VOA慢速英语2010年-Education Report - An English Test, an

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

This week on our program, we answer a question from Japan. A listener named Maki would like to know if the test known as the TOEIC is popular in the United States. TOEIC is the Test of English for International Communication. It measures the ability of people to communicate in the workplace using everyday English.

The Educational Testing Service in Princeton, New Jersey¹, develops and administers² the TOEIC. It says more than nine thousand organizations use the test in more than ninety countries.

Each year the TOEIC is taken in the United States about twenty thousand times. So how popular does that make it? Well, consider that last year the test was given more than five million times worldwide.

Non-native English speakers take the test to demonstrate³ their English skills when seeking a new job or a promotion⁴. Some organizations use the TOEIC to measure progress in English training programs and as a placement test. The cost of the test is set locally in each country.

The TOEIC is really two tests. People can take one or both of them. One is a paper-and-pencil test. It measures listening and reading skills. The other test is given on a computer. It measures speaking and writing skills.

Eleven questions on the computer test require speaking. For example, the test taker is asked to read out loud or describe a picture. Eight other questions require written answers, including an opinion essay.

We visited the ETS Web site for more information about the TOEIC. But one of the first things we saw was a warning about a "phishing scam." A phishing scam is a kind of crime that uses e-mail to trick people into providing financial or other personal information. In this case the e-mails claim to be from the Educational Testing Service.

Spokeswoman Christine Betaneli advises people taking the TOEIC to be suspicious⁵ of any e-mails claiming to be from ETS. They should be especially suspicious of messages that ask for information that they have already provided⁶ for the test.

The spokeswoman says if you get an e-mail you are not sure about, forward it or send a separate message to [email protected].

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. You can learn more about English language tests from our Foreign Student Series at voaspecialenglish.com. You can also find transcripts⁷, podcasts and captioned⁸ videos of our reports, and post comments and questions. I'm Bob Doughty⁹.
 

1 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。

2 administers   

管理( administer的第三人称单数 )； 治理（国家）； 给予； 执行

参考例句：

• Physical exercise administers to the circulation of the blood. 体育锻炼有助于血液循环。
• Health administers to peace of mind. 健康有助于身心的安宁。

3 demonstrate   

vt.论证，证明；示范；显示；vi.示威游行

参考例句：

• Let me demonstrate to you how this machine works.我给你演示一下这台机器的运转情况。
• How can I demonstrate to you that my story is true?我怎样才能向你证明我的话是真实的呢？

4 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

5 suspicious   

adj.可疑的，容易引起怀疑的，猜疑的，疑心的

参考例句：

• A man was hanging about the house in a suspicious manner.一个男人在房子周围可疑地荡来荡去。
• He's so suspicious he would distrust his own mother.他这个人疑心太重，连自己的母亲也不相信。

6 provided   

conj.假如，若是；adj.预备好的，由...供给的

参考例句：

• Provided it's fine we will have a pleasant holiday.如果天气良好，我们的假日将过得非常愉快。
• I will come provided that it's not raining tomorrow.如果明天不下雨，我就来。

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 captioned   

a.标题项下的； 标题所说的

参考例句：

• This paper reviews the production, development and nationalization of the captioned materials. 本文就铜系合金引线框架材料的生产、发展和国产化进程作一论述。
• Please advise other considerable hotels for this captioned group. 请推荐其它一些高级的旅馆给这一群打标语的人。

9 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。