VOA标准英语2010年-US on Front Lines of Demographic Trans

The U.S. population has passed the 300-million mark in the past decade, with non-white groups accounting¹ for most of that growth.  A new study of census² data for 100 major metropolitan³ areas in the U.S. shows that many black, Asian, Hispanic, foreign-born and single people are moving to the suburbs, once populated mostly by white middle-class families with children.

 Annandale High School has more than 2500 students, from 85 countries.  They speak more than 40 languages.  The number of students has grown so much in the past decade that many classes take place in a trailer park behind the main building.

 The school has five full-time⁴ employees to help new immigrants.  They're fluent in Vietnamese, Spanish and Korean. Honduran-born Dinora Gonzalez is a liaison⁵ for Hispanic families.

"I deal mostly with low-income families and they don't speak English so they call me for any issue in the school and I get in touch with the school staff, like counselors⁶, teachers and vice⁷ versa," said Gonzalez

Annandale High opened its doors in 1954 to a few hundred white students.  Almost all of the residents in the vicinity were white middle-class families with children.

Catherine Quigley's family moved into the neighborhood in 1962.    All of her three children attended Annandale High.

"When my son graduated in 1977 there were about 680 students.  Of that 680, one person was African-American," noted⁸ Quigley.

Quigley is one of many original residents who have stayed in the neighborhood as they've aged⁹.  She says most of her neighbors now are Asians, Hispanics and Middle Easterners.  Many of them do not speak English.  And she says some of the community spirit has been lost.

"It was a real neighborhood when we moved here, even though people were from all over the country," she said.  "They had come from cities or villages or towns where it was just expected that you were part of a community.  Now it's not."

But she has made friends with a Palestinian family from Lebanon who moved across the road six years ago.

Joseph Moura took his family out of Lebanon ten years ago, after his brother, a policeman, was killed in political violence.  He says Annandale has everything his family needs.

"First, my wife does not drive here. She does not have a driver's license¹⁰.  Here the shopping is close.  Everything is - gas, laundry - everything is close-by here.  So she can even walk," Moura said.

Moura was a well-paid chef in Lebanon, but he had to change his profession to be able to support his family in America.  Today he runs a small construction business. Like Moura, immigrants have to adjust to a new life, but they also have a profound impact on the United States. William Frey is a demographer¹¹ at Washington's Brookings Institution.

"People from other parts of the world - Latin America and Asia - are bringing different languages, different cultures and different ways of doing things to this country," noted Frey.

Frey says immigrants, who used to settle in major entry ports, such as New York, Miami and Los Angeles, are now moving into many other metropolitan areas.  And suburbs, especially those with good schools, attract families with young children.  Frey says governments, schools, employers, and politicians running for office will have to connect with these new immigrants. Many Americans are already doing that.
 

1 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。

2 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

3 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

4 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

5 liaison   

n.联系，（未婚男女间的）暖昧关系，私通

参考例句：

• She acts as a liaison between patients and staff.她在病人与医护人员间充当沟通的桥梁。
• She is responsible for liaison with researchers at other universities.她负责与其他大学的研究人员联系。

6 counselors   

n.顾问( counselor的名词复数 )；律师；（使馆等的）参赞；（协助学生解决问题的）指导老师

参考例句：

• Counselors began an inquiry into industrial needs. 顾问们开始调查工业方面的需要。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We have experienced counselors available day and night. ) 这里有经验的法律顾问全天候值班。） 来自超越目标英语 第4册

7 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

10 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

11 demographer   

n.人口统计学家

参考例句：

• Professor Antonio Golini is a demographer at the University of Rome. 罗马大学安东尼奥教授是位人口统计学家。 来自互联网
• Demographer William Frey says immigrants with young families will help keep the United States competitive. 人口统计学家佛瑞表示这些年轻的家庭会帮助美国保持竞争力。 来自互联网