Here is a heart-warming story to help you fight the freezing weather.

Two weeks ago, Ted Williams was homeless and begging for change on the streets of Columbus in Ohio, USA. Now his fortunes have been reversed because Mr Williams has that most valued of commodities, a natural 'radio voice'.

His rags-to-riches journey started when a reporter with the Columbus Dispatch discovered Mr Williams on a street corner. The 53-year-old was holding a cardboard sign explaining that he was an ex-radio announcer "fallen on hard times".

The reporter videoed Ted Williams doing a radio spot right there on the street corner. He had exactly the sort of mellifluous voice that typifies American radio adverts – unusually smooth, rich and commanding.

The video also featured a mini-interview with Williams, who was known in the local homelesscommunity as 'Radio Man'. He told the Columbus Dispatch:

"The voice just became something of a development over the years and I went to school for it. And then alcohol and drugs and a few other things became a part of my life."

The video went viral on the internet and within days Mr Williams was appearing on chat shows, introducing NBC's Today Show and signing a contract to be the voice of the company Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. Since then, there have even been rumours of a possible film role for 'Golden Voice'.

This being an American fairy tale, everything has been captured on camera, even Ted Williams' tearfulreunion with his 90-year-old mother. He told her, "This reunion means more to me than anything I've been offered."

She offered her son some tough love, saying: "Please don't disappoint me."

Ted Williams has been clean for two years, but some commentators fear that so much sudden media attention could be too much for anyone. Let's hope that Ted Williams' American dream has a happy ending.

• columbus [kə´lʌmbəs]   n.哥伦布   (初中英语单词)
• alcohol [´ælkəhɔl]   n.酒精；醇   (初中英语单词)
• cheese [tʃi:z]   n.干酪，乳酪   (初中英语单词)
• disappoint [,disə´pɔint]   vt.使失望；使....落空   (初中英语单词)
• reporter [ri´pɔ:tə]   n.报告人；记者；广播员   (高中英语单词)
• dispatch [di´spætʃ]   vt.&n.发送；派遣；调度   (高中英语单词)
• community [kə´mju:niti]   n.团体；社区；公众   (高中英语单词)
• saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ]   n.言语；言论；格言   (高中英语单词)
• ending [´endiŋ]   n.结尾，结局   (高中英语单词)
• cardboard [´kɑ:dbɔ:d]   n.纸板；卡纸   (英语四级单词)
• unusually [ʌn´ju:ʒuəli]   ad.异常地；非常   (英语四级单词)
• homeless [´həumlis]   a.无家的   (英语六级单词)
• holding [´həuldiŋ]   n.保持，固定，存储   (英语六级单词)
• reunion [ri:´ju:njən]   n.再结合；再联合；团聚   (英语六级单词)