VOA标准英语2012--First Lady Announces Healthier US School Meals

First Lady Announces Healthier US School Meals

With rates of childhood obesity¹ and hunger on the rise nationwide, the U.S. government has announced new rules for healthier school meals.
First Lady Michelle Obama announced new Department of Agriculture standards for school meals that double the portions of fruits and vegetables, cut the fat and salt, and use more whole grains, rather than white flour or white rice.
“When we send our kids to school, we have a right to expect that they won’t be eating the kind of fatty, salty, sugary foods we’re trying to keep from them when they’re at home,” the first lady said.
The aim is to tackle² two growing problems in the United States and around the world.
On the one hand, rates of childhood obesity have nearly tripled³ in the U.S. since 1980. On the other, two-thirds of the 32 million children in the lunch line rely on government-subsidized or free school meals - more than ever before.
“For many kids whose families are struggling, school meals can be their main or only source of nutrition for the entire day. So when we serve higher quality food in our schools, we’re not just fighting childhood obesity. We’re taking the important steps that are needed to fight childhood hunger as well," Mrs. Obama said.
The new standards get a round of applause⁴ from nutrition advocates like Margo Wootan with the private Center for Science in the Public Interest. “It’s terrific⁵. The new standards from USDA are a very important advancement⁶ for our nation’s kids. It’ll mean healthier school lunches for 32 million kids around the country,” Wootan said.
Wootan says it will cost more to use more fruits and vegetables, leaner meats and whole grains. Schools will get more government funding to help cover the cost. Wootan says it will pay off in the long run.
“That investment is so important. We either pay now or we pay later. Because obesity costs this country about $150 billion a year,” Wootan said.
So while the students at Parklawn got a special visit from the First Lady, school children around the country will get a longer-lasting treat: better meals on their cafeteria trays.

1 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。

2 tackle   

n.工具，复滑车，扭倒；v.处理，抓住

参考例句：

• Don't forget to bring your sports tackle with you tomorrow.别忘了明天带上你的体育用具。
• We have gained sufficient experience to tackle this problem.我们已经有了足够的经验来处理这个问题。

3 tripled   

v.（使）增至三倍( triple的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The enemy tripled his strength. 敌军把兵力增加到原来的三倍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He tripled his income. 他使他的收入增加两倍[增至三倍]。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 applause   

n.鼓掌，喝彩，赞许

参考例句：

• His appearance on the platform was greeted with a burst of applause.他一登上台就博得了一阵热烈的掌声。
• His speech won round after round of enthusiastic applause.他的演讲博得了一阵又一阵的热烈掌声。

5 terrific   

adj.可怕的，极好的，非常的

参考例句：

• The game was terrific.那场比赛棒极了。
• Darren drove at a terrific speed.达伦以惊人的速度驾车。

6 advancement   

n.前进，促进，提升

参考例句：

• His new contribution to the advancement of physiology was well appreciated.他对生理学发展的新贡献获得高度赞赏。
• The aim of a university should be the advancement of learning.大学的目标应是促进学术。