DEVELOPMENT REPORT - Gates Foundation

DEVELOPMENT REPORT
–
March 4, 2002: Gates Foundation

By Jill Moss¹

This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

The richest man in the world is an American, Bill Gates. He started Microsoft, the company that makes computer
programs and operating systems. Two years ago, Mister Gates and his wife Melinda decided² to use some of their
money to improve the lives of people in developing countries.

They started the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle, Washington. The foundation has twenty-four thousand-
million dollars. It is the biggest not-for-profit organization in the world. Bill and Melinda Gates started
the foundation because they believed progress in medical science and information technology was not reaching
people in developing countries. Their foundation finances³ programs aimed at improving health and education in
poor countries.

One of the foundation’s major goals is the development of new medicines to
prevent and treat tuberculosis⁴, malaria⁵ and AIDS. The World Health Organization
reports that these three diseases kill more than five-million people a year.

Another leading foundation project is an effort to reduce death rates for babies in
poor countries. The foundation also supports efforts to provide necessary medicines
to prevent diseases among children in seventy-four developing countries. It also

supports training programs for health workers.

Bill and Melinda Gates are also concerned about connecting people to the Internet computer system. The
foundation believes men and women of all ages and races should be able to use the Internet as a tool for lifelong
learning. For example, the foundation gave nine-million dollars to more than three -hundred-fifty public libraries
in Chile for computers and technology training.

The Gates Foundation usually provides money to developing countries in the form of a gift or grant. However,
there are conditions for receiving grants. Governments or other not-for-profit organizations working in a country
must promise to provide an equal amount of money. The receiver must also meet performance goals or risk
losing the money.

For more information, write to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, P-O Box two-three-three-five -zero,
Seattle, Washington, nine-eight -one-zero-two, U-S-A. Or, e-mail the organization at info-at-gatesfoundation-dotorg.

This VOA Special English Development Report was written by Jill Moss.

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1 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 finances   

n.(pl.)财源，资产

参考例句：

• I need a professional to sort out my finances. 我需要专业人士为我管理财务。
• The company's finances are looking a bIt'shaky. 这个公司的财政情况看来有点不稳定。

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。