VOA标准英语2010年-US Government Agencies Propose Spendin

According to several educational research studies the United States is falling behind other countries in math and science achievement by middle school and high school students. Now, there's a push by several U.S. federal government agencies -- including the US space agency NASA -- to create programs that will encourage students to study for careers in science and technology.

These students are taking part in experiments designed to test their knowledge and inspire them to concentrate on science, technology, engineering and math.  Charles Bolden, the head of the US space agency, NASA, and Lisa Jackson from the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, came to this Washington, DC middle school to encourage these youngsters to focus on math and science careers.

"If you want to be competitive the more study you have done the better," Bolden said. "The critical part at the end of whatever the level of study you are going to do is to get yourself involved in something that puts you into a laboratory."

 

In the 2011 U.S. federal budget, both NASA and the EPA propose to spend more than $146-million on programs to increase student and teacher proficiency¹ in science and technology disciplines.

"We really need to reach down into the schools as low as possible," he said. "We want middle school kids and their teachers to increase their level of achievement in science and math and for their teachers to increase their level of performance in teaching those subjects."

Efforts to strengthen math and science education come at a time when 15-year-old U.S.students rank 25th in math literacy and 30th in science literacy -- among the 57 countries participating in the Program for International Student Assessment².

Administrator³ Bolden says other studies indicate the United States is not preparing enough students and teachers to meet the demand in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. 

"The nations that lead everybody in math and science education are Finland and the Scandinavian countries and we (the United States) are well behind. President Obama's efforts and his emphasis on education particularly technical education science and math, to want to have every kid in college by 2020, is to be applauded and that's a goal that we at NASA are really going to make sure that he can accomplish," Bolden stated.

NASA is launching a three-year program called "Summer of Innovation." It will target middle school students during their summer recess⁴ to take part in intensive math and science learning programs.  Those will include follow-on activities during the school year. Educators say the goal will be to improve student academic performance in math, science and technology courses, while giving them the tools they need to build lasting⁵ professional careers in a 21st-century, knowledge-based economy.
 

1 proficiency   

n.精通，熟练，精练

参考例句：

• He plied his trade and gained proficiency in it.他勤习手艺，技术渐渐达到了十分娴熟的地步。
• How do you think of your proficiency in written and spoken English?你认为你的书面英语和口语熟练程度如何？

2 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

3 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

4 recess   

n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）

参考例句：

• The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
• Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。

5 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。