VOA慢速英语2009年-Education Report - Facing America's High D

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

Less than sixty percent of students now entering four-year American colleges are likely to graduate. The completion rate is lower than for almost any other wealthy country, and worst for poor and minority students.

A new book about America's public universities explores the complex causes of the high dropout¹ rate. The book is called "Crossing the Finish Line."

President Obama wants the United States to again have the world's highest percentage of college graduates by two thousand twenty. But to finish college, children first have to reach the starting line by getting there.
　
President Obama shakes hands with students after speaking at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia

On Tuesday the president gave a nationally broadcast speech to students about the importance of staying in school. He spoke² on the first day of classes at a high school in Virginia. He talked about personal responsibility, and used himself as an example of someone who overcame difficulties.

BARACK OBAMA: "My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn't always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn't fit in."

But he told students that problems in their own lives should not stop them from learning³.

BARACK OBAMA: "That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class or dropping out of school. That's no excuse for not trying."

This was not the first presidential speech to students. Ronald Reagan spoke from the White House in nineteen eighty-eight. And George H.W. Bush spoke from a school in Washington in nineteen ninety-one.

But many conservatives⁴ criticized⁵ plans for the speech. Some called it "socialized education" or federal⁶ interference⁷ in local schools. Others feared it would be too political. Some schools decided⁸ not to show the speech. But the White House released⁹ the text on Monday, and that calmed a lot of critics.

On Sunday, on the CBS program "Face the Nation," Education Secretary Arne Duncan said thirty percent of students do not graduate from high school. He called the dropout rate "staggering¹⁰." It represents more than a million students every year who entered ninth grade but do not complete twelfth grade.

The education secretary called the objections¹¹ to the president's speech "silly." But he also said one of the activities suggested for students "wasn't worded quite correctly." It related¹² to the goal of increasing college graduation rates. It suggested that students "Write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president." But after conservatives objected, the activity was changed to writing about personal goals.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. I'm Steve Ember.

1 dropout   

n.退学的学生；退学；退出者

参考例句：

• There is a high dropout rate from some college courses.有些大学课程的退出率很高。
• In the long haul,she'll regret having been a school dropout.她终归会后悔不该中途辍学。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 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。

4 conservatives   

保守的人( conservative的名词复数 )； （英国）保守党党员，保守党支持者

参考例句：

• The Conservatives were then the governing party . 那时是保守党当政。
• The Conservatives were once more in power. 保守党再次执政。

5 criticized   

vt.批评(criticize的过去式)v.评论，批评( criticize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The decision was criticized by environmental groups. 这个决定受到了环保团体的批评。
• The movie has been criticized for apparently legitimizing violence. 这部电影因明显地美化暴力而受到了指责。

6 federal   

adj.联盟的；联邦的；(美国)联邦政府的

参考例句：

• Switzerland is a federal republic.瑞士是一个联邦共和国。
• The schools are screaming for federal aid.那些学校强烈要求联邦政府的援助。

7 interference   

n.干涉，介入；阻碍，干扰

参考例句：

• I couldn't hear the program because there was too much interference.因干扰太大，我听不清节目。
• We oppose interference by any outside force.我们反对任何外来势力插手干预。

8 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。

9 released   

v.释放( release的过去式和过去分词 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• With hindsight it is easy to say they should not have released him. 事后才说他们本不应该释放他，这倒容易。

10 staggering   

a.惊人的

参考例句：

• Why is that man staggering about the room like that? 那人为什么那样摇摇晃晃地在屋里走来走去？
• Profits have shot up by a staggering 25%. 利润惊人地攀升了25%。

11 objections   

n.反对( objection的名词复数 )；异议；厌恶；反对的理由

参考例句：

• I think we can safely dismiss their objections. 我认为我们对他们的异议完全可以不予理会。
• The chairman overrode the committee's objections and signed the agreement. 主席不顾委员会的反对，径行签署了协议。

12 related   

adj.有关系的，有关联的，叙述的，讲述的

参考例句：

• I am not related to him in any way.我和他无任何关系。
• We spent days going through all related reference material.我们花了好多天功夫查阅所有有关的参考资料。