英语课程计划-International Literacy Day

September 8 is a very important day all around the world. It is International Literacy Day and it highlights the importance of reading. It was started in 1965 by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Its aim is to focus on how important reading, writing and numeracy are to individuals, as well as to societies and nations. On this day, UNESCO reminds the world of the status of literacy and provides statistics for literacy rates for each country. Literacy is a key sign of how developed a society is. The concept has developed a lot over the past few decades. It now includes the ability to be able to use computers and other kinds of information technology.

Around 780 million adults in the world today lack basic literacy skills. One in five adults is illiterate¹, and two-thirds of these are women. UNESCO says the highest rates of illiteracy² are in south and west Asia, followed by sub-Saharan Africa and the Arab nations. The agency says there is a clear relation between illiteracy and severe poverty. UNESCO also says there is more discrimination against women in countries with low literacy rates. Literacy affects many aspects of a society. In 2007 and 2008, the theme for International Literacy Day was “Literacy and Health”. People who are able to read health warnings are less likely to catch killer³ diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis⁴ and malaria⁵. Reading can save lives.

1 illiterate   

adj.文盲的；无知的；n.文盲

参考例句：

• There are still many illiterate people in our country.在我国还有许多文盲。
• I was an illiterate in the old society,but now I can read.我这个旧社会的文盲，今天也认字了。

2 illiteracy   

n.文盲

参考例句：

• It is encouraging to read that illiteracy is declining.从读报中了解文盲情况正在好转，这是令人鼓舞的。
• We must do away with illiteracy.我们必须扫除文盲。

3 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

4 tuberculosis   

n.结核病，肺结核

参考例句：

• People used to go to special health spring to recover from tuberculosis.人们常去温泉疗养胜地治疗肺结核。
• Tuberculosis is a curable disease.肺结核是一种可治愈的病。

5 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。