VOA标准英语2015--奥巴马宣布筹款加强数理化教学

Obama Announces New Funds to Expand Science Education 奥巴马宣布筹款加强数理化教学

WASHINGTON—

President Barack Obama has announced nearly a quarter-billion dollars in new pledges to support the study of science, technology, engineering and math, a group of fields jointly¹ called STEM. At the White House Science Fair Monday, the president stressed the importance of private sector² efforts to encourage more students from underrepresented groups to pursue science studies.

President Obama viewed exhibits that sprawled³ through several rooms, and he stopped to discuss projects with the students. A group of Girl Scouts⁴ showed him a prototype of a battery-run page turner to help paralyzed people or those suffering from arthritis⁵.

A high school student from New Mexico showed the president how algae⁶ can be used to produce a sustainable energy infrastructure⁷ at low cost.

"I utilized⁸ a chemical reaction and sort of created a reaction so as to demonstrate a net energy gain, and I do that by eliminating the most energy-expensive step of the process," said the student.

President Obama told the audience afterwards that the young inventors have something to teach us all. 

"These young scientists and engineers teach us something beyond specific topics that they are exploring. They teach us how to question assumptions, to wonder why something is the way it is and how we can make it better, and they remind us that there's always something more to learn, and to try and to discover, and to imagine, and that it's never too early or too late to create or discover something new," said Obama.

More than 100 students from 30 states, representing more than 40 science competitions and organizations, participated in this year's fair. President Obama encouraged them to continue inventing and innovating⁹.  But he said the United States must encourage more young people to engage in scientific innovation.

"So, five years ago we launched a campaign called 'Educate to Innovate,' to help more of our students explore science, technology, engineering and math.  Today, I'm pleased to announce $240 million in new contributions from businesses, from schools, from foundations across the country to help kids learn in these STEM fields," said Obama. 

President Obama said no young person should miss out on the opportunity to excel in science because of a lack of funds.  He said with the new pledges, universities and corporations have committed up to $1 billion to help expand high-quality science and technology education in the country.

1 jointly   

ad.联合地，共同地

参考例句：

• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。
• She owns the house jointly with her husband. 她和丈夫共同拥有这所房子。

2 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

3 sprawled   

v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的过去式和过去分词)；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）

参考例句：

• He was sprawled full-length across the bed. 他手脚摊开横躺在床上。
• He was lying sprawled in an armchair, watching TV. 他四肢伸开正懒散地靠在扶手椅上看电视。

4 scouts   

侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员

参考例句：

• to join the Scouts 参加童子军
• The scouts paired off and began to patrol the area. 巡逻人员两个一组，然后开始巡逻这个地区。

5 arthritis   

n.关节炎

参考例句：

• Rheumatoid arthritis has also been linked with the virus.风湿性关节炎也与这种病毒有关。
• He spent three months in the hospital with acute rheumatic arthritis.他患急性风湿性关节炎，在医院住了三个月。

6 algae   

n.水藻，海藻

参考例句：

• Most algae live in water.多数藻类生长在水中。
• Algae grow and spread quickly in the lake.湖中水藻滋蔓。

7 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

8 utilized   

v.利用，使用( utilize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• In the19th century waterpower was widely utilized to generate electricity. 在19世纪人们大规模使用水力来发电。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The empty building can be utilized for city storage. 可以利用那栋空建筑物作城市的仓库。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 innovating   

v.改革，创新( innovate的现在分词 )；引入（新事物、思想或方法），

参考例句：

• In this new century, the company keeps innovating and developing new products. 新世纪伊始，公司全面实施形象工程及整合营销，不断改革创新，开发高新产品。 来自互联网
• Beijing is backward most prime cause is innovating at system lack. 北京落后的最根本原因在于制度缺乏创新。 来自互联网