VOA慢速英语20060810a

EDUCATION REPORT - Interns¹ Provide Free Labor², But Internships Are Not Always FreeBy Nancy Steinbach

Broadcast: Thursday, August 10, 2006

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.


University of Arkansas students headed for internships around the world

Many college students in the United States use their summer break to earn money in a temporary job. But more and more are working as summer interns.

Some internship³ programs accept students in high school.

Internships are usually unpaid⁴, and the work might not always be the most exciting. But they offer a chance to gain experience in business, public service or some other area of interest. They can also be a chance to get to know a possible future employer. More importantly, internships can help students make sure their area of study is a good choice.

For most organizations, interns mean extra workers for little or no cost. They also get a chance to see if a student might make a good future employee. Some interns are promised a full-time⁵ job once they finish their studies.

Yet some students have no choice but to get a paying job during the summer. They have a real financial need.

Interns provide free labor, but internship programs can involve costs for travel, housing and meals.

Businesses might require interns to receive college credit for their experience. These businesses are concerned about labor laws that say workers must receive something in return for their work. So, if not money, then credits.

Many colleges and universities resist such requirements. They say students should earn credit only for school experience. Some other schools provide the credits but charge students for them.

So, for a student from a poor family, an unpaid internship just may not be possible. Economic realities like this sometimes lead to criticism of internship programs.

But some colleges and universities are offering help for students who want to be interns. Some provide scholarships to help pay for housing and meals, but they do not always give academic credits.

Brandeis University near Boston, Massachusetts, offers a summer internship class. Students pay for one college credit. They must write an essay or keep a journal of their internship.

Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, is considering a similar one-credit summer class. Associate Dean John Bader says the students would work with a professor, but would not have to pay any money.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. You can read transcripts⁶ and hear past reports at www.unsv.com. I'm Pat Bodnar.

1 interns   

n.住院实习医生( intern的名词复数 )v.拘留，关押( intern的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Our interns also greet our guests when they arrive in our studios. 我们的实习生也会在嘉宾抵达演播室的时候向他们致以问候。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
• The interns work alongside experienced civil engineers and receive training in the different work sectors. 实习生陪同有经验的国内工程师工作，接受不同工作部门的相关培训。 来自超越目标英语 第4册

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 internship   

n.实习医师，实习医师期

参考例句：

• an internship at a television station 在电视台的实习期
• a summer internship with a small stipend 薪水微薄的暑期实习

4 unpaid   

adj.未付款的，无报酬的

参考例句：

• Doctors work excessive unpaid overtime.医生过度加班却无报酬。
• He's doing a month's unpaid work experience with an engineering firm.他正在一家工程公司无偿工作一个月以获得工作经验。

5 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

6 transcripts   

n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本

参考例句：

• Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
• You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句