英语听力—环球英语 1471 The Khan Academy: Learning on the Internet

 　　Voice 1

　　Welcome to Spotlight¹, I’m Liz Waid.

　　Voice 2

　　And I’m Adam Navis. 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

　　What would you like to learn? Do you want to learn about the history of art? Do you want to learn about mathematics² like algebra³ or calculus⁴? Or maybe you would like to learn about how the human body works⁵. Maybe you would like to learn about how money works in the economy⁶.

　　Voice 2

　　To learn all of these things, you would have to go to many different schools. You would have to pay a lot of money. But, what if you could learn all of those things for free? What if you could learn them all in one single place? There is one place that a person can learn all of these things - and more. It is the Khan Academy⁷ on the internet. Some people think it is the future of education. Today’s Spotlight is on the Khan Academy.

　　Voice 1

　　Khan Academy aims to provide a free, high quality, education for any person, in any place. The website includes more than 4000 short videos, or tutorials. The tutorials teach about many different subjects. Each is about ten minutes long. Every month, over 7 million people go to the Khan Academy website to watch tutorials. Students and teachers from around the world use this learning⁸ tool at home and at school.

　　Voice 2

　　Khan Academy began with one man named Salman Khan. Khan’s parents are from Bangladesh and India. But he grew up in the United⁹ States. As a young man, he was a good student. He went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. There, he earned degrees in mathematics, electrical engineering¹⁰, and computer science. Then, he also earned a degree from Harvard Business School. He began to work in business.

　　Voice 1

　　In 2006, Khan began helping¹¹ his young cousins with their mathematics school work. He lived far away from his cousins. So they met over the internet. Khan used a website to draw numbers and pictures. This way his cousins could see and understand better. After a time, he put his tutorial videos onto the website YouTube. There, his cousins could see them any time they wanted. And they could watch them over and over. But Khan noticed that other people were also watching his tutorials on YouTube.

　　Voice 2

　　By 2009, the number of people watching his tutorials on YouTube was getting very large. But Khan was working at his job. He did not have enough time to help all the people watching the tutorials. They were asking many questions. And they wanted more new tutorials. Khan wanted to help them. So he decided¹² to make the tutorials as his job instead. Khan officially began Khan Academy on YouTube. He provided¹³ tutorials on mathematics and other school subjects.

　　Voice 1

　　The tutorials often begin with a black, empty screen. Then you hear Khan’s voice. He explains what you will study in this tutorial. Then, he begins writing on the black screen. He uses different colors to write. And he explains what he is doing.

　　Voice 2

　　People did not have to pay to watch the tutorials. But they could give him money if they wanted to support his work. Some people did give Khan small amounts of money, but he was still struggling. He told radio host Dianne Rehm about a woman who gave him $10,000. This was enough to support the Academy for several months. Khan said:

　　Voice 3

　　“And then a few months later, I got a text message from the woman who gave me the money. She was at a conference¹⁴ where Bill Gates was speaking. She texted me saying ‘Bill Gates is on stage right now. He is telling everyone watching that he uses Khan Academy for his kids. He uses it himself’. That was an exciting and unbelievable event.”

　　Voice 1

　　Bill Gates started the company Microsoft. He is extremely¹⁵ rich. After this talk, his organization, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation¹⁶, began giving money to the Khan Academy. In 2010 the search engine Google gave the Academy money too. They wanted Khan to translate his tutorials into the world’s most common languages. Today, people can see Khan’s tutorials in many different languages.

　　Voice 2

　　The Khan Academy began as a simple way for Khan to help his cousins. But today, it employs 36 people. It includes tutorials on many different subjects. Khan leads many of the tutorials himself. But other experts lead tutorials in their own subjects.

　　Voice 1

　　Some people think that the Khan Academy will be the way more and more people learn in the future. Teachers can use it in their classrooms. Khan believes that Khan Academy will never, and SHOULD never, replace a normal school. But he believes teachers and students can use it to make normal school better.

　　Voice 2

　　Often, teachers in a class must teach many different students together. Some students may understand the subject immediately. Some may take much longer to understand it. When a student learns from the Khan Academy, she can learn at her own speed. She can watch a tutorial as many times as she wants to, until she finally understands it. Then teachers do not have to take time in class to explain a subject. They can begin to USE the knowledge children have learned¹⁷ through the tutorials.

　　Voice 1

　　One of Khan’s main goals is to build a “global one-world classroom”. He wants the Khan Academy to connect students around the world - to help each other learn. One way students connect with each other is through coaches. A coach gives his or her time to help people who do not understand. On the Academy website, people watch the tutorials. Then they can do practice tests to see how much they have learned. If they do not understand an idea or process they can ask a coach for help.

　　Voice 2

　　People from around the world have used the Khan Academy. And many of them say that the Khan Academy changed their lives. One of these people is Deepak S. He told his story on the Khan Academy website. He wrote:

　　Voice 4

　　“I used to hate mathematics until I found Khan Academy. I was so bad, I was failing in my mathematics class for about five weeks. Then, my parents heard about Khan Academy and told me about it. From there, my mathematics grades got much better. When I started Khan Academy the subjects became more and more familiar. Suddenly, I had the best grade in mathematics. I moved into a higher level class too.”

　　Voice 1

　　So what would you like to learn? Have you used the Khan Academy for school or even just to learn something new? Tell us about it! You can leave a comment on the script¹⁸ page of this program.

　　Voice 2

　　The writer of this program was Liz Waid. The producer was Michio Ozaki. The voices you heard were from the United States. All quotes¹⁹ were adapted for this program and voiced by Spotlight. You can listen to this program again, and read it, on the internet at www.radioenglish.net. This program is called, ‘The Khan Academy: Learning on the Internet’.

　　Voice 1

　　You can also find us on Facebook - just search for spotlightradio. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye.

　　- See more at: http://spotlightenglish.com/listen/the-khan-academy-learning-on-the-internet#sthash.Lrx8kUkb.dpuf

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 mathematics   

n.（用作单）数学；（用作单或复）计算(能力）

参考例句：

• He has come out in front in the study of mathematics.他在数学方面已名列前茅。
• She is working at a difficult problem in mathematics.她在做一道数学难题。

3 algebra   

n.代数学

参考例句：

• He was not good at algebra in middle school.他中学时不擅长代数。
• The boy can't figure out the algebra problems.这个男孩做不出这道代数题。

4 calculus   

n.微积分；结石

参考例句：

• This is a problem where calculus won't help at all.对于这一题，微积分一点也用不上。
• After studying differential calculus you will be able to solve these mathematical problems.学了微积分之后，你们就能够解这些数学题了。

5 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。

6 economy   

n.经济；节俭；秩序；机体

参考例句：

• We must do our best to develop the national economy.我们必须努力发展国民经济。
• The country's economy is not very healthy.国家的经济不很景气。

7 academy   

n.(高等)专科院校；学术社团，协会，研究院

参考例句：

• This is an academy of music.这是一所音乐专科学院。
• I visited Chinese Academy of Sciences yesterday.我昨天去访问了中国科学院。

8 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。

9 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。

10 engineering   

n.工程，工程学，管理，操纵

参考例句：

• The science of engineering began as soon as man learned to use tools. 人类一学会使用工具,工程科学就开始了。
• It was the first great engineering works in the world. 这是世界上第一家大型的工程工厂。

11 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

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 provided   

conj.假如，若是；adj.预备好的，由...供给的

参考例句：

• Provided it's fine we will have a pleasant holiday.如果天气良好，我们的假日将过得非常愉快。
• I will come provided that it's not raining tomorrow.如果明天不下雨，我就来。

14 conference   

n.（正式的）会议；讨论

参考例句：

• We're having a conference and we'd like you to sit in.我们将举行一次会议，希望你来旁听。
• The conference will come to a close this afternoon.今天下午会议闭幕。

15 extremely   

adv.极其，非常，极度

参考例句：

• The film is extremely good,I just cannot miss it.这部电影太精彩了，我非看不可。
• The old man was extremely difficult to get along with.这个老人极难相与。

16 foundation   

n.[pl.]地基；基础；基金会；建立，创办

参考例句：

• The foundation of the university took place 600 years ago.这所大学是600年前创办的。
• The Foundation gives money to help artists.那家基金会捐款帮助艺术家。

17 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。

18 script   

n.剧本，广播稿；文字体系；笔迹，手迹

参考例句：

• It's easy to identify his script.他的笔迹容易辨认。
• The script is massaged into final form.这篇稿子经过修改已定稿。

19 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》