柬埔寨为教育计划选拔有前途儿童

Most Promising¹ Children Chosen for Program in Cambodia 柬埔寨为教育计划选拔有前途儿童

A group of 50 Cambodian schoolchildren are trying a program to develop young people who can improve the country.

They are working to develop a model program that can be repeated in other countries.

In 2012, teachers and staff from the Liger Learning² Center interviewed hundreds of children across Cambodia. They wanted to find the most promising students. They chose 25 boys and 25 girls. The Liger Learning Center paid for all of the students’ education and living costs.

Most of Liger's 50 students are from poor families. Cambodia has a weak public education system. Children of low-earning families have little chance to receive a quality education.

The Liger school wants to change that for these 50 students. Next year, they want to add 50 more students. Over time, they want to change education for the whole country.

U.S. businessman Trevor Gile, who started the school with his wife, was in Cambodia last week. He said that the goal of the school is to help people help themselves, instead of just giving them money. That means those who attend the school have to give something back.

Education in Cambodia is slowly improving. But the education minister has a very big job ahead.

Teaching³ methods at government schools are based on rote⁴ learning, memorization of subjects in order to pass exams.

Mr. Gile’s wealth means that Liger is ahead of other schools.  Each Liger student, for instance⁵, has a laptop. The school uses a more modern teaching style. Students often do group projects and take class trips.

Thirteen-year-old Seiha was chosen. His parents, who have very little money, were happy. Seiha worked with a team of Liger students to write a book about Cambodia's wildlife. Another book the Liger students wrote about the economy will be used in schools across the country.

Trevor Gile says, in the end, the Liger Learning Center is about more than helping⁶ Cambodia to move forward.

Mr. Gile is happy with the progress so far. He says he is sure Liger will show the results it promises. Then, he says, other individuals and organizations will want to expand the idea.

Trevor Gile expects that by 2025 there will be at least 10 Liger schools in the region⁷ and beyond.

By then, this class of 12- and 13-year-olds will have graduated. If all goes as planned, they will be using the skills they are learning here to help Cambodia move forward.

Words in This Story

experimental⁸ – adj. made or done in order to see how well something works⁹

scholarship – n. an amount of money that is given by a school, an organization, etc., to a student to help pay for the student's education

take the world by storm – idiom. Have great and rapid success in a particular place or with a particular group of people

not by a long shot – idiom. Not even close

rote learning – n.  the process of learning something by repeating it many times without thinking about it or fully¹⁰ understanding it

experiential learning – n. the process of learning through experience or "learning through reflection¹¹ on doing".

wildlife – n. animals living in nature: wild animals

pet project  – n. a favorite personal project

region – n. a part of a country, of the world, etc., that is different or separate from other parts in some way

1 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

2 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。

3 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。

4 rote   

n.死记硬背，生搬硬套

参考例句：

• Learning by rote is discouraged in this school.这所学校不鼓励死记硬背的学习方式。
• He recited the poem by rote.他强记背诵了这首诗。

5 instance   

n.例，例证，实例

参考例句：

• Can you quote me a recent instance?你能给我举一个最近的例子吗？
• He's a greedy boy,yesterday,for instance,he ate all our biscuits!他是个贪吃的孩子――比如，他昨天把我们的饼干都吃了！

6 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。

7 region   

n.地区，地带，区域；范围，幅度

参考例句：

• The students went to study the geology of that region.学生们去研究那个地区的地质情况。
• It is unusual to see snow in this region.这个地区难得见到雪。

8 experimental   

adj.实验的，用作实验的，根据实验的

参考例句：

• This trip will be only experimental.这次旅行只是试验性的。
• The experimental farm is near the waterpower station.实验农场靠近水电站。

9 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。

10 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

11 reflection   

n.映象，倒影；反射；反映；非议；深思

参考例句：

• The reflection of the sun on the glass wall was blinding.玻璃墙上反射的太阳光令人目眩。
• One can see the reflection of the tower in the water.塔的影子倒映在水中。