英语口语对话（中级）Lesson 6: Hip Hop Music

Summary: Vanessa, Nick and Alexander talk about the importance of hip hop music. In this broadcast Vanessa and Nick are in a radio station in New York. Alexander is reporting live from Washington DC …
Listen to their conversation and answer the question that follows about the main idea.
Vanessa: Welcome to Musical Trends Show. Our reporter’s got some great news for Hip Hop fans. Alexander?
Alexander: Yes Vanessa, it seems that officials in the U.S. government have accepted hip hop as a significant form of music.
Nick: Wow, that’s pretty amazing, but… what do you mean that hip hop is now considered important by the government? How?
Alexander: Well, they’ve decided they’re going to fund the Smithsonian to create a hip-hop exhibition.
Nick: A Hip- Hop exhibition in the Smithsonian You mean THE Smithsonian in Washington DC?

Alexander: One and the same!
Vanessa: I never thought I’d live to see that … hip hop going mainstream! Alexander: Exactly! How many of you know that hip hop got its start in the 70s, when DJs started separating the percussion break from disco songs…?
Nick: And MCs at concerts started speaking to audiences to this beat. Actually that was right here in N.Y, in the Bronx.
Vanessa: So the MCs invented hip-hop!
Alexander: You bet they did! Musicians just set it to music.
Vanessa: Well, hip hop may be popular today but it’s considered controversial. Nick: Yes, I know…parents especially think some lyrics promote violence and drugs.

Alexander: That’s why this announcement came as a big surprise, to put it mildly, to most Americans…
Vanessa: As a shock rather… and when is the exhibition going to open? Alexander: In about five years…I guess organizing an exhibition to showcase hiphop’s history is not easy business!
Now answer the following question…
What is Alexander reporting about? He’s reporting about how officials in the US government have decided to help the Smithsonian museum organize a Hip Hop exhibition.
Now listen again to the dialogue in parts. After each part there will be 3 to 4 questions on the details...
Part 1
Vanessa: Welcome to Musical Trends Show. Our reporter’s got some great news for Hip Hop fans. Alexander?
Alexander: Yes Vanessa, it seems that officials in the U.S. government have accepted hip hop as a significant form of music.
Nick: Wow, that’s pretty amazing, but… what do you mean that hip hop is now considered important by the government? How?

Alexander: Well, they’ve decided they’re going to fund the Smithsonian to create a hip-hop exhibition.
Nick: A Hip- Hop exhibition in the Smithsonian? You mean THE Smithsonian in Washington DC?
Alexander: One and the same!
Now answer some questions…
1. Alexander says: “it seems that officials in the U.S. government have accepted hip hop as a significant form of music.” What does “accept” mean? “Accept” means “recognize;” so the US government has recognized hip hop as a form of music.
2. Alexander says: “..they’ve decided they are going to fund the Smithsonian to create a hip-hop exhibition.” What does “fund” mean? “to fund” means to provide the money. The US Government will provide the money for the creation of the hip-hop exhibition.
3. Alexander says: “One and the same!” What does he mean when he says “one and the same”? Alexander wants to emphasize that it is the same museum and not any other.
Now listen to the second part of the dialogue.
Part 2
Vanessa: I never thought I’d live to see that … hip hop going mainstream! Alexander: Exactly! How many of you know that hip hop got its start in the 70s, when DJs started separating the percussion break from disco songs…?
Nick: And MCs at concerts started speaking to audiences to this beat. Actually that was right here in N.Y, in the Bronx.
Vanessa: So the MCs invented hip-hop!
Alexander: You bet they did! Musicians just set it to music.
Vanessa: Well, hip hop may be popular today but it’s considered controversial. Nick: Yes, I know…parents especially think some lyrics promote violence and drugs. Alexander: That’s why this announcement came as a big surprise, to put it mildly, to most Americans…

Vanessa: As a shock rather… and when is this exhibition going to open? Alexander: In about five years…I guess organizing an exhibition to showcase hiphop’s history is not easy business!
Now answer some questions…
1. Vanessa says: “I never thought I’d live to see that…” What does she mean? She wants to express her surprise as she considered it impossible for anyone to organize a Hip Hop exhibition.
2. Alexander says: “That’s why this announcement came as a big surprise, to put it mildly, to most Americans.” What does “to put it mildly” mean? “To put it mildly” is used to show that what one is saying is less extreme than what the situation actually calls for.
3. Alexander says: “I guess organizing an exhibition to showcase hip-hop’s history is not easy business.” What does “isn’t easy business” mean? “Is not easy business” is used to describe something that is difficult to do.

GLOSSARY
1. Accept (verb): to consider something or someone as satisfactory. E.g. The manuscript was accepted for publication last week.
2. Announcement (noun): something that someone says officially, giving information about something, or when someone announces something. E.g. The President made an unexpected announcement this morning.
3. Beat (noun): (1) a regular movement or sound, especially that made by your heart: E.g. I put my head on his chest but I could feel no heart beat. (2) in music, a regular emphasis, or a place in the music where such an emphasis is expected. E.g. The guitar comes in on the third beat.
4. Fund (verb): to provide the money to pay for an event, activity or organization. E.g. The company has agreed to fund my trip to Australia.
5. Mainstream (noun): the way of life or set of beliefs accepted by most people. E.g. The new law should allow more disabled people to enter the mainstream of American life.
6. Official (noun): a person who has a position of responsibility in an organization. E.g. a government/trade-union/council official
7. Percussion (noun): musical instruments that you play by hitting them with your hand or object such as a stick. E.g. Drums, tambourines and cymbals are all percussion instruments.
8. Separate (verb): to (cause to) divide into parts. E.g. The north and south of the country are separated by a mountain range.
9. Showcase (verb): to show the best qualities or parts of something: E.g. The main aim of the exhibition is to showcase British design.
10. Significant (adjective): important or noticeable. E.g. There has been a significant increase in the number of women students in recent years

Practice using the words in the glossary. Choose the most appropriate word from the glossary to complete the following sentences.
1. He tapped his foot to the ___of the music.
2. His fellow workers refused to__ him.
3. His revolutionary views put him outside the of__ European politics
4. Jean plays the guitar and her brother is on __.
5. Listen carefully sop that you don’t miss the __of you flight.
6. Palace__ are refusing to comment on the divorce
7 The festival is a way to__ young British musicians
8. The new college receives private__ .
9. The talks between the USA and the USSR were very __for the relationship between the two countries.
10. The top and bottom sections are quite difficult to __.

1. beat 2. accept 3. mainstream 4. percussion 5. announcement 6. officials 7. showcase 8. funds 9. significant 10. separate