VOA标准英语--Talent Search identifies Top US Student Inno

Some of America's brightest students came to Washington for the 2011 Intel Science Talent Search, the nation's oldest and most prestigious¹ science competition.
The awards ceremony was the culmination² of an intense week during which the 40 finalists were queried³ by judges and the public. They met with scientists, politicians and even President Barack Obama, who welcomed them to the White House.
These high achievers were whittled⁴ down from nearly 2,000 contestants⁵ nationwide, representing excellence⁶ across many disciplines.
"These students bring work that is ready for publication and in many cases has already been published in pretty much any branch of science that you can think of: physics, electrical engineering," says Wendy Hawkins, executive director of the Intel Foundation, which sponsored of the event. "And the projects are deep and rich and insightful."
Those projects contribute serious new scientific data and analysis. Selena Li, a 17-year old first-generation Chinese-American from Sacramento, California, is working on a more effective treatment for liver cancer.
"It is a huge problem in Asia and Africa. The problems with liver cancer is the five year survival rate is 10 percent, whereas for other cancers it's 80 percent or more," says Li. "There is a major lack of viable⁷ treatments for liver cancer so I really wanted to look into that field."
Li began that quest four years ago. She found a mentor⁸ at the University of California who taught her how to design and execute experimental work in the laboratory.
"I researched a new approach to targeting liver cancer by basically starving the cancer cells to death, while leaving the normal cells unaffected," she says. "And to go one step further, I blocked a survival pathway to make the treatment more effective."
University of California Davis
Selina Li, 17, is working on a more effective treatment for liver cancer. She placed fifth in the Intel Science Talent Search.
Li placed fifth in the Intel Science Talent Search, with a $30,000 award. She says the work was time-consuming, but she has no regrets.
"Despite the multiple times I've had to stay in the lab until twelve or come in before school to do my experiments, it was an incredibly rewarding experience. Despite all of the frustrations⁹, I think that I've gotten a lot out of my research experience and I encourage other people to do this."
Scott Boisvert agrees. He's from a suburb of Phoenix¹⁰, Arizona. At 14, he approached the University of Arizona to request time in their laboratory. Over the course of four years he refined a project studying a fungus¹¹ linked to the decline of amphibians¹² across the globe.
"It is actually the largest mass extinction¹³ since the dinosaurs," says Boisvert. "I was trying to see if different chemistry in the environment, different chemicals and substances in the water across Arizona, could potentially kill the fungus and stop its spread and infection of the amphibians."
Courtesy Scott Boisvert
Scott Boisvert, 18, studies a fungus linked to the decline of amphibians worldwide. He placed 10th at the Intel Science Talent Search.
Boisvert collected and tested the water samples. "My results were able to identify a list of the chemicals that were significant in the growth and in the movement of the fungus."
According to Boisvert, his research has been accepted for publication in a professional science journal. He hopes his findings help guide habitat conservation managers around the world. At the Intel Science Talent Search, the work earned him a 10th place finish and a $20,000 award.
"It's been an incredible opportunity for me and really the capstone of all that I've been able to do in high school," Boisvert says.
He and Li both plan to be physicians and medical researchers. Their achievements are a reminder¹⁴ of what high school students can achieve.
"All of these students are scientists," says Hawkins, the talent search executive director. "They have those abilities, that knowledge and that approach to look at the world. These students go on and do wonderful things in ways both expected and unexpected."
Hawkins says the gifted students also serve as examples for others to follow, and represent the next generation of innovators who will shape America's future.

1 prestigious   

adj.有威望的，有声望的，受尊敬的

参考例句：

• The young man graduated from a prestigious university.这个年轻人毕业于一所名牌大学。
• You may even join a prestigious magazine as a contributing editor.甚至可能会加入一个知名杂志做编辑。

2 culmination   

n.顶点；最高潮

参考例句：

• The space race reached its culmination in the first moon walk.太空竞争以第一次在月球行走而达到顶峰。
• It may truly be regarded as the culmination of classical Greek geometry.这确实可以看成是古典希腊几何的登峰造级之作。

3 queried   

v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问

参考例句：

• She queried what he said. 她对他说的话表示怀疑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• \"What does he have to do?\" queried Chin dubiously. “他有什么心事？”琴向觉民问道，她的脸上现出疑惑不解的神情。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

4 whittled   

v.切，削（木头），使逐渐变小( whittle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He whittled a simple toy from the piece of wood. 他把那块木头削成了一个简易的玩具。
• The government's majority has been whittled down to eight. 政府多数票减少到了八票。

5 contestants   

n.竞争者，参赛者( contestant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The competition attracted over 500 contestants representing 8 different countries. 这次比赛吸引了代表8个不同国家的500多名参赛者。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency. 两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 excellence   

n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德

参考例句：

• His art has reached a high degree of excellence.他的艺术已达到炉火纯青的地步。
• My performance is far below excellence.我的表演离优秀还差得远呢。

7 viable   

adj.可行的，切实可行的，能活下去的

参考例句：

• The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
• The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。

8 mentor   

n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导

参考例句：

• He fed on the great ideas of his mentor.他以他导师的伟大思想为支撑。
• He had mentored scores of younger doctors.他指导过许多更年轻的医生。

9 frustrations   

挫折( frustration的名词复数 )； 失败； 挫败； 失意

参考例句：

• The temptation would grow to take out our frustrations on Saigon. 由于我们遭到挫折而要同西贡算帐的引诱力会增加。
• Aspirations will be raised, but so will frustrations. 人们会产生种种憧憬，但是种种挫折也会随之而来。

10 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。

11 fungus   

n.真菌，真菌类植物

参考例句：

• Mushrooms are a type of fungus.蘑菇是一种真菌。
• This fungus can just be detected by the unaided eye.这种真菌只用肉眼就能检查出。

12 amphibians   

两栖动物( amphibian的名词复数 )； 水陆两用车； 水旱两生植物； 水陆两用飞行器

参考例句：

• The skin of amphibians is permeable to water. 两栖动物的皮肤是透水的。
• Two amphibians ferry them out over the sands. 两辆水陆两用车把他们渡过沙滩。

13 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

14 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。