EDUCATION REPORT - Geography Competition

EDUCATION REPORT
–
June 6, 2002: Geography Competition

By Jerilyn Watson

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

The National Geographic¹ Society is a private organization that studies and explores the world. In nineteen-
eighty-eight, the Society did a study of what people knew about geography. The results showed that Americans
knew less about places on the Earth than did other people around the world. So the National Geographic Society
started an education campaign² to improve knowledge about geography.

One part of the campaign was a geography competition for school children. Since nineteen-eighty-nine, young
American students have competed for the National Geographic championship.

Final judging of this year’s competition was held in May in Washington³, D.C. The youngest person in the
National Geographic competition won the event. Calvin McCarter of Jenison, Michigan, won twenty-fivethousand
dollars to attend college.

Calvin will have to wait a while to start university studies, however. He is only ten years old. He defeated nine
older students in the final event of the geography competition. An estimated⁴ five-million students took part in
earlier competitions at their schools and at state contests.

Calvin won by correctly saying that the Lop Nur nuclear test center is in China. He does not attend school. His
mother teaches him at home. Eleven others taking part in the final event of the National Geographic competition
also study at home.

The second-place winner was Matthew Russell of Bradford, Pennsylvania. He won
fifteen-thousand dollars for college. Erik Miller⁵ of Kent, Washington won third
place and ten-thousand dollars for college. Matthew and Erik are both fourteen years
old.

The winners answered a number of questions like this one: In what country are the
rivers called Churchill, Slave⁶ and Peace? The answer is Canada. Or, name the two
remaining republics of Yugoslavia. The answer is Serbia and Montenegro. Or,
which country controlled Papua New Guinea before it became independent in
Nineteen-Seventy-Five? The answer is Australia.

The final of the National Geographic competition was broadcast on television. Some adults who watched said
they wished they knew half as much about geography as the children did.

This VOA Special English Education Report was written by Jerilyn Watson.

Email this article to a friend

Printer Friendly Version

(Picture - National Geographic
Society)

1 geographic   

adj.地理学的，地理的

参考例句：

• The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Environmental problems pay no heed to these geographic lines. 环境问题并不理会这些地理界限。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

2 campaign   

n.运动；竞选活动；战役；vi.参加运动；进行竞选；作战

参考例句：

• The election campaign heated up in that state.该州竞选运动激烈起来了。
• The campaign had begun during his absence.在他不在期间运动已经开始了。

3 Washington   

n.华盛顿特区(是美国首都)

参考例句：

• His birthplace is Washington,but he lives in San Francisco.他出生于华盛顿，但住在旧金山。
• They, together with my father,have gone to Washington.他们和我父亲一起去华盛顿了。

4 estimated   

adj．根据估计的

参考例句：

• She estimated the breadth of the lake to be 500 metres. 她估计湖面大约有500米宽。
• The man estimated for the repair of the car. 那人估算了修理汽车的费用。

5 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

6 slave   

n.奴隶，附件，卑鄙的人；vi.拼命工作

参考例句：

• Don't be a slave to custom.不要做风俗习惯的奴隶。
• Why should I slave away all my life!我为什么要辛辛苦苦地干一辈子呀！