英语听力—环球英语 948 Education Without Teachers

 　　Voice 1

　　Welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Robin² Basselin.

　　Voice 2

　　And I'm Ryan Geertsma. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

　　Voice 1

　　Sugata Mitra has a theory about education. He believes that if children are curious, if they have questions and a desire to know more, then they will learn. In fact, he believes that they will learn even if they do not have teachers. Today's Spotlight is on Sugata Mitra and his education theory.

　　Voice 2

　　Mitra began to develop his theory when he was working in New Dehli. He worked for NIIT, a company that uses technology to improve education and training. His office was near a slum⁴ called Kalkaji. Kalkaji is an area of great poverty⁵. Like other slums⁶, it is dirty and the houses are in poor condition. Often, the children do not get a good education. And if the school is too far away, they do not get an education at all.

　　Voice 1

　　Mitra's theory about education led him to think about the curious nature of children. And he thought about different ways to encourage the curiosity⁷ of children, even without teachers. This led him to his work with computers. He believes computers can help improve education in the developing⁸ world. He told The Guardian⁹ Newspaper,

　　Voice 3

　　"There will always be places in the world where good schools do not exist. There will always be places good teachers do not want to go. Places with social and economic difficulties¹⁰. So I look at how technology can improve young children's education, particularly through independent learning¹¹."

　　Voice 2

　　Mitra decided¹² to test his education theory. On January 26, 1999, he cut a hole in a wall of his office. This wall was in the direction of the slum. Then he put a computer in the hole and connected it to power. This computer was for the children of the community. He wanted to know if they would learn just by using a computer and the internet.

　　Voice 1

　　This was the first time any of the children saw a computer. They did not know how to use it. No one showed the children how to use the computer. But the children became interested in the computer very quickly. The children explored the computer. And without any help, they discovered how to use it. The children's success surprised Mitra. So he repeated the experiment in other parts of India. He told The Guardian Newspaper:

　　Voice 3

　　"The Hole in the Wall experiment proved something important. If you encourage individual learning and give children interesting questions to explore, then curiosity quickly starts the learning process."

　　Voice 2

　　In 2001, NIIT started a new project with the International Finance¹³ Corporation¹⁴. Together they called this company Hole in the Wall Education Limited. The purpose of this new company is to continue Dr³. Mitra's work. Hole in the Wall Education Limited is spreading his experiment. There are now more than five hundred Hole in the Wall computers in India and Africa. Hole in the Wall Education Limited also studies the results of the experiments. Then they share their research.

　　Voice 1

　　Since his work started in India, Mitra has moved to the United¹⁵ Kingdom. He is now a professor at Newcastle University. And he is thinking about new ways to use technology for education. But he continues his work in India by teaching¹⁶ a class over the internet. He hopes to do similar things in more areas of India. He hopes that children will learn so much that they can pass government tests - even if they do not have teachers!

　　Voice 2

　　Because of the project's success, Mitra is planning more new experiments. His next project involves schools in the United Kingdom. He wants to see if students there can also learn new information without being taught by a teacher first. Can students find answers without any adult help at all?

　　Voice 1

　　In this project, Mitra works¹⁷ with children ages 8 to 12 years old. When he visits a school he separates¹⁸ the children into small groups. Then he gives them difficult questions about science. Usually, not one of the students is able to answer his question. They have not learned¹⁹ about it yet in school. So Mitra tells the students to do their own research. He permits²⁰ the children to work together. They may talk to other groups. They can even change groups. And the students can use computers. But their teachers do not help.

　　Voice 2

　　Emma Crawley is a teacher at St. Aidan's school in England. Mitra has worked with students in her class. Now Crawley uses Mitra's methods when she teaches. When she teaches a new subject in science she lets the children research it first. In the Guardian newspaper, she gave this advice to other teachers who want to try this method.

　　Voice 4

　　"You have to let go of control a bit. Trust the children. At first, they get excited and move around a lot. Noise levels rise. But then a calm atmosphere will develop. Try not to get involved."

　　Voice 1

　　Mitra also believes his methods will help children think about their future. He says that by letting the children do their own research, they will learn about new jobs.

　　Voice 3

　　"I use the internet to show the children unexpected²¹ heroes. I show them information about people working for NASA – the United States government space program. I show them material about people who give their time in Congo. Then I leave them to do their own research. I do not watch them. People expect the children to treat the technology badly. But they do not. After using the computers as few as 8 or 10 times, the children have new dreams about what to do with their lives."

　　Voice 2

　　Sugata Mitra believes that technology is one way to bring the developed world and the developing world closer together. In a film about his work by the FRONTLINE/World news organization he said,

　　Voice 3

　　"If cyberspace²² or the internet is considered a place, then there are people who are already in it, and people who are not in it ... I think the hole in the wall gives us a method to create an opening, like a door, through which large numbers of children can enter into this new area. When that happens, it will have changed our world forever."

　　Voice 1

　　The writer and producer of this program was Courtney Schutt. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes²³ were adapted and voiced by Spotlight. You can find this program and others on our website www.radio.english.net. You can also find Spotlight on Facebook. Just search for 'Spotlight Radio'. This program is called "Education Without Teachers." We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye!

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

3 Dr   

n.医生，大夫；博士(缩)（= Doctor）

参考例句：

• Dr.Williams instructs us in botany.威廉博士教我们植物学。
• The ward of the hospital is in the charge of Dr.Green.医院的这间病房由格林医生负责。

4 slum   

n.贫民窟，贫民区；vi.（因好奇而）逛贫民区

参考例句：

• These children came from a slum area.这些孩子来自贫民窟区。
• What a wretched existence the people in the slum lead!这个贫民窟里的人们过着多么令人悲惨的生活啊！

5 poverty   

n.贫穷， 贫困， 贫乏， 缺少

参考例句：

• We must continue to war against poverty and disease.我们一定要继续同贫穷和疾病作斗争。
• He showed his poverty in his knowledge of agriculture.他表现出缺乏对农业知识的了解。

6 slums   

n.贫民窟，贫民区( slum的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• These slums are an epitaph to the housing policy of the 1960s. 这些贫民窟是20世纪60年代住房政策的遗迹。
• the poverty and squalor of the slums 贫民窟的贫穷和肮脏

7 curiosity   

n.好奇心，新奇的事物，珍品

参考例句：

• He gave in to curiosity and opened my letter.他抑制不住好奇心，拆开了我的信。
• The children are dying of curiosity to see what's in the parcel.孩子们出于好奇，迫不及待地想看看包裹中是什么东西。

8 developing   

adj.发展中的

参考例句：

• Transport has always been the key to developing trade.运输一直是发展贸易的关键。
• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。

9 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

10 difficulties   

n.困难( difficulty的名词复数 )；难度；难事；麻烦

参考例句：

• I am acutely aware of the difficulties we face. 我十分清楚我们面临的困难。
• the difficulties of English syntax 英语句法的难点

11 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

12 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

13 finance   

n.财务管理，财政，金融，财源，资金

参考例句：

• She is an expert in finance.她是一名财政专家。
• A finance house made a bid to buy up the entire company.一家信贷公司出价买下了整个公司。

14 corporation   

n.公司，企业&n.社团，团体

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation. 这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• The inflation did the corporation up. 通货膨胀使这个公司破产了。

15 united   

adj.和谐的；团结的；联合的，统一的

参考例句：

• The whole nation is closely united.全国人民紧密团结。
• The two men were united by community of interests.共同的利益使两个人结合在一起。

16 teaching   

n.教学，执教，任教，讲授；(复数)教诲

参考例句：

• We all agree in adopting the new teaching method. 我们一致同意采取新的教学方法。
• He created a new system of teaching foreign languages.他创造了一种新的外语教学体系。

17 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

18 separates   

n.可搭配穿着的女服v.分开( separate的第三人称单数 )；（使）分离；区分；隔开

参考例句：

• A chasm separates my generation from my parents'. 分歧使我这一代人不同于我父母那一代。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Bering StraIt'separates Asia and America. 白令海峡隔开了亚洲和美洲。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

20 permits   

许可( permit的名词复数 )； 许可证； 执照

参考例句：

• The building permits are granted by the City Building Department. 建筑许可证由城建局签发。
• This task permits (of) no delay. 这项任务不允许有任何耽搁。

21 unexpected   

adj.想不到的，意外的

参考例句：

• I always keep some good wine in for unexpected guests.我总保存些好酒，用来招待不速之客。
• His promotion was unexpected.他的升迁出人意料。

22 cyberspace   

n.虚拟信息空间，网络空间，计算机化世界

参考例句：

• She travels in cyberspace by sending messages to friends around the world.她利用电子空间给世界各地的朋友们发送信件。
• The teens spend more time in cyberspace than in the real world of friends and family.青少年花费在电脑上的时间比他们和真正的朋友及家人在一起的时间要多。

23 quotes   

v.引用，援引( quote的第三人称单数 )；报价；引述；为（股票、黄金或外汇）报价

参考例句：

• He quotes a few verses from Tennyson in his paper. 他在论文中引用了英国诗人丁尼生的几行诗句。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He quotes (from) the Bible to support his beliefs. 他引用圣经来支持自己的信念。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》