VOA慢速英语 2008 1204a

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

Many American colleges and universities require applications for the fall term to be completed by January first. But some have deadlines of December first. So this was a fitting¹ week for a research group in California to release² its latest "national report card on higher education." The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education calls it "Measuring Up."

The report says the price of college has increased more than four hundred percent since nineteen eighty-two. Costs have climbed much faster than other prices -- as well as the wages of average families.

The group warns that a continuation of these trends would put higher education beyond the reach of most Americans. And it would mean greater debt for those who do go to college.

The report also expresses concern that the United States is losing its leadership in sending young people to college. Earlier progress can be seen in the percentage of Americans age thirty-five and older who have a college degree. In a comparison³ of twenty-nine countries, the United States is second, after Canada.

But today other countries are making progress more quickly. The United States is tenth in the percentage of college-educated adults age twenty-five to thirty-four. And it is seventh in the percentage of eighteen to twenty-four year olds in college.

Also, a lot of students drop out. The report says college completion "has never been a strength" of American higher education. Among the twenty-nine countries, the United States is fifteenth in college completion rates.

Completing college first requires getting admitted. This week in our Foreign Student Series, we begin a discussion⁴ of entrance tests.

Advisers⁵ say a student's high school record is the most important consideration. But most American schools require one of the two major college-entrance tests.

The SAT measures reasoning skills in math and language and includes an essay question.

The four-hour test costs forty-five dollars. The international processing charge is twenty-six -- plus an extra twenty-three dollars in India and Pakistan.

Students may also need to take subject tests. Information about the SAT can be found online at collegeboard.com.

Next time, we will talk about the other major test, the ACT-- and about schools that do not require either. And we will discuss the TOEFL, the Test of English as a Foreign Language.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. I'm Steve Ember.

1 fitting   

n.[pl.]设备，家具，配件，试穿；adj.适合的

参考例句：

• I'm going to a fitting tomorrow.明天我要去试穿新衣。
• The President's address was a fitting end to a bitter campaign.总统的讲话为一场激烈的竞选运动适时画上了句号。

2 release   

vt.发布，发表，发行；释放，放开

参考例句：

• After my examination I had a feeling of release.考完试后我有如释重负之感。
• This medicine will give you release from pain.这药吃后会解除你的疼痛。

3 comparison   

n.比较，对照；比拟，比喻

参考例句：

• They make a comparison of New York to a beehive.他们把纽约比作一个蜂巢。
• This dress is really cheaper by comparison.比较起来，这件衣服确实便宜。

4 discussion   

n.讨论，谈论；论述

参考例句：

• It is certain he will come to the discussion.他肯定会来参加讨论。
• After months of discussion,a peace agreement is gradually taking shape.经过几个月的商讨，和平协议渐渐有了眉目。

5 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。