VOICE ONE:
The Indiana State Fair is held every summer in Indianapolis,Indiana. More than seven-hundred-thousand people attended this year.I’m Doug Johnson.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Bob Doughty. The Indiana State Fair is our report todayon the VOA Special English program This is America.
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VOICE ONE:
Almost all states in America have a state fair. They take placein August, September or October each year. They last for one, two orthree weeks. The Indiana State Fair is one of the largest and oldeststate fairs in the United States.
People from all over Indiana and from many other states andcountries attended the fair last month. They came to see theanimals, rodeos, exhibits and contests. They came to hear concertsand to take part in rides and other events.
VOICE TWO:
Like other state fairs, the Indiana State Fair is designed toteach young people and the general public about agriculture. Itprovides a way for the farming community to show its skills. Peopleof all ages compete in animal production, food preparation, arts andcrafts and photography.
The Indiana State Fair has a long and rich history. Over theyears, it has been the center of major events involving livestock,agriculture, sports and entertainment. It has grown and changed withthe passage of time. It is still one of Indiana’s most celebratedevents.
VOICE ONE:
Visitors can do many things at an American state fair. They canwatch the judging of the best cows, pigs and other animals. They cansee sheep getting their wool cut and they can learn how that wool ismade into clothing. They can watch cows giving birth. They can seeanimals racing. They can watch llamas jumping like great Olympicathletes. Many people learn about animals they would never seeexcept at the fair.
VOICE TWO:
Visitors can look at new home products or farm equipment. Theycan see products made by people who live on farms. They can even seethe world’s largest watermelon or the tallest sunflower plant.
Children and adults at the fair can play new computer games orattempt more traditional games of skill. They can listen to peopleplay and sing all kinds of music. They can take rides that go veryfast or travel high above the fair grounds. Or they can just walkaround the fair and watch other people.
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VOICE ONE:
Agricultural fairs help Americans remember their nation’shistory. Experts say such fairs are important because people need toremember that they are connected to the Earth and its products. Theysay people need to remember that they depend on animals for manythings.
Most fairs have competitions for the best farm animals. Peoplewhose animals win prizes can sell the animals for thousands ofdollars. Young winners sometimes use the money to go to college.
VOICE TWO:
Many young people whose animals compete at state and county fairsbelong to groups called Four-H Clubs of America. The term Four-Hmeans head, heart, hands and health. Four-H offers the largestunofficial education program in the United States. Many young peoplecomplete projects like raising and caring for a horse, cow or otheranimal.
Food is as important as animals at state fairs. Many people takepart in competitions to prepare the best foods. Visitors to the fairshould arrive hungry because there are many good things to eat.
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VOICE ONE:
The Indiana State Fair began in Eighteen-Fifty-Two. The goalswere to share ideas, educate and present Indiana’s best products.The cost of a single ticket to enter the fair was twenty cents.During the early Nineteen-Thirties, officials of the fair ruled thatpeople could attend by paying something other than money. Forexample, farmers brought bags of grain and other projects inexchange for a ticket.
VOICE TWO:
Years ago, American political candidates campaigned at statefairs. They gave speeches and tried to meet as many people aspossible. Even American presidents attended. In Nineteen-Nineteen,President Woodrow Wilson gave a speech at the Indiana State Fair.The day was known as “Big Thursday.” Forty-thousand people attended.
VOICE ONE:
Some of America’s most famous entertainers have performed at theIndiana State Fair. For example, the Beatles played two shows inNineteen-Sixty-Four. The country music group, Alabama, Garth Brooksand The Jackson Five all performed there. So did Bruce Springsteen.
This year, there was an event to see who could look and sound themost like Elvis Presley. Competitors dressed, wore their hair andsang like Elvis. The person considered the best Elvis impersonatorwon the contest.
VOICE TWO:
Visitors heard performances of American rap music, country music,new bands and older groups popular long ago. They heard religiousgospel music groups. They also heard music performers from aroundthe world. For example, they heard drummers from west Africa. Theyheard a celebration of Hispanic music.
A musical group from Ecuador, called Inkapirka, performed theirmix of smooth melodies and cultural rhythms with a Latin influence.Here they perform a song called “The Leaves of Fall”.
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VOICE ONE:
There were many activities for families at the Indiana StateFair. One of them was called “Little Hands on the Farm.” It gavechildren a chance to learn what it is like to live and work on areal farm. In another activity, adults, children and their teddybear toy animals took part in an event designed to help childrenplan a tea party.
VOICE TWO:
Other special events at the Indiana State Fair included theMiniature White House. People waited in lines for hours under thehot sun to see the very small copy of the president’s house inWashington, D.C. Visitors saw small versions of each room of thefamous house. They included the Lincoln Bedroom, the Oval Office andthe State Dining Room. All the rooms show the exact furniture, wallcolor and rugs presently used in the White House.
VOICE ONE:
Two popular contests at the Indiana State Fair involved insects.One was the racing cockroaches. People watched as large cockroachesfrom Madagascar raced against each other on a small racetrack. TomTurpin was the director of this event. He says he uses insects inexperiments to get young people interested in learning more aboutthe creatures.
Crowds also enjoyed watching the cricket-spitting contest.Believe it or not, people in the contest spit real crickets.However, the insects were not alive.
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VOICE TWO:
This year, the Indiana State Fair brought together people fromdifferent cultures as part of an English as a Second Language class.Nine students from ten countries took part. The class was designedto help the students improve their English skills and learn aboutIndiana culture. The class members were from countries includingRussia, Vietnam, Sudan and Thailand.
Jacob Rooksby developed the idea to take the foreign students tothe fair. He works with the J. Everett Light Center in Indianapolis.He created exercises and questions for the students to answer.
Mister Rooksby says this program permits the students to have apersonal experience with the fair. He says it also helps themimprove their ability to speak English.
VOICE ONE:
At the end of the fair, a ceremony honored hundreds of formersoldiers from Indiana. Military aircraft flew over the fair tocomplete the ceremony. And another traditional event was held. Ayoung woman was named as queen to represent the Indiana State Fair.
There was plenty of history and tradition at the Indiana StateFair this summer. Yet for thousands of visitors, the fun andlearning at the fair never grows old.
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VOICE TWO:
This program was written by Cynthia Kirk. It was produced by PaulThompson. I’m Bob Doughty.
VOICE ONE:
And I’m Doug Johnson. Join us again next week for another programabout life in the United States on the VOA Special English program,THIS IS AMERICA.