, however, are meant to teach the theories of any particular field, not the practical knowledge needed to do our jobs. Vocational schools has risen to fill this gap of practical knowledge. Vocational schools can aid us in this by teaching us to be especially good at one thing. If a person has enough health and energy, as well as determination, he may go to night school to take a self-teaching program.26. DictionaryA dictionary is a reference book that focuses on defining words and phrases,including multiple meanings. The most frequently used dictionary is a language dictionary that includes the majority of frequently used words in a language. Language dictionaries are made for different types of users: scholars, office workers, schools, and second language learners. There are many competing dictionaries put out by different companies. Not only do they have different forms - paperback, hardback, and online editions - but they differ in other ways. Each company, for example, uses its own version of phonetic respelling based on the research done by its experts. Other differences between dictionaries showup in other features. Many dictionaries include their experts' guidance on grammar, usage, and the history of the language. Definitions differ slightly, and sample sentences may be the work of the editorial staff or taken from real-world usage, perhaps the first known written use.27. The Graduation CeremonyIn American high schools and colleges, the last day of the school year is graduation day. The students who finish their last year in the school will graduate. The graduation ceremony is often in the school gymnasium. The people who come to watch the graduation are teachers, parents and friends of the graduates. Those students who will graduate will wear long robes and caps with square tops. The graduate who has the best record in school will make a speech. The school principal and other officials will also make speeches. Then each graduate will receive a diploma or a degree, which has his name and the name of the school. After the ceremony, students often chat with their teachers, friends and relatives who come to congratulate them. They take pictures of eachother and will show each other these pictures a few nights later at the graduation party. Graduation is a memorable event.28. The International Student Exchange ProgramThe International Student Exchange Program, or ISEP, was started in 1979. ISEP is a group of colleges and universities around the world. They cooperate to provide international educational experiences for their students.Students can study for up to one year in the United States or any of the other countries involved. They do not have to go through the usual application process to get into a school. And they pay only what they would have to pay for a term at theirown school at home.To take part in the ISEP program, students must attend a member college or university. Each school has an ISEP coordinator, who helps students apply to the ISEP office in Washington, D.C. To be accepted, students must have good grades. They are asked to list up to ten choices of American schools they would like to attend. Officials at the ISEP office then place students in the openings offered in colleges and universities.29. On-campus HousingHousing policies differ from school to school in American universities. Some schools have limited housing or none at all.Dormitory buildings might house a small number of students or many hundreds. Some dorms have suites. A suite has several bedrooms, a common area and a bathroom. Other dorms have rooms along a common hallway. Two, three or four students might share a room.Males and females often live on different floors of the same building. Or they might live on the same floor, or in some cases even share a suite if permitted. But single-sex housing is usually also available.Different groups and organizations such as fraternities might have their own houses where their members live. And there is often housing for married students.Some dorms are nice, others are not so nice. But many students say they like the chance to make friends and be near their classes.30. Working While Studying in the USInternational students are permitted to work for the college or university they attend or for a business at the school. But thebusiness must directly provide a service to students. You could work at the bookstore, for example, but not for a construction company that is building something on campus. Also, a foreign student cannot displace an American citizen in a job.Foreign students normally cannot take a job that has no connection to their school. But the government may give permission if students are suddenly faced with a situation that is out of their control. Examples include large medical bills, the loss of financial aid or an unexpected change in the financial condition of their source of support.Students must also meet other conditions. They must have attended their American school for at least one year. Government approval is given on a case-by-case basis. Students must re-apply after a year if they want to continue an off-campus job.。

Here_Is_New_York_节选文,[美] E?B?怀特,E.B.White, Here Is New York,节选,On any person who desires such queer prizes, New York will bestowthe gift of loneliness and the gift of privacy. It is this largess that accounts for the presence within the city's walls of a considerable section of the population; for the residents of Manhattan are to a large extent strangers who have pulled up stakes somewhere and come to town, seeking sanctuary or fulfillment or some greater or lesser grail. The capacity to make such dubious gifts is a mysterious quality of New York. It can destroy an individual, or it can fulfill him, depending a good deal on luck. No one should come to New York to live unless he iswilling to be lucky.New York is the concentrate of art and commerce and sport andreligion and entertainment and finance, bringing to a single compact arena the gladiator, the evangelist, the promoter, the actor, the trader, and the merchant. It carries on its lapel the unexpungeable odor of the long past, so that no matter where you sit in New York you feel the vibrations of great times and tall deeds, of queer people and events and undertakings. I am sitting at the moment in a stifling hotel room in 90-degree heat, halfway down an air shaft, in midtown. No air moves in or out of the room, yet I am curiously affected by emanations from the immediate surroundings. I am twenty-two blocks from where Rudolph Valentino lay in state, eight blocks from where Nathan Hale was executed,five blocks from the publisher's office where Ernest Hemingway hit Max Eastman on the nose, four miles from where Walt Whitman sat sweating out editorials for the Brooklyn Eagle, thirty-four blocks from the street Willa Cather lived in when she came to New York to write books about Nebraska, one block from where Marceline used to clown on the boards of the Hippodrome, thirty-six blocks from the spot where the historian Joe Gould kicked a radio to pieces in full view of the public, thirteen blocks from where Harry Thaw shot Stanford White, five blocks from where I used to usher at the Metropolitan Opera and only 112 blocks from the spot where Clarence Day the elder was washed of his sins in the Church of the Epiphany (I could continue this list indefinitely); and for that matter I am probably occupying the very room that any number of exalted and somewise memorable characters sat in, some of them on hot, breathless afternoons, lonely and private and full of their own sense of emanations from without..When I went down to lunch a few minutes ago I noticed that the man sitting next to me (about eighteen inches away along the wall) was Fred Stone. The eighteen inches are both the connection and the separation that New York provides for its inhabitants.My only connection with Fred Stone was that I saw him in the The Wizard of Oz around the beginning of the century. But our waiter felt the same stimulus from being close to a man from Oz, and after Mr. Stone left the room the waiter told me that when he (the waiter) was a young man just arrived in this country and before he could understand a wordof English, he had taken his girl for their first theater date to The Wizard of Oz. It was a wonderful show, the waiter recalled—a man of straw, a man oftin. Wonderful! (And still only eighteen inches away.) “Mr. Stoneis a very heartyeater, ” said the waiter thoughtfully, content with this fragile participation in destiny, this link with Oz.New York blends the gift of privacy with the excitement of participation; and better than most dense communities it succeeds in insulating the individual (if he wants it, and almost everybody wants or needs it) against all enormous and violent and wonderful events that are taking place every minute. Since I have been sitting in this miasmic air shaft, a good many rather splashy events have occurred in town. A man shot and killed his wife in a fit of jealousy. It caused no stir outside his block and got only small mention in the papers. I did not attend. Since my arrival, the greatest air show ever staged in all the world took place in town. I didn’t attend and neither didmost of the eight million other inhabitants, although they say there was quite a crowd. I didn’t even hear any planes except a couple of westbound commercial airliners that habitually use this air shaft to fly over. The biggest oceangoing ships on the North Atlantic arrived and departed. I didn’t notice them and neither did most other New Yorkers.I am told this is the greatest seaport in the world, with 650 miles ofwaterfront, and ships calling here from many exotic lands, but the only boat I’vehappened to notice since my arrival was a small sloop tacking out of the East River night before last on the ebb tide when I was walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. I heard the Queen Mary blow one midnight, though, and the sound carried the whole history of departure and longing and loss. The Lions have been in convention. I've seen not one Lion. A friend of mine saw one and told me about him. (He was lame, and was wearing a bolero.) At the ballgrounds and horse parks the greatest sporting spectacles have been enacted. I saw on ballplayer, no race horse. The governor came to town. I heard the siren scream, but that was all there was to that—an eighteen-inchmargin again. A man was killed by a falling cornice. I was not a party to the tragedy, and again the inches counted heavily.I mention these events merely to show that New York is peculiarly constructed to absorb almost anything that comes along (whether a thousand-foot liner out of the East of a twenty-thousand-man convention out of the West) without inflicting the event on its inhabitants; sothat every event is, in a sense, optional, and the inhabitant is in the happy position of being able to choose his spectacle andso conserve his soul. In most metropolises, small and large, the choice is often not with the individual at all. He is thrown to the Lions. The Lions are overwhelming; the event is unavoidable. A cornice falls, that it hits every citizen on the head, every last man in town. I sometimesthink that the only event that hits every New Yorker on the head is the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade, which is fairly penetrating—the Irish are a hard raceto tune out, there are 500,000 of them in residence, and they havethe police force right in the family.The quality in New York that insulates its inhabitants from life may simply weaken them as individuals. Perhaps it is healthier to live in a community where, when a cornice falls, you feel the blow; where, whenthe governor passes, you see at any rate his hat.I am not defending New York in this regard. Many of its settlers are probably here merely to escape, not face, reality. But whatever it means, it is a rather rare gift, and I believe it has a positive effect on the creative capacities of New Yorkers—for creationis in part merely the business of forgoing the great and small distractions.Although New York often imparts a feeling of great forlornness or forsakenness, it seldom seems dead or unresourceful; and you always feel that either by shifting your location ten blocks or by reducing your fortune by five dollars you can experience rejuvenation. Many people who have no real independence of spirit depend on the city’s tremendous variety and sources of excitement for spiritual sustenance and maintenance of morale. In the country there are a few chances of sudden rejuvenation—a shift in weather, perhaps, or something arriving in the mail. But in New York the chances are endless. I think that althoughmany persons are here from some excess of spirit (which caused them to break away from their small town), some, too, are here from a deficiency of spirit, who find in New York a protection, or an easy substituti 纽约的魅力纽约把孤独和隐秘作为礼物馈赠给那些渴望它们的人。

高考英语双文阅读与学习：了不起的盖茨比-Chapter 1-03 今天句读内容是比较复杂的，主要是景色描写。

Chapter 1It was a matter of chance that I should have rented a house in one of the strangest communities in North America. It was on that slender riotous island which extends itself due east of New York and where there are, among other natural curiosities, two unusual formations of land. Twenty miles from the city a pair of enormous eggs, identical in contour and separated only by a courtesy bay, jut out into the most domesticated body ofsalt water in the Western Hemisphere, the great wet barnyard of Long Island Sound. They are not perfect ovals—like the egg in the Columbus story they are both crushed flat at the contact end—but their physical resemblance must be a source of perpetual confusion to the gulls that fly overhead. To the wingless a more arresting phenomenon is their dissimilarityin every particular except shape and size.点拨：本段有很多句子是比较难易理解的，因为很多表达方法和汉语思维有很大的差异，所以这样的段落非常有利于锻炼英语思维。

美国总统在新奥尔良港就经济和出口英语演讲稿THE PRESIDENT: Hello, Big Easy! (Applause.) Everybody, give it up for Nancy for thatgreat introduction. (Applause.) It is good to be back in New Orleans. This is what passes forwinter here in New Orleans, huh? (Laughter.) Folks got all their coats on and all that. e need to go to Chicago to know what it’s like to be cold.It is great to be here. It is especially happy for my staff. They love ing to New we did schedule the event early because Ifigure there’s a limit to how much trouble theycould get into. (Laughter.) They can’t get over to Bourbon Street fast enough if we did adaytimeevent. And I know that there areprobably a couple of my staff that are LSU fans. Iwouldn’t mind staying for the game tomorrownight. I know we’ve got the presidenthere -- I justsaw him a minute ago and I wished him all the best.I also want to acknowledge acouple of other people who are here. You’vegot your Governor-- Bobby Jindal is here. (Applause.) We’ve got theSecretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx,who is here. (Applause.) We have Cedric Richmond, your outstanding Congressman. (Applause.) Cedric then brought down a whole bunch of his colleagues from theCongressionalBlack Caucus for some important work that they’re doing -- notthat they’re going to enjoythemselves at all while they’re here. (Laughter.) But we are thrilled to see them all here.You have one of the best mayorsin the country in Mitch Landrieu. (Applause.) And I justflew downwith your Senator, who, by coincidence, has the same name -- Mary Landrieu. (Applause.) She’s traveling around the state today and doing unbelievable work on behalfof thepeople of Louisiana. And I justwant to say nobody is a tougher advocate on behalf of theworking people ofLouisiana than Mary Landrieu. So we’revery, very proud of the work that shedoes. (Applause.)Finally, I want to thank Mr. GaryLaGrange, Keith Palmisano, and ChrisHammond. Theyshowed me around the port. (Applause.) And this is one ofthe -- by the way, anybody who’s gota seat, feel free. I noticed that a few folks are standingup. If you don’t have a seat then keeponstanding. I don’t want you hurtingyourself.This is one of the busiest portplexes in the entire world. You movemillions of tons ofsteel and chemicals and fuel and food every singleyear. I just found out you also handle alot ofthe country’s coffee, which means you’re responsible for keeping theWhite House awake at alltimes. (Applause.) Got some coffee folkshere.And, in so many ways, this portis representative of what ports all around the country do:They help to keep our economy going -- movingproducts, moving people, making sure thatbusinesses are working. You’ve got corn and wheat that’s ing downfrom my home state ofIllinois down the river, ending up here, and then goingall around the world. And it’s part ofthereason why we’ve been able to increase exports so rapidly, is because we’vegot some of the bestnatural resources and waterways and facilities in theworld.Now, growing our economy,creating new jobs, helping middle-class families regain a senseof stabilityand security so they can find good jobs and make sure that their kids are doingevenbetter than they did -- that’s always been what America is about, but fortoo many people, thatsense that you can make it here if you try, that sensehas been slipping away. And mydrivingfocus has been to restore that sense of security, and it should be Washington’sfocus,regardless of party. That’s whateverybody in Washington should be thinking about every day.So today, I want to just offer acouple of ideas about what we could do right now togetherthat would help oureconomy -- right now. Now, the good newsis, over the past 44 months ourbusinesses have created million newjobs. Since I took office, we’ve cut thedeficits in half. (Applause.)That’s right. By the way, you wouldn’t know this sometimes listening to folks onTV,but the deficits are going down, they’re not going up. They’ve been cut in half. (Applause.)And they keep on going down.Over the past three years, healthcare costs have risen at the slowest pace on are up. The housing market is up. The American auto industry is roaring back. So we’vegot a lot of good things to buildon, but we’ve got a lot more work to do. And what we shouldstart doing, the first thing we should do is stopdoing things that undermine our businessesand our economy over the past fewyears -- this constant cycle of manufactured crises and self-inflicted woundsthat have been ing out of Washington. For example, we learned yesterdaythat over the summer, our economy grew at its fastestpace in a year. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the very day that theeconomicquarter ended, some folks in Washington decided to shut down thegovernment and threatenedto default on America’s obligations for the firsttime in more than 200 years. And it’slike thegears of our economy, every time they are just about to take off,suddenly somebody taps thebrakes and says, “Not so fast.”AUDIENCE MEMBER: Tell it! (Laughter.)THE PRESIDENT: Now, our businesses are resilient. We’ve got great workers. And so, asa consequence, we added about200,000 new jobs last month. But there’sno question that theshutdown harmed our jobs market. The unemployment rate still ticked up. And we don’t yetknow all the data for thisfinal quarter of the year, but it could be down because of whathappened inWashington. Now, that makes nosense. These self-inflicted wounds don’thave tohappen. They should not happenagain.We should not be injuringourselves every few months -- we should be investing inourselves. We should be building, not tearing thingsdown. Rather than refighting the sameoldbattles again and again and again, we should be fighting to make sureeverybody who workshard in America and hardright here in New Orleans, thatthey have a chance to get ’swhat we should be focused on. (Applause.)Which brings me to one of thereasons I’m here at this port. One ofthe things we should befocused on is helping more businesses sell moreproducts to the rest of the world. Andthe onlyway those products get out is through facilities like this. Right now, exports are one of thebrightestspots in our economy. Thanks in part tonew trade deals that we signed with countrieslike Panama and Colombia andSouth Korea, we now export more goods and services than everbefore. And that means jobs right here in the UnitedStates of America.Last year, every $1 billion inexports supports nearly 5,000 jobs, including jobs right here atthis port. So we’re working on new trade deals that willmean more jobs for our workers, andmore business for ports like this one.And, by the way, when I travelaround the world, I’m out there selling. I’ll go anywhere inthe world to make sure that those products stampedwith those words, “Made in America,” thatwe can open up those markets and sellthem anywhere. (Applause.)So helping American businessesgrow; creating more jobs -- these are not Democratic orRepublicanpriorities. They are priorities thateverybody, regardless of party, should be able toget behind. And that’s why, in addition to working withCongress to grow our exports, I’ve putforward additional ideas where I believeDemocrats and Republicans can join together to makeprogress right now.Number one, Congress needs topass a farm bill that helps rural munities grow andprotects vulnerableAmericans. For decades, Congress found away to promise and passfarm bills without fuss. For some reason, now Congress can’t even getthat done. Now, this isnot somethingthat just benefits farmers. Ports likethis one depend on all the products ingdown theMississippi. So let’s do the right thing, pass a farmbill. We can start sellingmoreproducts. That’s more business for thisport. And that means more jobs righthere. (Applause.)Number two, we should fix ourbroken immigration system. (Applause.) This would begoodfor our national security, but it would also be good for our economic security. Over thenext two decades, it would grow oureconomy by $ trillion. It wouldshrink our deficits bynearly a trillion dollars. This should not be a partisan issue. President Bush proposed the broadoutlines ofmon-sense immigration reform almost a decade ago. When I was in the Senate,I joined 23 of myRepublican colleagues to back those reforms. This year, the Senate has alreadypassed a bill with broad bipartisansupport.So all we’re doing now is waitingfor the House to act. I don’t know whatthe holdup is. But ifthere’s a goodreason not to do it, I haven’t heard it. There’s no reason both parties can’t etogether and get this donethis year. Get it done this year. (Applause.)Number three, Democrats andRepublicans should work together on a responsible budgetthat sets America on astronger course for the future. Weshouldn’t get caught up in the sameold fights. And we shouldn’t just cut things just for the sake of cuttingthings. Remember, Iwant to remind you-- what’s happening in the deficits? They’re going down. They’’re falling faster thanthey have in 60 years.So what we have to do now is dowhat America has always done: Make somewiseinvestments in our people and in our country that will help us grow overthe long term. Weshould close wastefultax loopholes that don’t help our jobs, don’t grow our economy, and theninvestthat money in things that actually do create jobs and grow our economy. And one of thosethings is building new roadsand bridges and schools and ports. Thatcreates jobs. (Applause.) Itputs people to work during theconstruction phase. And thenit createsan infrastructure for oureconomy to succeed moving forward. Educating our kids, training ourworkers so they’re prepared for the global economy -- thathelps us grow. We should be investing in that. And Mayor Landrieu has been doing a great jobinimproving education here in New Orleans. (Applause.)Investing in science and research and technology -- that keeps ourbusinesses and ourmilitary at our cutting edge. That’s the kind of investment we should bemaking.I mean, think about ourinfrastructure. In today’s globaleconomy, businesses are going totake root and grow wherever there’s thefastest, most reliable transportation andmunications networks -- they cango anywhere. So China is investing a lotin is investing awhole lot in infrastructure. And Brazilis investing a whole lot ininfrastructure. What are we doing?We’re doing some good thingslocally here. The state and city aretrying to do some work,but nationally we’re falling behind. We’re relying on old stuff. I don’t think we should have justoldstuff. We should have some new stuffthat is going to help us grow and keep pace withglobal petition. Rebuilding our transportation andmunications networks is one of the fastest ways tocreate good jobs. And consider that just a couple of years fromnow, we’re going to have newsupertankers that are going to start ingthrough the Panama Canal, and these tankers canhold three times as much cargoas today’s. If a port can’t handle thosesupertankers, they’ll goload and unload cargo somewhere else. So there’s work that we can start doing interms ofdredging and making the passageways deeper, which means thesupertankers can have morestuff on them, which means they can unload and loadmore stuff, which makes this port morepetitive.So why wouldn’t we put people towork upgrading them? (Applause.) Why wouldn’t we dothat? It’s not just our ports either. One in nine of ourbridges is ratedstructurally than 40percent of our major highways are congested; so is our airspace. Everybody who’ssitting on a tarmac wonderingwhy it is that you’re not taking off, and getting aggravated whenyou go flysomeplace, part of the reason is we’ve got this antiquated air traffic need the next generation airtraffic control system. It would reducetime travel; it wouldreduce delays. Itreduces fuel costs for airlines. Itreduces pollution in the sky. We knowhow todo it, we just haven’t done it.That shouldn’t be a Democratic ora Republican issue. That’s just smart togo ahead and doit. Something thatpeople across the political spectrum shouldbe able to agree on. Now, here’sthething: All these opportunities andchallenges, they’re not going to magically fix ’ve got to do it. And anybody who says we can’t afford to payfor these things needs to realizewe’re already paying for them.I’ll give you an example. A lot of trucking panies now reroute theirshipments to avoidtraffic and unsafe bridges. So they’re going longer than they need to; that costs them you’re paying for it. Those costs then get passed on toconsumers. Or it means paniesaren’tmaking as much of a profit and maybe they’ve got fewer employees. So directly orindirectly, we’re paying forit. And the longer we delay, the more we’llpay.But the sooner we take care ofbusiness, the better. And I know that ifthere’s one thing thatmembers of Congress from both parties want, it’s smartinfrastructure projects that create goodjobs in their districts. That’s why, last year, I took thestep without Congress to speed up the permitting processfor big infrastructureprojects like upgrading our ports. Justcut through the red tape. Get itdonefaster. This year, rebuilding ourinfrastructure could be part of a bipartisan budget deal. Acouple months ago, I put forward an idea totry to break through some ofthe old arguments -- agrand bargain formiddle-class jobs. And what I said was,we’ll simplify our corporate taxcode, close some wasteful tax loopholes, endincentives to ship jobs overseas, lower tax rates forbusinesses that createjobs here in the United States, and use some of the money we save byswitchingto a smarter tax system to create good construction jobs building the thingsthat ourbusinesses need right here in America. It’s a pretty sensible deal. (Applause.)So if we took that step, we couldmodernize our air traffic control system to keep planesrunning on time;modernize our power grids and pipelines so they survive storms; modernizeourschools to prepare our kids for jobs of the future; modernize our ports so theycanacmodate the new ships.The point is, rebuilding ourinfrastructure or educating our kids, funding basic research --they are notpartisan issues, they’re American issues. There used to be a broad consensus thatthese things were important toour economy. And we’ve got to get backto that mindset. We’vegot to moveforward on these things together. Itdoesn’t mean that there aren’t going to bedisagreements on a whole bunch ofstuff, but let’s work on the things we agree on.Now, I’m going to make one lastpoint, one area where we haven’t made much bipartisanprogress -- at least notas much as I’d like -- is fixing our broken health care system. (Applause.)And I took up this cause knowingit was hard -- there was a reason why no other Presidenthad done it -- to makesure every American has access to quality, affordable health care, andto makesure that no American ever again has to fear one illness is going to bankruptthem. (Applause.) And the work we’ve already donehas resulted in, over the past three years, health care costsrising at theslowest pace on record. Health carecosts for businesses are growing about one-thirdof the rate they werea decadeago, and we want those trends to continue.Now, we’ve had this problem withthe website. I’m not happy aboutthat. But we’re workingovertime to makesure that it gets fixed, because right now we’ve put in place a system,amarketplace, where people can get affordable health care plans. I promise you nobody hasbeen more frustrated.I want to go in and fix it myself, but I don’twrite code, so -- (laughter). But to every American with apreexisting condition who’s been waiting for the day they couldbe covered justlike everybody else, for folks who couldn’t afford to buy their owninsurancebecause they don’t get it on the job, we’re going to fix the website. Because theinsurance plans are there. They are good, and millions of Americans arealready finding thatthey’ll gain better coverage for less cost, and it’s theright thing to do. (Applause.)Now, I know that’s -- I knowhealth care is controversial, so there’s only going to be somuch support weget on that on a bipartisan basis -- until it’s working really well, andthenthey’re going to stop calling it Obamacare. (Laughter and applause.) They’regoing to callit something else.One thing, though, I was talkingto your mayor and your governor about, though, is aseparate issue, which isone of the things that the Affordable Care Act does is allow states toexpandMedicaid to cover more of their citizens. (Applause.)And here in Louisiana, that wouldbenefit about 265,000 people. Andalready you’ve seenstates -- Arkansas has covered -- taken this up, and they’recovering almost 14 percent of theiruninsured. Republican governors in states like Ohio and Nevada, Arizona, they’redoing it, has alreadyreduced the number of uninsured by about 10 percent. And some of thesefolks opposed Obamacare,but they did support helping their citizens who can’t get coverage.So we want to work with everybody-- mayor, governor, insurance -- whoever it is thatwants to work with us herein Louisiana to make sure that even if you don’t support the overallplan, let’sat least go ahead and make sure that the folks who don’t have health insurancerightnow can get it through an expanded Medicaid. Let’s make sure we do that. (Applause.) It’s theright thing to do.And one of the reasons to do itis -- I’ve said this before; sometimes people don’t fullyappreciate it -- wealready pay for the health care of people who don’t have health insurance,wejust pay for the most expensive version, which is when they go to the what happens is, thehospitals have to take sick folk. They’renot just going to leavethem on the streets. But people who are sick, they wait until the very last minute. It’s muchmore expensive to treat them. Hospitals have to figure out how to get theirmoney back, whichmeans they jack up costs for everybody who does have healthinsurance by about $1,000 perfamily.So, as a consequence, whathappens is you’re already paying a hidden tax for a brokenhealth caresystem. munity hospitals struggle tocare for the uninsured who can’t pay theirbills when they get sick. So it’s the right thing to do for the healthof our economies as a is apractical, pragmatic reason to do it. Ithas nothing to do with politics or ideology. Andthe more states that are working together, Democrats andRepublicans, the better off we’regoing to be.So the bottom line is, NewOrleans, we can work together to do these things, because we’vedone thembefore. We did not bee the greatestnation on Earth just by chance, just byaccident. We had some advantages -- really nice realestate here in the United States. Butwhatwe also had were people who despite their differences -- and we e fromeverywhere and lookdifferent and have different traditions -- we understandthat this country works best when we’reworking together. And we decided to do what was necessary forourbusinesses and our familiesto succeed. And if we did it in the past, we can do it again.So let’s make it easier for morebusinesses to expand and grow and sell more goods madein America to the restof the world. Let’s make sure we’ve gotthe best ports and roads andbridges and schools. Let’s make sure our young people are gettinga great education. Let’s giveeverybodya chance to get ahead, not just a few at the top, but everybody -- (applause)--because if we do that, if we help our businesses grow and our munitiesthrive and ourchildren reach a little higher, then the economy is going togrow faster.We’ll rebuild our middle classstronger. The American Dream will bereal and achievable notjust for a few, but for everybody -- not just today,but for decades to e. That’s whatwe’refighting for. That’s what you’re allabout here at this port and here in New Orleans. And I’mlooking forward to working with youto make sure we keep that up.Thank you. God bless you. God bless America. (Applause.)。

THE MAKING OF A NATION #9 - SlaveryBy Nancy SteinbachBroadcast: April 24, 2003(THEME)VOICE ONE:This is Rich Kleinfeldt.VOICE TWO:And this is Sarah Long with the MAKING OF A NATION, A V-O-A Special English program about the history of the United States.Today, we tell about slavery, and how it affected the history of the United States. (THEME)VOICE ONE:Slavery is one person controlling or owning another. Some history experts say it began following the development of farming about ten-thousand years ago. People forced prisoners of war to work for them. Other slaves were criminals or people who could not re-pay money they owed.Experts say the first known slaves existed in the Sumerian society of what is now Iraq more than five-thousand years ago. Slavery also existed among people in China, India, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas. It expanded as trade and industry increased. This increase created a demand for a labor force to produce goods for export. Slaves did most of the work. Most ancient people thought of slavery as a natural condition that could happen to anyone at any time. Few saw it as evil or unfair. In most cities, slaves could be freed by their owners and become citizens.In later times, slaves provided the labor needed to produce products that were in demand. Sugar was one of these products. Italians established large sugar farms beginning around the twelfth century. They used slaves from Russia and other parts of Europe to do the work. By the year Thirteen-Hundred, African blacks had begun to replace the Russian slaves. They were bought or captured from North African Arabs, who used them as slaves for years.By the Fifteen-Hundreds, Spain and Portugal had American colonies. The Europeans made native Indians work in large farms and mines in the colonies. Most of the Indians died from European diseases and poor treatment. So the Spanish and Portuguese began to bring in people from West Africa as slaves. France, Britain and the Netherlands did the same in their American colonies.VOICE TWO:England's southern colonies in North America developed a farm economy that could not survive without slave labor. Many slaves lived on large farms called plantations. These large farms produced important crops traded by the colony, crops such as cotton and tobacco. Each plantation was like a small village owned by one family. That family lived in a large house, usually facing a river. Many separate buildings were needed on a plantation. For example, a building was needed for cooking. And buildings were needed for workers to produce goods such as furniture that were used on the plantation.The plantation business was farming. So there also were barns for animals and buildings for holding and drying crops. There was a house to smoke meat so could be kept safely. And there was a place on the river from which goods were sent to England on ships.VOICE ONE:The plantation owner controlled the farm and saw that it earned money. He supervised, fed and clothed the people living on it, including the slaves.Big plantations might have two-hundred slaves. They worked in the fields on crops that would be sold or eaten by the people who lived on the plantation. They also raised animals for meat and milk.Field slaves worked very long and hard. They worked each day from the time the sun rose until it set. Many of these slaves lived in extremely poor conditions in small houses with no heat or furniture. Sometimes, five or ten people lived together in one room.House slaves usually lived in the owner's house. They did the cooking and cleaning in the house. House slaves worked fewer hours than field slaves, but were more closely supervised by the owner and his family.VOICE TWO:Laws approved in the southern colonies made it illegal for slaves to marry, ownproperty, or earn their freedom. These laws also did not permit slaves to be educated, or even to learn to read. But some owners permitted their slaves to earn their freedom, or gave them money for good work.Other owners punished slaves to get them to work. These punishments included beatings, withholding food and threatening to sell members of a slave's family. Some plantation owners executed slaves suspected of serious crimes by hanging them or burning them alive.History experts say that people who were rich enough to own many slaves became leaders in their local areas. They were members of the local governments. They attended meetings of the legislatures in the capitals of their colonies usually two times a year. Slaveowners had the time and the education to greatly influence political life in the southern colonies...because the hard work on their farms was done by slaves.VOICE ONE:Today, most people in the world condemn slavery. That was not true in the early years of the American nation. Many Americans thought slavery was evil, but necessary. Yet owning slaves was common among the richer people in the early Seventeen-Hundreds.Many of the leaders in the colonies who fought for American independence owned slaves. This was true in the Northern colonies as well as the Southern ones. Benjamin FranklinOne example is the famous American diplomat, inventor and businessman Benjamin Franklin. He owned slaves for thirty years and sold them at his general store. But his ideas about slavery changed during his long life. Benjamin Franklin started the first schools to teach blacks and later argued for their freedom.VOICE TWO:Slavery did not become a force in the northern colonies mainly because of economic reasons. Cold weather and poor soil could not support such a farm economy as was found in the South. As a result, the North came to depend on manufacturing and trade.Trade was the way colonists got the English goods they needed. It was also the way to earn money by selling products found in the new world. New England became a center for such trade across the seas. The people who lived there became shipbuilders so they could send the products to England. They used local wood tobuild the ships. They also sold wood and wood products. They became businessmen carrying goods around the world.The New England shipbuilding towns near the Atlantic ocean grew quickly as a result. The largest of these towns was Boston, Massachusetts. By Seventeen-Twenty, it had more than ten-thousand people. Only two towns in England were larger: London and Bristol.More than twenty-five percent of the men in Boston had invested in shipping or worked in it. Ship captains and businessmen held most of the public offices.VOICE ONE:The American colonies traded goods such as whale oil, ginger, iron, wood, and rum, an alcoholic drink made from sugarcane. Ships carried these goods from the New England colonies to Africa. There, they were traded for African people.The Africans had been captured by enemy tribesmen and sold to African slave traders. The New England boat captains would buy as many as they could put on their ships. The conditions on these ships were very cruel. The Africans were put in so tightly they could hardly move. Some were chained. Many killed themselves rather than live under such conditions. Others died of sicknesses they developed on the ship. Yet many did survive the trip, and became slaves in the southern colonies, or in the Caribbean islands. Black slaves were needed to work on Caribbean sugar plantations. The southern American colonies needed them to work on the tobacco and rice plantations.By Seventeen-Fifty, almost twenty-five percent of the total number of people in the American colonies were black slaves. From the Fifteen-Hundreds to the Eighteen-Hundreds, Europeans sent about twelve-million black slaves from Africa to America. Almost two-million of them died on the way.VOICE TWO:History experts say English ships carried the greatest number of Africans into slavery. One slave ship captain came to hate what he was doing, and turned to religion. His name was John Newton. He stopped taking part in slave trade and became a leader in the Anglican Church. He is famous for having written this song, "Amazing Grace".(MUSIC)VOICE ONE:This program was written by Nancy Steinbach and produced by Paul Thompson. Thisis Rich Kleinfeldt.VOICE TWO:And this is Sarah Long. Join us again next week for another Special English program about the history of the United States.。