英语听力—环球英语 1369 The Asian University for Women

 　　Voice 1

 

　　Welcome to Spotlight¹. I’m Ryan Geertsma.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　And I’m Liz Waid. 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

 

　　Chogyel Wangmo and Bayan Hisham Salaymeh are two very different young women. Wangmo is from the country of Bhutan. Salaymeh is from the Palestinian territories². As children, they lived in different cultures and spoke⁴ different languages. But now, Wangmo and Salaymeh have something in common. They attend the same all-women’s, English language university.  It is called the Asian University for Women, or AUW.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　AUW is in Chittagong, Bangladesh.  However, its students come from all over Asia.  This diversity⁵ is one thing many students like about AUW.  Salaymeh told the New York Times newspaper,

 

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　　“I had never been in a place with so much diversity before.”

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Diversity is important to AUW.  So is a quality education.  AUW’s goal is to help young, Asian women achieve a strong education that will help them better serve their home countries.  But this has not been easy.  Since AUW opened in 2008, it has experienced⁶ both success and failure. Today’s Spotlight is on the Asian University for Women.

 

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　　The Asian University for women was started by Kamal Ahmad.  Ahmad was born in Bangladesh. He went to university in the United⁷ States. And he worked for many years as a court official or lawyer.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　In 2000, Ahmad began working with the World Bank and the United Nation’s cultural organization, UNESCO.  He was part of their Task Force on Higher Education and Society. Ahmad worked to educate people about the importance of higher education in developing⁸ societies.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Through his work, Ahmad decided⁹ to start a university in his home country of Bangladesh. Ahmad saw a need for higher education, particularly among women.  In the last 30 years, more and more Asian women have been attending university.  However, the numbers are still low.  UNESCO reports that in 2009 only 28% of women in Asia attended university.  Ahmed wanted to change this.  He told the Boston Globe news organization,

 

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　　"Women's education is the most effective way to bring about social and economic change."

 

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　　Ahmad knew that many women wanted to attend university. But he recognized that a lack of money often kept them from achieving an education. So, in 2006, Ahmad stopped working as a lawyer.  He began raising money to start the Asian University for Women.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　By 2008, Ahmad had raised enough money to open AUW and provide free education for over 100 students.  He had found expert teachers from around the world.  And AUW began accepting students.  Ahmad told the New York Times newspaper how the university chooses students:

 

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　　“We look for a light in their eyes. We look for courage  and for a sense of anger at injustice¹⁰.  We look for mercy¹¹ and a sense that they are moved by the problems of other people.”

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　AUW hopes students will return to their home countries after they finish their studies. They want students to work for social change within their own communities.

 

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　　The story of AUW’s beginning is amazing.  Ahmad had a huge dream.  And he worked hard to achieve his dream.  However, AUW has had many struggles in its first four years.  Ahmad had very little experience managing a university. Many of the new AUW teachers left after only a few months at the school.  And since AUW opened, the university has had three different “vice¹² chancellors” - or leaders. After the third vice chancellor¹³ left, Ahmad led the school himself.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　In early 2012, Paul Coleman, a former employee¹⁴ at the university, told New Age newspaper,

 

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　　“Mr. Ahmad has a lot of dreams as the founder¹⁵ of the university. But he lacks the management skills and moral¹⁶ sense to run the liberal¹⁷ arts college.”

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　After these public comments, AUW admitted that they made mistakes.  Jack Meyer is the former president of the organization that raises money for AUW.  In a letter to AUW supporters¹⁸, he wrote:

 

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　　“Starting a good quality university for women in Bangladesh is not an easy thing to do. Mistakes were made. I made mistakes. Kamal Ahmad made mistakes.”

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Ahmad wrote a letter to the New Age newspaper. He said,

 

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　　“Looking back, I wish I had been more patient and more careful in my communications. I apologize for these failings. But, these human failings should not decrease either the promise of AUW or my devotion to its success.”

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　After apologizing, AUW also made major changes.  The university formed a board of trustees - a group of people that helps make decisions about the university.  In April of 2012, the board also announced that Dr³. Fahima Aziz would be AUW’s new vice chancellor.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Even through its struggles, AUW has experienced success. AUW now has over 500 students.  And in May 2013, it will celebrate the graduation of their first class of students.

 

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　　After graduation, many students will continue studying at other universities to receive higher degrees. This is Sumpa Sarkar’s hope.  Sarkar is an AUW student from Bangladesh.  After she graduates from AUW, she wants to get her doctorate¹⁹ degree.  She hopes to use this degree to teach political²⁰ science.  She told the New York Times,

 

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　　“I want to share my knowledge with other people.”

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Other students hope to return to their home countries after they graduate.  They hope to get jobs and begin working.  Salaymeh, from the beginning of this program, plans to return to the Palestinian territories.  She told the New York Times:

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　“I cannot think of another place on earth that needs my help as much as my home country.”

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Past AUW teachers and workers have also decided to start another women’s university in South Asia. This university will be called the Asian University of Leadership for Women or AULW. AULW will be in Malaysia.  And it will have an even more specific²¹ goal than the AUW. It will train women to become leaders. These women will work in government, politics²² and for organizations in their home countries.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　The future of AULW will likely be difficult.  Like AUW, it will probably experience both struggles and successes.  However, together universities like AUW and AULW hope to improve economies²³ and countries all over Asia.  They believe, like Kamal Ahmad, in the power of women to change the world.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　The writer of this program was Dianna Anderson. The producer was Michio Ozaki. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. You can listen to this program again, and read it, on the internet at http://www.radioenglish.net This .program is called, “The Asian University For Women.”

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　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 territories   

n.领土( territory的名词复数 )；（某人负责的）地区；（个人、群体、动物等占据的）领域；地盘

参考例句：

• Canada is divided into 10 provinces and 2 territories. 加拿大分为十个省和两个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He careened through foreign territories on a desperate kind of blitz. 在孤注一掷地闪电战中他猛冲过外国领地。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 diversity   

n.差异，多样性；vt.使不同，使多样化

参考例句：

• Our party believes in encouraging cultural diversity,not diversion.我们党鼓励多种文化，而不是文化分歧。
• His object is to gather as great a diversity of material as possible.他的目标就是尽可能多地搜集各种材料。

6 experienced   

adj.有经验的；经验丰富的，熟练的

参考例句：

• Experienced seamen will advise you about sailing in this weather.有经验的海员会告诉你在这种天气下的航行情况。
• Perhaps you and I had better change over;you are more experienced.也许我们的工作还是对换一下好，你比我更有经验。

7 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。

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 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。

10 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

11 mercy   

n.仁慈，宽恕，怜悯

参考例句：

• Mercy to the enemies means cruelty to the people.对敌人的仁慈就意味着对人民的残忍。
• It is a mercy that you did not go.你幸好没有去。

12 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。

13 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

14 employee   

n.职员，员工，受雇人员

参考例句：

• Each employee received a like bonus.每个雇员都得到了相同数目的奖金。
• They brought around a new employee this morning.他们今天早晨请来了一位新雇员。

15 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

16 moral   

adj.道德(上)的，有道德的；n.品行，寓意，道德

参考例句：

• Moral beauty ought to be ranked above all other beauty.品德之美应列于其他美之上。
• He deceived us into believing that he could give us moral support.他骗得我们相信他能给我们道义上的支持。

17 liberal   

adj.心胸宽阔的；自由(主义)的；慷慨的

参考例句：

• He has a liberal attitude to divorce and remarriage.他对离婚和再婚看得很开。
• This country adopts a liberal foreign policy.该国采用的是开放的外交政策。

18 supporters   

n.支持者，拥护者，赞助者( supporter的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a battalion of supporters 由支持者组成的队伍
• Thousands of supporters converged on London for the rally. 成千上万的支持者从四面八方汇聚伦敦举行集会。

19 doctorate   

n.(大学授予的)博士学位

参考例句：

• He hasn't enough credits to get his doctorate.他的学分不够取得博士学位。
• Where did she do her doctorate?她在哪里攻读博士？

20 political   

adj.政治上的，政党的，政略性的，政治的

参考例句：

• He was forced to leave his homeland for political reasons.因为政治原因他被迫离开自己的祖国。
• In ideas those two political parties are worlds apart.那两个政党在思想上有巨大分歧。

21 specific   

adj.明确的；具体的；特定的

参考例句：

• The money is to be used for specific purposes.这笔钱有专门用途。
• We haven't fixed a specific date for our meeting.我们会议的具体日期还没有定下来。

22 politics   

n.政治，政治学；政纲，政见，策略

参考例句：

• They seldom talk on politics in those days.那时人们很少谈论政治。
• The two brothers differed about politics.这兄弟俩政见不同。

23 economies   

n.节约( economy的名词复数 )；经济；经济情况；经济结构

参考例句：

• A customs union would integrate the economies of these countries. 关税联盟会把这些国家的经济紧密结合在一起。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Economies have peaks and troughs. 经济有高峰，也有低谷。 来自辞典例句