VOA慢速英语2010年-Education Report - 8 US States to Test

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

The Obama administration says American schools should produce students who are "college and career ready." What is the best way to do that? One group that has some ideas is the National Center on Education and the Economy. Marc Tucker is president of this nonprofit organization.

MARC TUCKER: "The president has called for focusing in on what it really takes to be successful in work and in college, and he has called on America's educational institutions, primary and secondary educational institutions, to do whatever it takes to get our kids college ready. That is precisely¹ what we are doing."

The National Center on Education and the Economy will be working with eight states on a project to test board examination systems. Students who volunteer will take board examination classes similar to those found in other parts of the world. Once they pass the exams, they can leave high school as early as the end of the second year.

Mark Aoki, 16, on the grounds of Roosevelt High School in Honolulu, Hawaii

Marc Tucker says the aim is to make sure students finish high school with enough skills to succeed in at least a two-year college.

MARC TUCKER:"In the United States, one is expected to go to high school for four years and you get a diploma just for showing up or attending. It doesn't particularly attest² to any level of accomplishment³. What we're trying to do here is to change the system in the United States from one that is based on the time that is spent in the seat to one that is based on your actual accomplishments⁴."

The state projects will start as early as September of two thousand eleven. They will involve ten to twenty high schools in each of the eight states. The states include Connecticut, Kentucky, Maine and New Hampshire. The others are New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.

Some educators and parents do not like the idea of sending students as young as sixteen off to college, before they may be socially ready.

But Marc Tucker says students who pass the exams could stay in high school and take a demanding set of exams at the upper division level. That program is designed to prepare students for entrance into a competitive⁵ college or university.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has provided more than one million dollars to start the program. Marc Tucker says he expects interest in the idea to grow.

MARC TUCKER:"Our hope is that this will become the way school is in the United States, it will become the dominant⁶ way of going to high school."

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. Does your country use a board examination system? Tell us about it -- post your comments at our newly redesigned Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

 

1 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

2 attest   

vt.证明，证实；表明

参考例句：

• I can attest to the absolute truth of his statement. 我可以证实他的话是千真万确的。
• These ruins sufficiently attest the former grandeur of the place. 这些遗迹充分证明此处昔日的宏伟。

3 accomplishment   

n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能

参考例句：

• The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。
• Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。

4 accomplishments   

n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就

参考例句：

• It was one of the President's greatest accomplishments. 那是总统最伟大的成就之一。
• Among her accomplishments were sewing,cooking,playing the piano and dancing. 她的才能包括缝纫、烹调、弹钢琴和跳舞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 competitive   

adj.竞争的，比赛的，好竞争的，有竞争力的

参考例句：

• Some kinds of business are competitive.有些商业是要竞争的。
• These businessmen are both competitive and honourable.这些商人既有竞争性又很诚实。

6 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。