VOA慢速英语2010年-Education Report - For Foreign Student

The number of international students in the United States is at record levels. Last year, more than six hundred seventy thousand foreign students attended an American college or university.

And for the eighth year the school with the largest number was the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

U.S.C. has about six thousand six hundred international students in regular academic programs. One in four graduate students and one in ten undergraduates come from other countries.

(CLASSROOM SOUND)

In a special class, international students meet with American students and learn about American life, says instructor¹ Vincent Vigil.

VINCENT VIGIL: "We are able to have them interact with American students, but then also ask them any sort of simple questions that you may ask another person: 'What do you like to do for fun? Why did you choose U.S.C.? What do you do on the weekends?' Just simple things so that way they get to understand what it means to be an American student."

At the University of Southern California, one in four graduate students and one in ten undergraduates come from other countries.

Sports fans know the University of Southern California for its athletics², but students say they come for the strong academic programs. "Star Wars" director George Lucas got his start at the U.S.C. film school.

The university's ties are strongest with Asia. A Japanese student was in the class of eighteen ninety.

Tony Tambascia, director of the office of international services, says U.S.C. actively³ seeks international students.

TONY TAMBASCIA: "We currently have students from about one hundred fifteen different places of origin around the world. India is first with over fifteen hundred students. We have almost as many from mainland China."

Yuan Si Zhao, from Beijing, is working on her master's degree in communication management.

YUAN SI ZHAO: "I have lots of friends that came to U.S.C. That is the main reason I wanted to come. And then, one of my family friends actually recommended this school when I was little."

Some students come to study business or liberal arts or to attend the university's highly rated engineering school.

Indian engineering student Rahul Khola says the international student population was part of the school's appeal. California's climate is also appealing. But another engineering student from India, Bikramjeet Singh Grewal, says he does not have time for much fun in the sun.

BIKRAMJEET SINGH GREWAL: "Because sometimes you are busy and sometimes your friends are busy. Sometimes your professors make you busy."

Foreign students not only give schools more applicants⁴ to choose from, they also provide money. Undergraduate students from other countries usually pay full tuition at American colleges and universities. Only a small percentage receive financial aid.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, with reporting by Mike O'Sullivan in Los Angeles. Check out our Foreign Student Series for those interested in studying in the United States. voaspecialenglish.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and iTunes at VOA Learning English. I'm Steve Ember.

 

1 instructor   

n.指导者，教员，教练

参考例句：

• The college jumped him from instructor to full professor.大学突然把他从讲师提升为正教授。
• The skiing instructor was a tall,sunburnt man.滑雪教练是一个高高个子晒得黑黑的男子。

2 athletics   

n.运动，体育，田径运动

参考例句：

• When I was at school I was always hopeless at athletics.我上学的时候体育十分糟糕。
• Our team tied with theirs in athletics.在田径比赛中，我们队与他们队旗鼓相当。

3 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

4 applicants   

申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were over 500 applicants for the job. 有500多人申请这份工作。
• He was impressed by the high calibre of applicants for the job. 求职人员出色的能力给他留下了深刻印象。