A College for People with Learning Disabilities1

 

By Nancy Steinbach
Broadcast: Feb 6, 2003

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.
Today we continue our series for foreign students who want to study in the United States. We tell about an American college for students with learning¹ problems.
It is Landmark² College in the northeastern state of Vermont. It was started in nineteen-eighty-four by an expert in educating people who suffer learning disabilities.
People with learning disabilities often cannot think about just one thing for any period of time. Nor can they sit without moving for more than a few minutes. These and other problems interfere³ with their learning in school. It is difficult for them to complete their education. Many experts believe that learning disabilities are caused by chemical problems in the brain. Whatever the cause, officials at Landmark College say they can help.
Landmark College prepares students to continue their education successfully at other colleges. Officials say ninety percent of the students go on to other schools after they finish at Landmark. Students may study at Landmark for one, two or three years. Or they may take summer classes only.
The teaching⁴ at Landmark is different from teaching at other colleges. Teachers use methods planned especially for the students. For example, they may divide a large task into many small ones. Students learn each one, then put them together as a whole.
Classes at Landmark are small. There are between eight and twelve students in each class. The college develops an education plan for each student. And each student has one special teacher who helps him or her study.
This individual2 supervision⁵ is costly⁶. A student pays almost forty-thousand dollars a year to attend Landmark College. This includes the cost of food and living at the school. Students may ask to be considered for financial help.
Three-hundred-sixty students attend Landmark College. This includes students from about twelve foreign countries. The college offers English classes and other services for international students. You can get more information about Landmark College by using a computer. The Internet address is w-w-w dot l-a-n-d-m-a-r-k-c-o-l-l-e-g-e dot o-r-g. (www.landmarkcollege.org)
Or you can write to the Admissions⁷ Office, Landmark College, River Road South, Putney, Vermont, zero-five-three-four-six, U-S-A.

1. disability [7dIsE5bIlItI] n. 无力, 无能, 残疾
2. individual [7IndI5vIdjuEl] adj. 个别的, 单独的, 个人的

1 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。

2 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

3 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

4 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。

5 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

6 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

7 admissions   

n.准许进入( admission的名词复数 )；入场费；入场券；承认

参考例句：

• a need-blind admissions policy 不考虑经济能力的录取政策
• He's the Dean of Admissions for the University of Michigan. 他是Michigan大学的新生注册主任。 来自辞典例句