HOST:
Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC – VOA’s radio magazine in SpecialEnglish.
(THEME)
This is Doug Johnson. On our program today we:
Play some music by Jill Scott …
Answer a question about changes in rules for foreigners visitingthe United States …
And report about a popular new movie.
Spider-Man
HOST:
The latest “Star Wars” movie has just opened in the UnitedStates. Movie experts are wondering if it will sell as many ticketsas another action movie, “Spider-Man,” that opened two weeks ago.”Spider-Man” earned more money for an opening weekend than any othermovie in history. Shep O’Neal has more.
ANNCR:
Movie experts were surprised atthe huge number of people who went to see “Spider-Man” after itopened. In its first three days, “Spider-Man” sold almostone-hundred-fifteen-million dollars worth of tickets. That was morethan the ninety-million dollar record set six months ago by themovie “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.”
Critics said there are several reasons for this. They said”Spider-Man” is not as long as other movies and was shown many timesa day. They also said “Spider-Man” is a movie for people of allages. Boys wanted to see it because they like action movies andenjoyed the comic books on which the movie is based. Girls liked themovie because it includes a love story. And adults wanted to see amovie they could enjoy with their children.
The young actor Toby Maguire stars as “Spider-Man.” He plays aquiet teen-aged boy named Peter Parker. Peter likes a girl in hisschool, Mary Jane Watson. One day, Peter is bitten by a geneticallyengineered spider in a laboratory. This changes his body. PeterParker becomes “Spider-Man.” He becomes extremely strong and fast.And he has special powers.
For example, he can climb up walls and leap from one tallbuilding to another. He uses these powers to help people and defeatevil. Peter hides this secret life from everyone, including hisfamily and his friends. His main enemy is the Green Goblin. Innormal life the Green Goblin is the father of Peter’s best friend,Harry.
Elika Naraghi (pronounced na-RA-gee; hard “g” like in gear) istwenty-two years old. She saw “Spider-Man” on its opening weekendnear Washington, D.C. Elika says “Spider-Man” is fun and exciting.She also praised the actors and the special effects. Elika said sheis looking forward to the second “Spider-Man” movie that is plannedfor two-thousand-four.
New INS Rules
HOST:
Our VOA listener question thisweek comes from Vietnam. Hoang Van Quang asks about new UnitedStates government policies for visitors from foreign countries.
The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service haschanged some of its policies for foreign visitors since theterrorist attacks in September. That is because some of the airplanehijackers had come to the United States as visitors and later becamestudents.
At the time of the attacks, about six-hundred-thousand foreignstudents were taking classes at American colleges and universities.Government officials have admitted that they did not know where manyof these foreign students were. The officials said they would makechanges in the system.
Last month, the I-N-S announced new rules for travel permissiondocuments for students, called visas. Foreigners will no longer beable to take college classes while in the United States on abusiness or visitor visa. The I-N-S will give student visas only topeople who let the agency know their plans before entering thecountry.
The reason for this change is national security. It will givefederal officials time to do a security investigation on eachforeigner who wants to study in the United States.
Earlier this month, the Bush administration announced thecreation of a new committee to investigate foreigners who want tostudy in American science and technology programs. Officials saidthe goal is to make sure foreign students do not get training thatcould be used against the United States. The new group will advisethe I-N-S about people who want to study subjects that could givethem information or skills that could possibly threaten the UnitedStates. These subjects include nuclear and missile technology,information security and aircraft technology.
There also are rule changes that affect other foreign visitors.These new rules reduce from six months to thirty days the amount oftime most foreign visitors can stay in the United States. They limitmost business travelers to six months. Visitors may extend theirstays only if they can show unexpected or humanitarian reasons suchas medical treatment or an important business meeting.
Officials say the changes reduce the chance that illegalimmigrants will establish permanent ties in the United States andwill remain in the country illegally.
Jill Scott
HOST:
Poet and singer Jill Scott says a school project changed herlife. It led to her serious interest in writing and music. MaryTillotson tells us more.
ANNCR:
Jill Scott says when she was ateenager, one of her teachers gave the students a list of names.Each student was to choose someone from the list to write about.Jill chose poet Nikki Giovanni. She did not know who Nikki Giovanniwas at the time. But when Jill began to read Mizz Giovanni’s poems,she felt as if the poet was talking to her. Jill says that is howshe became interested in writing.
Jill Scott wrote poetry for seven years before she began singing.She took part in spoken-word events in her home city ofPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania. She wrote the songs for her first album.It is called “Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Volume One.” Shemixes words of poetry with sounds of rap, hip-hop, jazz and blues.Here Jill Scott sings “It’s Love.”
((Cut One – “It’s Love”))
Jill Scott says many of the songs on her album are about herlife. She recently married her longtime friend Lyzel Williams. Jillhas written many songs about Lyzel. She sings about him on the song”He Loves Me (Lyzel in E Flat)”.
((Cut Two – “He Loves Me (Lyzel in E Flat)”))
Jill Scott’s latest album is called “Experience: Jill Scott. ” Itincludes songs from live performances and studio recordings. Weleave you with a song from this album. It is called “Gotta Get Up.”
((Cut Three – “Gotta Get Up”))
HOST:
This is Doug Johnson. I hope you enjoyed our program today. And Ihope you will join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC – VOA’sradio magazine in Special English.
This AMERICAN MOSAIC program was written by Lawan Davis and NancySteinbach. Our studio engineer was Martin Hansberry. And ourproducer was Caty Weaver.