Head Start Testing

By Jerilyn Watson

Broadcast: November 13, 2003

This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Education Report.
Four-year-old children in Head Start programs throughout the United States are taking a test. This test is meant to show if Head Start is succeeding in its goal. The goal is to make sure children from poor families are as prepared to begin school as other children.
The four-year-olds are being tested for their ability to recognize simple words and letters in the 1)alphabet. They are also being tested for their skills with numbers. Federal¹ education officials say the test will help the Head Start program improve. The officials will compare the performance of the children against national averages in early arithmetic, reading and writing.
Head Start began almost forty years ago. The children are between the ages of three and five. They receive free preparation for their first year in school. Some spend half a day in Head Start, others a full day. Still others take part in a program of home visits.
Local non-profit organizations operate the programs. The government spends more than six-and-a-half thousand-million dollars a year to pay for Head Start.
Federal officials say 2)close to a million children throughout the country take part in the programs.
Wade² Horn leads the Head Start program for the government. Mister³ Horn says the test is designed to learn which kinds of programs help children the most.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services released⁴ a report on Head Start in June. The agency⁵ compared Head Start children with children from average, middle-income families. It said the Head Start children are not as ready for school as the others. But some educators criticize⁶ the idea that one year in Head Start could raise poor children to average levels. Some also criticize parts of the test. For example, critics noted⁷ that the children are asked to point to a picture of a "swamp⁸." They say a lot of children, especially from cities, might not know that a swamp is a wetland area with grass.
Still, even some educators who oppose the test agree with federal officials that Head Start needs to do better to prepare children for school. Currently⁹, local programs decide what they want to teach. Many have placed major importance on health, 3)nutrition and social development. In recent years, federal managers of Head Start have been telling programs to place more importance on basic skills needed for school.
This VOA Special English Education Report was written by Jerilyn Watson. This is Steve Ember.

注释：
1) alphabet [5A:lfEbit] n.字母表
2) close to  接近于
3) nutrition [nju:5triFEn] n.营养，营养学

1 federal   

adj.联盟的；联邦的；(美国)联邦政府的

参考例句：

• Switzerland is a federal republic.瑞士是一个联邦共和国。
• The schools are screaming for federal aid.那些学校强烈要求联邦政府的援助。

2 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

3 mister   

n.(略作Mr.全称很少用于书面)先生

参考例句：

• Mister Smith is my good friend.史密斯先生是我的好朋友。
• He styled himself " Mister Clean ".他自称是“清廉先生”。

4 released   

v.释放( release的过去式和过去分词 )；放开；发布；发行

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• With hindsight it is easy to say they should not have released him. 事后才说他们本不应该释放他，这倒容易。

5 agency   

n.经办；代理；代理处

参考例句：

• This disease is spread through the agency of insects.这种疾病是通过昆虫媒介传播的。
• He spoke in the person of Xinhua News Agency.他代表新华社讲话。

6 criticize   

vt.批评；批判，指责；评论，评价

参考例句：

• Whenever you criticize him,he always has an excuse.你批评他，他总有说头儿。
• You are free to criticize my work.你可以随意批评我的工作。

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 swamp   

n.沼泽，湿地；v.淹没，陷于沼泽

参考例句：

• The swamp teems with mosquitoes.这片沼泽地蚊子多极了。
• The water in the swamp is foul.沼泽中的水很臭。

9 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。