跟读练习: Ending the Generation Gap - 通过视频学习英语口语
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Growing up in Toronto in the late 1950s, I remember most youth showing the elderly respect.
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On public transportation, many demonstrated that respect by standing or rising up and offering a seat to a senior.
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It was just taken for granted as a thing to do, a simple but meaningful way of honouring the hoary head.
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Regrettably, that tradition is less common now.
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What is often called the generation gap refers to differences in opinion
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and preferences that seem to exist between one generation and another, often involving facets of life such as clothing styles,
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music and entertainment, and the use of technology.
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The previous generation is seen as a group whose time has passed to be supplanted by a newer
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and improved generation that considers the seniors of society a financial burden.
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Most people accept average life expectancy as a general gauge of a country's overall health.
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In most parts of the ancient world, life was short, especially in cities.
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Average life expectancy in the Roman Empire, as an example, was around 50 years, when excluding high infant mortality rates.
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Flash forward to the mid -20th century, where improvements in sanitation, medicine,
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and nutrition increased average life expectancy to around 60 years of age in many developed nations like Canada.
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By 2011, that number had reached 81.
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Today in Canada, the number of people 65 years old and over exceeds those 14 years old and younger.
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According to the National Post, stat scans said that the latest figures were driven by a trend
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that took root in 2011 and has continued to accelerate the aging of the baby boomers.
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Baby boomers now account for 30 % of the senior demographic, the agency said.
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The ever -growing baby boomer population strains and burdens Canada's pension support system.
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The Eligibility Age for Old Age Security, OAS, and the Canada Pension Plan,
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CPP, is 65 years, just a year younger than the average lifespan in Canada when the plan was first introduced.
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Since then, the average lifespan has increased by almost 20 years.
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The primary reason, however, as to why the large number of older baby movers are stretching the system is due to the fact
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that younger generations are not having enough children.
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Falling birth rates over the past 40 years mean fewer young workers and less contribution to the economy.
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Is there discrimination toward the elderly, often referred to as ageism?
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Does the generation gap reinforce the sentiment of scorn towards those who are advanced in years?
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In a 2014 article, David Cates asks, what do you think of when we talk about seniors?
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Do you think of someone who is rich with life experience?
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Perhaps a grandparent working hard in the community to share his or her expertise and wisdom with younger generations?
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Do you think of a poor, helpless old man or woman, isolated and unable to leave their house?
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He goes on to illustrate that a severe problem has developed.
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A 2013 report on ageism from the International Federation on Aging,
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or IFA, illustrated that 63 percent of seniors aged 66 or older said they had been treated differently because of their age,
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while a third of all respondents admitted to having treated someone differently because of their age.
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Among Gen X and Y respondents, the number was 43 and 42 percent respectively.
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Over 1 in 5 respondents furthermore said they believed older Canadians were a burden on society.
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Cates points to Greg Shaw, the head of the IFA, who says that such unwarranted discrimination against the elderly is widespread in Canada,
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something Shaw hopes to combat by bringing the young and the old together in shared activities.
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In ancient Israel, instruction was given regarding respect for the elderly.
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You shall rise before the grey -headed and honour the presence of an old man.
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There was a time when the elderly were more highly regarded,
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respected and consulted, but now they are too often neglected by a society that wishes to move on.
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Are the oldest members of our society still a valuable resource?
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Can they still be contributors in our society?
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The growing number of seniors, a group referred to as the Hoary Headed,
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have contributed greatly to the country and many are still gainfully employed.
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Taking time to access the advice
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An experience of people who have achieved much in their lives makes the minds
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and memories of this demographic of great potential worth, if the young will value it.
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Hopefully there will be a future when the generation gap will be no more, and when the old and young will mix together with mutual love and respect.
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telecasts and booklets.
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为何这个视频是绝佳的口语练习素材？
这个探讨“代际差异”的视频，内容贴近生活且逻辑清晰，非常适合用来练习英语表达。视频中既有对过去传统的回忆，也有对当下社会现象的分析，句子长短结合，包含丰富的口语化表达和正式用词，能帮助学习者掌握不同场景下的语言运用。此外，话题本身容易引发思考，跟读时不仅能提升口语，还能积累文化知识，可谓一举多得。
拆解自然表达，学习地道用法
我们来看看视频中的几个句子，体会它们为何听起来自然流畅：
- “It was just taken for granted as a thing to do.” 这里“taken for granted”是常用短语，意为“被视为理所当然”，用在描述过去的习惯时非常贴切，口语中经常使用。
- “The ever-growing baby boomer population strains and burdens Canada's pension support system.” 句中“strains and burdens”同义复用，增强了表达的力度，同时“ever-growing”生动地体现了人口增长的趋势，让句子更有画面感。
- “Do you think of someone who is rich with life experience?” “rich with”比“has a lot of”更简洁且富有文采，在口语中使用能让表达更高级。
简单有效的影子跟读练习法
想要用好这个视频练习口语，不妨试试“英语影子跟读”法：首先播放视频，每句话听完后暂停，立即重复跟读，注意模仿发音、语调甚至语速。完成一段后，用手机录制自己的跟读内容，再与原视频对比，找出差异。比如练习“On public transportation, many demonstrated that respect by standing or rising up and offering a seat to a senior.”时，要注意“rising up”的连读和“offering a seat”的重音。坚持每天15分钟，配合专业的shadowing site，你的英语发音和口语流畅度一定会显著提高。记住，影子跟读（shadowspeaks）的关键是“及时跟、大胆说”，不要害怕出错，多练多听才能进步。
视频中的语法
说话人最常用的结构，并附上视频中的原话：
| 结构 | 视频中的用法 |
|---|---|
| 被动语态 be + 过去分词 — 强调发生了什么，而不是谁做的 | was just taken · is often called · is seen |
| 现在完成时 have/has + 过去分词 — 过去发生但与现在仍有关联的事 | has passed · has continued · has increased |
| 定语从句 who / which + 从句 — 补充说明人或事物 | those who are · someone who is · people who have |
什么是跟读法？
跟读法 (Shadowing) 是一种有科学依据的语言学习技巧，最初开发用于专业口译员的培训，并由多语言者Alexander Arguelles博士普及。这个方法简单而强大：您在听英语母语原声的同时立即大声重复——就像是一个延迟1-2秒紧跟说话者的影子。与被动听力或语法练习不同，跟读法强迫您的大脑和口腔肌肉同时处理并模仿真实的讲话模式。研究表明它能显着提高发音准确性，语调，节奏，连读，听力理解和口语流利度——使其成为雅思口语备考和真实英语交流最有效的方法之一。