Cyberschools

By Jerilyn Watson
Broadcast: July 10, 2003
This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Education Report.
About twenty-one-thousand young people in seventeen American states do not attend classes in school buildings. Instead, they receive their elementary and high school education by working from home on computers. The Center for Education Reform says the United States has sixty-seven public “1)cyberschools.” The center says that is about two times as many as two years ago.
The money for students to attend a cyberschool comes from the public school systems where they live. Some experts say cyberschools receive money that should support traditional public schools. They also say it is difficult to know if students are learning well.
Other experts praise electronic education for letting students work at their own speed. These people say cyberschools help students who were unhappy or unsuccessful in traditional schools. They say learning at home by computer ends long bus rides for children who live far from school.
Whatever the judgment¹ of cyberschools, they are growing in popularity². For example, a new cyberschool called 2)Commonwealth³ Connections Academy will 3)launch classes this fall. It will serve children in the state of Pennsylvania from ages five through thirteen. The state's Department of Education gave the academy a three-year charter⁵, an agreement permitting the school to operate.
Teachers and a director will operate the academy's educational program from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Academy experts in Baltimore, Maryland will manage subject materials and technical services. Connections Academy already has opened three cyberschools. The academy is a private company that is part of the Sylvan⁴ Learning Centers. The centers have been developing educational programs for more than twenty years.
Children get free equipment for their online education. This includes a computer, printer, books and technical services. Parents and students communicate with teachers by telephone or by immediate⁶ message systems on their computers.
Students at cyberschools usually do not know one another. But fifty-six such students who finished studies at Western Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School recently met for the first time. They were guests of honor at their graduation 4)ceremony.
This VOA Special English Education Report was written by Jerilyn Watson. This is Steve Ember.
注释：
1) cyberschool [5saibEsku:l] n.网校
2) commonwealth [5kCmEnwelW] n.国民整体, 共和国, 联邦
3) launch [lC:ntF] vt.开办
4) ceremony [5serimEni] n.典礼, 仪式

1 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

2 popularity   

n.普及，流行，名望，受欢迎

参考例句：

• The story had an extensive popularity among American readers.这本小说在美国读者中赢得广泛的声望。
• Our product enjoys popularity throughout the world.我们的产品饮誉全球。

3 commonwealth   

n.共和国，联邦，共同体

参考例句：

• He is the chairman of the commonwealth of artists.他是艺术家协会的主席。
• Most of the members of the Commonwealth are nonwhite.英联邦的许多成员国不是白人国家。

4 sylvan   

adj.森林的

参考例句：

• Venerable oaks forms a sylvan archway.古老的栎树形成一条林荫拱道。
• They lived in a sylvan retreat.他们住在一个林中休养地。

5 charter   

n.特许状，执照，宪章；v.特许，发给特许执照

参考例句：

• This new law amounts to a tax evader's charter.这项新法律简直成了为逃税者开的许可证。
• We will charter a steamer to convey the goods.我们将租一艘船运送这批货物。

6 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。