News Item1 3

美国斗牛小丑的收入很可观

News Background

新闻背景　　

斗牛小丑是随着美国西部牛仔文化衍生出来的一种职业。

他们永远是斗牛场上带给观众笑声最多的人，也是光芒最容易被掩盖的人，同时也是斗牛场上处境最危险的人。每当斗牛赛的间隙，斗牛小丑们就会穿着宽大艳丽的衣服粉墨登场，他们会借助小型爆竹、焰火等小道具在愤怒的公牛面前耍宝，博观众一笑。

News Transcript VOA 新闻梗概

In small towns across the American West, a favorite form of entertainment is the rodeo. It’s ashow and competition in which modern-day cowboys ride bucking horses and ornery bulls.

(Clowning around distracts bulls after riders fall.)When a rider charges out of the chute atop and agitated bucking bull, he can easily get intodeadly trouble. That’s where two cowboys in clown outfi ts, standing in the ring beside the chute,fi t into the rodeo scene. Like the competitors, they usually have on board–brimmed hats, bootsand blue jeans.

But their most important job is to whistle, shout, fl ap their arms and run about crazily to turnthe attention of an unhappy, 500 kilogram animal with sharp horns away from a fallen rider. It’sbetter to have the bull chasing nimble clowns than goring an injured bull rider.

(Rodeo clowns earn respect and a good income)The clowns can make a handsome living without ever getting on a horse or bull. RodeosNews Item1 3

Listening Comprehension

听力理解

1. the American West; modern-day cowboys2. D 3. C Keyeven developed an event just for them. It’s called bullfi ghting, in which clownsearn points, prize money and lots of laughs by artfully evading grouchy bulls.

When rodeo clowns are too crippled, or too old, to work the ring any longer,most of these men – and almost all of them are male – fi nd work anywhere theycan to stay around a rodeo.

1 In small towns across , a favorite form of entertainment isthe rodeo. It’s a show and competition in which ride buckinghorses and ornery bulls.

2 Like the competitors, the cowboys ( )A. Clowning around distracts bulls after riders fall.

B. Two cowboys in clown outfi ts, standing in the ring beside the chute, fi t intothe rodeo scene.

C. Clowns usually have on broad-brimmed hats, boots and blue jeans.

D. All the above.

3 According to the context, which one is not right? ( )A. The clowns can make a handsome living without ever getting on a horse orbull.

B. Rodeos even developed an event just for the cowboys.

C. Rodeo clowns earn respect and a low income.

D. It’s called bullfi ghting, in which clowns earn points, prize money and lots oflaughs by artfully evading grouchy bulls.

rodeo n.

骑术竞技会ornery a.

脾气坏的chute n.

斜槽agitated a.

焦虑的，不安的flap v.

拍打nimble a.

敏捷的grouchy a.

不高兴的crippled a.

跛腿的，残废的词汇加油站在美国西部的一个小城镇里，骑士竞技是最受欢迎的一种娱乐方式。他是一场秀，同时也是一种竞争，今日的牛仔骑的是突然弓背跃起要把人摔下来的马和脾气暴躁的公牛。

当牛仔从牛背上掉下来之后，四周的小丑负责分散公牛的注意力。

当牛仔从斜槽顶部掉下来，并激怒跳跃的公牛时，他就无疑陷入了致命的危险境地。这就是为什么在角力场上的斜槽附近，会有两个穿着全套小丑服装的牛仔，映衬着竞技场面。 和竞技小丑一样，他们通常也戴着宽边帽，穿着长靴和牛仔裤。

但他们最重要的工作是吹口哨，叫喊，拍胳膊和疯狂的跑动，以此让一头愤怒的500千克重，长着尖尖的角的动物的注意力，从掉落下来的牛仔身上转移开。让公牛去追赶一个敏捷的小丑比让其继续去顶一个受伤的牛仔要好得多。

竞技小丑赢得了尊重同时拿到了高收入。

小丑们不用骑马或斗牛就可以过上潇洒的生活。竞技者们甚至仅仅专门为他们开发了一项活动，这就是所谓的斗牛。斗牛可以使他们赢得尊重，得到报酬，并通过技术地躲过愤怒的公牛得到观众的掌声。

当小丑们太跛或太老而不能继续工作时，大多数的男人，几乎全部都是男人，会去找任何能让他们继续呆在竞技场的工作。

1 It’s a show and competition in which modern-day cowboys ride bucking horses and ornerybulls.“in which”引导定语从句，这种由介词加关系代词引导的限定分句多用于正式语体。例：this is the room in which i lived= this is the room where I lived从根本上讲，在定语从句中，介+which=where。

2 It’s better to have the bull chasing nimble clowns than goring an injured bull rider.句子的主要结构是 “It’s better to do something”最好做某事，但to后面接的是 “have somethingor someone doing something”使某人做某事，than是比较动词，前后衔接的成分应该保持一致，前面是chasing后面就应该是goring。

3 Rodeo clowns earn respect and a good income. Rodeo clowns是竞技小丑的意思。