人教全日制普通高中英语（必修）高三UNIT12-1

A   In 1986, the Chinese government introduced a law stating that by the year 2000 every Chinese child would have nine years of compulsory¹ education. Although there were several problems in reaching this target, the outcome² was highly³ successful. It is reported that 99% of school-age children in China attended primary school by 2004.
 
B   In China, as in other countries, the government realises that the future welfare of its citizens is closely⁴ linked to education. When the World Education Forum⁵ met in 2000, it calculated⁶ that there were 113 million children not in school. At the Forum, the member countries of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation⁷ (UNESCO) made a commitment⁸ to provide "complete, free and compulsory primary education of good quality for all children by 2015". They called this goal "Education for All". These countries are now trying to get every child into school, and they are experiencing similar difficulties to those that China faces.
 
C   To begin with, it is important to create a positive attitude. In areas where agriculture plays an important role, people do not attach importance to education, and parents are sceptical of anything that takes children away from their work on the farm. It has to be explained how the child, the family and the community can benefit, but it is' not easy to change traditional ideas. China and other countries found that even when children from the countryside do start school, they have a tendency to be absent and often drop out later. In some cultures parents are particularly unwilling⁹ to send their daughters to school because the custom is to educate boys rather than girls.
 
D   China's large population meant that the schools had to expand to take in many more students. There has been a shortage¹⁰ of teachers. Countries with a small population have problems too. In the Turks and Caicos Islands, where there are less than 20,000 people, the number of students in some schools is so low that students of several different grades are taught in the same classroom. How people are distributed can also affect the education system. In China most citizens live in the eastern areas and this results in large class sizes. Parts of the remote central and western provinces, however, have few people. Schools in these regions¹¹ cannot support teachers for the small numbers of students at each level, so teachers have mixed-grade classes. In north and central Australia the population is so spread out that children in some rural¹² settlements can be as far as 1,000 km away from the nearest school. To solve this, Australia uses "distance learning¹³" methods, where the students have lessons by two-way radio and mail.
 
E   The success of a country in bringing education to all also depends on the economy. In many developing countries there is not enough money available to provide classrooms, desks, chairs, books and teachers for all the children. To equip schools some of these governments rely almost completely on aid from other countries, international organisations such as the World Bank and non-governmental organisations such as Save the Children. Other countries receive help with particular programmes: both the World Bank and Save the Children have helped China with schools in less developed provinces. Corporations¹⁴ and private citizens also donate money through the Hope Project.
 
F   Even the richest nation in the world faces problems. The USA has found that it is not easy to make sure that every student receives the same quality of teaching¹⁵. One in three students in the United States lives in the countryside, and providing them with a full curriculum¹⁶ is difficult. Distance learning has helped, and now many American children in small countryside schools study subjects using computer software, e-mail and video conferencing. China has also adopted distance learning methods such as television lessons, and in 1999, the Ministry¹⁷ of Education introduced computerized teaching networks in central and western China.
 
G   The Chinese government overcame problems of population and economy to accomplish its "nine years - of compulsory education" goal. Now, when a Chinese couple has a baby, they can be confident that their child will be able to attend school. But it is very different for parents of children in the least developed nations of Africa and Asia. In these countries, where some people do not even have fresh water or basic health care, reaching the target of"Education for All" will be a huge task, despite help from the international community.

1 compulsory   

n.强制的，必修的；规定的，义务的

参考例句：

• Is English a compulsory subject?英语是必修课吗？
• Compulsory schooling ends at sixteen.义务教育至16岁为止。

2 outcome   

n.结果，出口，演变

参考例句：

• The outcome of the experiment is in the lap of the gods.实验结果尚难预料。
• The outcome of the war is hard to foretell.战争胜负难以预卜。

3 highly   

adv.高度地，极，非常；非常赞许地

参考例句：

• It is highly important to provide for the future.预先做好准备非常重要。
• The teacher speaks very highly of the boy's behaviour.老师称赞这个男孩的表现。

4 closely   

adv.紧密地；严密地，密切地

参考例句：

• We shall follow closely the development of the situation.我们将密切注意形势的发展。
• The two companies are closely tied up with each other.这两家公司之间有密切联系。

5 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

6 calculated   

adj.蓄意的

参考例句：

• Cash income is calculated by subtracting total trading income from total receipts. 现金收入是从总收入中减去总贸易收入来计算的。
• I calculated that the trip would take two days. 我估计这段路程要走两天时间。

7 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

8 commitment   

n.奉献，忠诚，辛劳，委托，实行，承担义务，赞助

参考例句：

• The builder had a commitment to finish the work on time.那个承建商答应过准时完工。
• He made a commitment to pay the rent on time.他保证按时付房租。

9 unwilling   

adj.不情愿的

参考例句：

• The natives were unwilling to be bent by colonial power.土著居民不愿受殖民势力的摆布。
• His tightfisted employer was unwilling to give him a raise.他那吝啬的雇主不肯给他加薪。

10 shortage   

n.缺少，缺乏，不足

参考例句：

• The city is suffering a desperate shortage of water.这个城市严重缺水。
• The heart of the problem is a shortage of funds.问题的关键是缺乏经费。

11 regions   

n.地区( region的名词复数 )；[数学]区域；（艺术、科学等的）领域；行政区

参考例句：

• A flying doctor service operates in remote regions. 在偏远地区有飞行医生服务。
• More powers are gradually being devolved to the regions. 正逐步向地方下放更多的权力。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 rural   

adj.乡下的，田园的，乡村风味的

参考例句：

• He lived a rural life.他过着田园生活。
• We left the city for a rural home.我们离开城市，去农村安家。

13 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

14 corporations   

法人( corporation的名词复数 )； （政治、经济的）组合； 市政委员会

参考例句：

• The bulk of the funds are supplied by some of America's largest and most powerful corporations. 大部分资金是由美国一些最大和最有实力的公司提供的。
• He didn't sympathise with the corporations, but strength was with them. "他并不同情公司，但是力量属于他们。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

15 teaching   

n.教学，执教，任教，讲授；(复数)教诲

参考例句：

• We all agree in adopting the new teaching method. 我们一致同意采取新的教学方法。
• He created a new system of teaching foreign languages.他创造了一种新的外语教学体系。

16 curriculum   

n.课程，（学校等的）全部课程

参考例句：

• Is German on your school's curriculum?你们学校有德语课吗？
• The English curriculum should stress both composition and reading.英语课程对作文和阅读应同样重视。

17 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。