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 | Born in Ottawa, Canada, as a poet and novelist Margaret Eleanor Atwood has already won her wide recognition as Canada's foremost woman of letters, and she has been one of the most troubling and most visionary authors of our time. Hers is a voice to which we must attend as we approach the end of an anguished century. Atwood pointed out that she had begun dealing with themes such as growing up female in the 1950s and gender-role changes before they were popularized by the women's liberation movement. You can read and listen here one of her poems recorded by Frank Healey. TASK |
(born 1939) |
Click on PLAY to listen. Pulsa en REPRODUCIR para escuchar. |
You Take My Hand You take my hand and suddenly I'm in a bad movie, it goes on and on and why am I fascinated We waltz in slow motion through the air stale with aphorisms we meet behind endless potted palms you climb through the wrong windows Other people are leaving but I always stay until the end I paid my money, I want to see what happens. In chance bathtubs I have to peel you off me in the form of smoke and melted celluloid Have to face it I'm finally an addict, the smell of popcorn and worn plush lingers for weeks. Margaret Atwood | Me Tomas de la Mano Me tomas de la mano y de pronto me encuentro en una mala película, sigue y sigue y por qué me siento fascinada Bailamos en cámara lenta a través del aire viciado de aforismos nos encontramos detrás de infinitas palmeras enmacetadas tú atraviesas las ventanas equivocadas Otras personas se están retirando pero siempre me quedo hasta el final me costó dinero quiero ver qué sucede. En bañeras accidentales tengo que quitarte de mi piel en forma de humo y derretido celuloide Tengo que asumirlo soy finalmente una adicta, el olor del pochoclo en la tela de algodón persiste durante semanas. Margaret Atwood |
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VOA - Voice of America | |||
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Cities create environmental problems, but they can also create solutions. | |||
This is the VOA Special English Development Report. Soon, more of us will be living in cities than in rural areas. Population experts at the United Nations had thought that would happen by this year. Lately their estimate is that in two thousand eight, for the first time in history, more than half of the world population will be in urban areas. The United Nations Population Fund just released its yearly "State of World Population" report. Researchers say three-and-a-third billion people will be living in urban areas next year. By two thousand thirty, the estimate is almost five billion. The fastest growth will be in Asia and Africa. | |||
Source: VOA - Voice of America |
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VOA - Voice of America | |||
 | A DREADFUL DISASTER IN JAPAN | ||
This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. The earthquake that shook Japan with historic strength on Friday created a tsunami wave ten meters high. The water washed away boats, cars and houses in coastal areas north of Tokyo. It also led to tsunami warnings across the Pacific.earthquake: terremoto; shook: estremeció; strength: fuerza; tsunami wave: ola marina; washed away: arrastró; coastal areas: zonas costeras; north of: al norte de; led to: llevó a; warnings: advertencias; Scientists recorded the magnitude of the earthquake at 8.9. The United States Geological Survey says it was the fifth largest earthquake since 1900. The largest, with a 9.5 magnitude, shook Chile in 1960.recorded: registraron; way.”allies: aliados; on behalf of: en nombre de; conveyed: transmití; deepest condolences: más profundas condolencias; currently: en estos momentos; on its way: en camino; ........................................................................... | |||
