Listening exercise
Fox News podcast: A Few Moments with Jewel
Lauren Jackson spends a few moments with Singer/Songwriter/Activist for Homeless Youth, Jewel.
Congress declares November "National Homeless Youth Awareness Month."
"I know first-hand what it's like to be young and without a roof over my head.
I'm blessed that my own story has had such a positive ending.
But the same cannot be said for the over one million kids out there on the street."
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Vocabulary:
Lauren Jackson
Fox News Radio
to spend time with
moment
Jewel Kilcher
singer
songwriter
activist
homeless youth
welcome
excellent
June
to testify before
hearing (聽證會)
the (US) House (of Representatives 眾議院) Ways and Means Committee: 財務委員會 or 歲入委員會
ambassador
Virgin Unite (independent charitable arm of the Virgin Group; the interviewer incorrectly calls it "Virgin United")
to be able to
to accomplish
together with
with the help of
Virgin Mobile USA
to launch an effort
regeneration
D.C. = Washington D.C.
to try to get s.t. passed as
November
National Homeless Youth Awareness Month
successful
to be happy to say
to spread the word about
issues
to get involved in
to help with
a cause
actually
Website
homelessyouthamongus.org
to figure out how
local community
to let people know
invisible
greatest skill
to blend in
gosh
million
to be on the street
hard
tragic
for a life to end
serious
to move out
to go through
on my own
to support oneself
to stay in school
to do quite well
fairly functional
until I ended up in
San Diego
to have a job
boss
to want to sleep with s.o.
to turn s.o. down
to fire s.o.
without paying s.o.
to pay rent
to get kicked out
to end up on the street
to stick to one's guns
to keep one's moral ground
to be punished
in a way
heartbreaking
actually
to end up
commercial sex trade
legal
way
to support yourself
underage
to shoplift
to panhandle = to ask passersby for money
predators
 sex trade
to be arrested
to be prosecuted
instead of
being protected by
human trafficking laws
consequences
to grow up homeless
adults
process
from age 8 on
to be taught s.o.
to function
systems
to help oneself
organizations
out there
Stand Up For Kids
rent
to take for granted
advice
given everything that you've gone through
to pull oneself up and out of s.t.
to battle
to become bitter
positive opportunities
to be forgotten
scared
helpless
to lose hope
to get involved in drugs
to keep one's chin up
to remain tenacious
positive
to survive
creative
poetry
to serve as an outlet
to credit x with y
to have an outlet
to keep track of oneself
positive
to serve as
to work out OK
to serve as an inspiration
listeners
life experiences
to reflect
to be encouraged by
honest
to feel understood
to be a perfect person
to struggle
downfalls
aspirations for
to alienate
a system for
understanding themselves
if anything
out of all...
favorites
hands
single
to do OK
sort of about
to empower oneself
to realize
to stop shoplifting
to contribute
to hurt oneself worse
to be working on
to come out
country music
singer-songwriter
storytelling
album
to be a first
to go into
folksy
pop (popular)
to have country leanings
ranch
Alaska
label
to be baffled
scared
to be off one's label
to jump in
thank you for your time

Listening comprehension questions:
1. Thanks in part to singer Jewel's efforts, the month of November has been declared as what in the US?
2. a. Explain the meaning of this sentence of Jewel's: "Homeless youth are very invisible; their greatest skill is blending in." b. What are some of the consequences of this?
3. Under what circumstances did Jewel become homeless, and how long was she homeless?
4. How, did Jewel say, was she able to avoid using drugs?
5. a. What kind of music will Jewel sing in her next album? b. Why does she like this kind of music? c. How did her previous record label feel about this kind of music?
6. What kind of crime did Jewel admit to committing while she was homeless?
7. What do you notice about the oral delivery style of the interviewer, if anything?

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