VOA慢速英语：华盛顿特区新摩天轮亮灯 2014-06-27

New Ferris Wheel Lights Up Washington, DC

Welcome to American Mosaic from VOA Learning English. I'm June Simms.

Washington, D.C. now has a Ferris wheel. We will tell you all about.

Capital Wheel

Ferris wheels are very tall, rounded structures that move in circular motion from top to bottom. They are commonly found at carnivals and amusement parks. People ride them for fun although they don’t go really fast like a rollercoaster.

Ferris wheels also provide riders with a great look at their surroundings. A new Ferris wheel, known as the Capital Wheel, is doing just that in the Washington area. ­­­­­

The structure stands 55 meters above the Potomac River. It is one of the few observation Ferris wheels in the world that is right on the water.

Lashonda Johnson lives in the area. She says she got a new look at the city she knows well.

“We saw the Capitol and all the historical museums, and traffic. It was just peaceful.”

The National Harbor is home to the Ferris wheel. The harbor is just outside Washington, in Oxon Hill, Maryland. It is a new public center with shops, restaurants and hotels, and, now, a Ferris wheel.

The wheel has 42 cars, or gondolas, with heating and cooling systems. It can hold 336 riders. Kent Digby is operations director for the National Harbor. He says the Ferris wheel is very different from an amusement park ride. The idea is for people to enjoy some calming moments.

“It’s very smooth, so you really, if you weren’t paying too much attention, you wouldn’t really notice that you’re moving and that’s all part of trying to make people comfortable and make sure that they understand that they’re very safe.”

The cost is $15 per person for a 15-minute ride.

Mark Poliquin, who came from the state of Connecticut with his family, says the ride was worth it.

“Top of the line, air conditioned cabs, they’ve got music playing.”

The $15 million machine was built in the United States. Some of the parts are from Germany, and the gondolas came from Switzerland. It is similar to the London Eye Ferris wheel in Britain’s capital.

The London Eye was the world's tallest Ferris wheel until 2006. Now, that honor belongs to the High Roller Ferris wheel that recently opened in Las Vegas, Nevada. It stands 167 meters in the air. The next tallest is the Singapore Flyer in Singapore, followed by the Star of Nanchang in China.

Bulgarian Yavor Todorov says his children wanted to go on a ride. But he admits he had a good time as well.

“It’s exciting. You can see the whole Washington, D.C.”

Each gondola seats eight people, except for one special V.I.P. car which holds four. There, for $50 per person, you can bring a bottle of wine.

“I call it our little Ferrari. It’s all red and black leather, and it’s pretty slick with wine coolers and its own pop-up TV and I’m sure more than one person will get engaged on a ride.”

Kent Digby says the light show on the Ferris wheel is another treat. He says the lights can be made to go on and off in thousands of different orders.

“1,600,000 million lights and they can light up in any different color of the rainbow.”

The Capital Wheel is open every day. Up to 800,000 people are expected to take the ride the first year.

I’m June Simms. Our program was written and produced by Caty Weaver. Join us again next week for American Mosaic from VOA Learning English.

词汇解析

circular

难度：3星常用词汇，属常用6000词

英汉解释

adj.圆形的;循环的

n.传单;通报

参考例句

用作形容词 (adj.)

The circular economy is an effective way for sustainable development.

循环经济是可持续发展的有效实现途径。

用作名词 (n.)

In this regard, the resolution should tally with the circular on the Political Bureau meetings held last November.

这次决议应该同去年十一月政治局会议的通报相衔接。

establish

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

v.建立;确立;创办;安顿

参考例句

用作动词 (v.)

The framework of a social security system was established by and large.

社会保障体系框架基本确立。

They established themselves in their new house.

他们在新居安顿了下来。

commonly

难度：3星常用词汇，属常用6000词

英汉解释

adv.一般地;通常地;普通地

参考例句

用作副词 (adv.)

Commonly referred to as The Gita, it is a conversation between Krishna and Arjuna which takes place on a battlefield, just prior to the start of a climactic war.

一般地，提到了博伽梵歌，就会有一段奎师那和阿尔诸那之间在战场上的对话，刚好是在一场高潮战争的开始。

Hence, Ganesha figures are most commonly seen with four hands which signify their divinity.

从而，甘尼萨通常地被看成是拥有四臂，象征着他们的神性。

found

难度：5星基本词汇，属常用1000词

英汉解释

v.建立;创立;创办;熔铸;找到，发现(动词find的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句

用作动词 (v.)

This business company was founded in 1724.

这家商业公司建立于1724年。

structure

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

n.结构;构造;建筑物

vt.构造;建造;组织

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

Most linguists would say they were concerned primarily with the structure of languages.

大多数语言学家都会说，他们主要研究各种语言的结构。

用作及物动词 (vt.)

It is thought to have been the planet's tallest human-made structure for more than four millennia.

在四千万年的历史长河中，它被认为是地球上由人类建造的最高的建筑。

wheel

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

n.方向盘;车轮;旋转;周期

vi.旋转;转动;改变方向

vt.用车运;转动;给 ... 装轮子

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

They found her slumped over the steering wheel.

他们发现她倒伏在方向盘上。

用作不及物动词 (vi.)

The sails of the windmill were wheeling round.

风车的叶轮正在旋转。

用作及物动词 (vt.)

Will you wheel him away because he can't walk?

他不能走路了，你把他推走好吗?

mankind

难度：3星常用词汇，属常用6000词

英汉解释

n.人类;男人

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

Mankind learns its first language in early childhood.

人类是在幼年开始学习第一种语言的。

Genetic engineering will have revolutionary consequences for mankind.

遗传工程将对人类产生深远的影响。

color

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

n.颜色;彩色;颜料

vt.渲染;把 ... 涂颜色

vi.脸红;着色;影响，左右

=colour(英)

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

That's rather an effective use of color.

这种使用颜色的手法效果相当好。

用作及物动词 (vt.)

I'd like you to color the place up a bit.

我希望你把这地方装得鲜艳一些。

用作不及物动词 (vi.)

She felt the color flamed up in her cheek.

她感到自己的脸红了。