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HOST:
Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC — a VOA Special English program aboutmusic and American life. And we answer your questions.
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This is Doug Johnson. This week, we play music by the groupOutKast. And we answer a listener’s question about churches inAmerica.
But first – a look at the latest in mobile phone technology, andhow some people are using it.
Cell Phone Technology
HOST:
More than one-hundred-fifty-million Americans, or over half thepeople in the country, use wireless phones. Americans usually callthem cell phones, which describes the technology. Signals travelfrom one area, or cell, to another as a person travels. And, as ShepO’Neal reports, wireless technology keeps moving along too.
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Cell phones can organizeinformation, receive e-mail, send instant messages and search theInternet. They can also store music, play games and do other things.And, oh yes, you can still talk on them too.
Manufacturers are discussing the development of phones that canbe used as video cameras. For now, though, most of the talk is aboutphones that take pictures.
Camera phones were first used in Japan in two-thousand. Theycombine the technology of a digital camera with a telephone. Userscan take pictures with their cell phones, then send the images toothers. The color screens on the phones are small, but the imagescan also be put onto a computer.
Millions of camera phones are in use in Japan and other Asiancountries. Some places have experienced problems. In South Korea,pictures taken of women in public bathhouses have appeared on theInternet.
In Japan, police have caught some people aiming their cameraphones under the clothes of women in train stations. Others go intostores and take pictures of pages in books and magazines. That waythey do not have to buy them. All these activities have ledofficials to ban camera phones in some public places.
Now, the United States is also experiencing problems with thisnew technology. Some American health clubs have banned the use ofcamera phones in their buildings. In one sports club in Washington,D.C., members are not permitted to use cell phones of any kind inthe changing rooms. News reports said the club wanted to be carefuland prevent any problems. Health clubs in Los Angeles have alsobanned the use of camera phones. A lot of famous people exercise inthose clubs. Officials are concerned not to violate their privacy.
Churches in America
HOST:
Our VOA listener question thisweek is from Argentina. Raul Colquehuanca (kohl-kay-WAHN-kah) asksabout the number of churches in the United States. He also wants toknow how young people learn about them.
That is not an easy question to answer. Experts say it is notpossible to know the number of churches in the United States. Thatis because it is difficult to say exactly what a church is.
However, some researchers say America has more thanthree-hundred-thousand religious congregations, or groups that meet.These religious centers belong to Christians, Jews, Muslims and manyother groups.
Experts also say it is not possible to know exactly how manyAmericans follow each religion. However, research shows that morethan seventy-five percent of American adults are Christian. Thenumber of Christians in the United States has been estimated atbetween one-hundred-fifty-million and two-hundred-thirty-million.Researchers found that there are about sixty-million Roman Catholicsin the United States. There are more than two-hundred otherChristian groups in America.
Also, about six-million people in America are Jewish. Aboutsix-million are Muslim. One opinion study also says that more thantwenty-seven-million people in America say they are not religious.
Young people learn about their religions through activities oftheir church organization. For example, most Christian churches meetfor Bible study and other classes to teach about their religion.Some groups also meet just to have a good time. Churches often placemessages in high school and local newspapers about their programsfor young people.
Thousands of teen-agers across the country attend young people’sactivities at their churches. For example, the Fourth PresbyterianChurch in Bethesda, Maryland has a large program for high schoolstudents. Hundreds of teenagers attend activities there. EachSunday, the church offers religious education especially forteenagers. Young people can eat breakfast together at the church onThursday mornings before school. Other social activities includeparties at peoples’ homes. Church families hold these events forhigh school students once each month.
OutKast
HOST:
Two rappers who perform togetheras OutKast released their first single in nineteen-ninety-three.Since then they have released five albums. The newest is called”Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.” Bob Cohen tells more.
ANNCR:
Antwan Patton and Andre Benjamin are the members of OutKast. Theyare also known as Big Boi and Dre, or Andre Three-thousand. Theyhave created their own kind of hip-hop music. It includes manymusical influences such as blues and jazz.
Their first hit song combined hip-hop with deep Southern soul andlive instruments. It was “Player’s Ball.”
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The music of OutKast is sometimes funny, and often uses soundeffects. In general, the music is less aggressive than a lot ofother rap.
Here is a song from their fourth album. It is about a man’sformer relationship with the mother of his child. He is telling thestory to her mother. The song is called “Ms. Jackson.”
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OutKast’s new album is unlike their other ones. It is made up oftwo parts. “The Love Below” is Andre Three-thousand’s part of thealbum. Big Boi’s part is called, “Speakerboxxx.”
We leave you with a hit from the “The Love Below” part of thealbum. It is called “Hey Ya.”
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HOST:
This is Doug Johnson.
Today’s program was written by Chi-Un Lee and Jerilyn Watson. Ourproducer was Paul Thompson. And our engineer was Jim Harmon.
I hope you enjoyed AMERICAN MOSAIC. Join us again next week forVOA’s radio magazine in Special English.