HOST:
Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC – VOA’s radio magazine in SpecialEnglish.
(THEME)
This is Doug Johnson. On our program today, we tell about themost popular books, movies and recordings of the yearTwo-Thousand-One.
Top Books of 2001
HOST:
The newspaper USA Today recently listed the most popular books oflast year in the United States. It creates the list from informationabout the number of books sold during the year. Bob Doughty tells usabout a few of them.
ANNCR:
Three of the top five books on the list are stories for childrenabout a boy named Harry Potter. These books were at the top of thelist last year, too … and the year before that. They are “HarryPotter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” “Harry Potter and the Chamber ofSecrets,” and “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.” They werewritten by British writer Joanne Rowling [ROE-ling].
On his eleventh birthday, HarryPotter learns that he has magical powers. He goes away to theHogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. All the books tell aboutthe adventures of Harry and his friends at the Hogwarts School.Harry is usually in danger. He is threatened by the evil LordVoldemort.
Joanne Rowling has published four Harry Potter books so far. Thefifth one is expected to arrive in bookstores later this year.
USA Today says the second most popular book of the year was “WhoMoved My Cheese?” It was written by Spencer Johnson. The book givesadvice about how people can deal with changes in their lives.
The newspaper says the third ost popular book in the UnitedStates last year was “The Prayer of Jabez” (JAY-bez). It was writtenby an American Christian religious leader, Bruce Wilkinson.
In the Old Testament of the Bible, Jabez was a tribal leaderwhose prayer was answered by God. Mister Wilkinson says in the bookthat the prayer of Jabez can help everyone who uses it. And he givesexamples of how the prayer has helped him in life.
Other religious leaders have criticized the book. But they alsosay it is meant to help people do good. They say that praying eachday will improve peoples’ lives.
Top Movies of 2001
HOST:
At the end of the year, the American movie industry reports aboutthe most popular movies of the year. The three most popular movieslast year were made for children. But many adults also enjoyed them.
The movie that earned the mostmoney in ticket sales in the United States last year was “HarryPotter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.” It has earned more thantwo-hundred-ninety-four-million dollars since it opened in November.
The movie is based on the international best selling book of thesame name by British writer Joanne Rowling. It tells the same storyas the first book in the Harry Potter series. Harry learns he hasmagical powers and spends his first year at Hogwarts School ofWitchcraft and Wizardry.
As the movie was opening in November, its actors were beginningto film a movie based on the second book in the series, “HarryPotter and the Chamber of Secrets.” It will open next November. Itwill be interesting to see if the second movie is as popular as thefirst one.
The second most popular movie of last year in the United Statesis called “Shrek”. “Shrek” earned more thantwo-hundred-sixty-seven-million dollars since it opened inMay.”Shrek” is a computer-animated movie about a huge, ugly, greenman who saves the life and wins the love of a princess. Critics sayboth children and their parents liked the lesson of the movie –that what a person thinks and feels are more important than what heor she looks like.
The third most popular movie of the year in the United States wasanother computer-animated movie, “Monsters, Inc.” It earned morethan two-hundred-thirty-six-million dollars last year. It tells astory about two creatures whose job is to scare children. But theirmovie adventure teaches the monsters that laughter is more powerfulthan fear.
Top Recordings of 2001
HOST:
Each December, Billboard magazine lists the most popular albums,records and performers of the year. Jim Tedder tells us about a fewof them.
ANNCR:
Billboard magazine says the toprecord album of Two-Thousand-One was a surprise to everyone. It wasthe Beatles’ greatest hits collection, called “One.” The magazinesays this is the first time in the history of their record-keepingthat the Beatles had the most popular album of the year.
“One” includes twenty-seven Beatles songs that were number onehits when they were first released. Among them is a song written andsung by George Harrison, who died last month. It is called”Something.”
((CUT 1: SOMETHING))
Billboard says the top country album of the year was also a”Greatest Hits” collection. It is by country singer Tim McGraw. Herehe sings “My Next Thirty Years.”
((CUT 2: MY NEXT THIRTY YEARS))
Billboard says the top jazz album of the year was “The Look ofLove” by Diana Krall. The magazine also says Diana Krall was thenumber one jazz album artist for the third year. We leave you nowwith a song from “The Look of Love” album. It is called “Dancing inthe Dark.”
((CUT 3: DANCING IN THE DARK))
HOST:
This is Doug Johnson . I hope you enjoyed our program today. AndI hope you will join us again next week for AMERICAN MOSAIC – VOA’sradio magazine in Special English.
This AMERICAN MOSAIC program was written by Nancy Steinbach. Ourstudio engineer was Tom Verba. And our producer was Paul Thompson.