VOA慢速英语2009年-Education Report - Getting Students Excite

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

The American biotechnology industry recently did a study of bioscience education across the country. The biosciences are biology and other sciences that deal with living organisms¹.

Paul Hanle is president of the Biotechnology Institute, one of the groups that did the study. He says international tests show that the United States is performing twenty-fifth out of thirty developed countries in science education.

So the new findings² may be no surprise. The study found that many schools are not doing enough to get students interested in bioscience or to prepare them to study it in college.

But the report said a number of the fifty states perform much better than others. Eight were rated as leaders: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey³, Ohio, Vermont and Wisconsin.

Paul Hanle says increasing the numbers of bioscience graduates could help the economy grow. He says there are many high-paying jobs in the biosciences. And some lower-paying jobs require only two years of college, or even a technical education program in high school.

Now here is a way to get students excited -- or more excited -- about science. Offer them fifty thousand dollars in savings⁴ bonds⁵ and the ceremonial title of "America's Top Young Scientist."

Ten children ages eight to fourteen were in New York recently for the finals of this year's Discovery/3M Young Scientist Challenge. Middle school students from every state entered the competition, sending in videotaped ideas. Officials said the five hundred students who entered were judged as much on their communication skills as for the scientific talent they showed.
　
Top winner Marina Dimitrov, with duct-taped structure

The ten finalists presented their inventions -- made of common household products -- then competed in a series of events. The last three finalists each had fifty minutes to create a tall structure to hold an egg even when shaken with earthquake force.

All three eggs fell or broke. But all the structures remained standing⁶ -- thanks in large part to the large amounts of duct tape used by the students.

In the end, Nico Seamons and Nikita Gaurev shared second place. Marina Dimitrov won the top prize.

MARINA DIMITROV: "I just think it's really important to get kids excited about science at an early age, because they might be the next Albert Einstein or Isaac Newton, or America's top young scientist. It's just that I want to show that ordinary kids can do extraordinary things."

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report. You can find our reports with transcripts⁷ and podcasts -- and share comments -- at voaspecialenglish.com. You can also follow us on Twitter and YouTube. I'm Jim Tedder⁸.

 

1 organisms   

n.有机物( organism的名词复数 )；有机体；生物；有机体系

参考例句：

• The organisms can be divided into discrete categories. 有机体可分为许多互不相联的种类。
• The cell is the unit of which all living organisms are composed. 细胞是构成一切生物的单位。

2 findings   

n.发现物( finding的名词复数 )；调查（或研究）的结果；（陪审团的）裁决

参考例句：

• It behoves us to study these findings carefully. 我们理应认真研究这些发现。
• Their findings have been widely disseminated . 他们的研究成果已经广为传播。

3 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

4 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

5 bonds   

镣铐，监禁； [常作复数]结合（力）( bond的名词复数 )； 结合物； 联系； 连接

参考例句：

• He paid the pill by cashing in some bonds. 他把一些证券兑换成现金付账。
• They are eager to buy their government bonds. 他们热心购买公债。

6 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

7 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

8 tedder   

n.（干草）翻晒者，翻晒机

参考例句：

• Jim Tedder has more. 吉姆？特德将给我们做更多的介绍。 来自互联网
• Jim Tedder tells us more. 吉姆？泰德给我们带来更详细的报道。 来自互联网