VOA慢速英语2015 柬埔寨:严查考试作弊是有效的

Cambodia: No-Cheating Exam Rule Is Working 柬埔寨:严查考试作弊是有效的

The top education official in Cambodia is praising efforts to prevent final-year high school students from cheating on their exams. Minister of Education Hang Chuon Naron says he is sure the results will be better this year than they were for the class of 2014.

Many high school students are hoping the same thing. Last year, 60 percent of students failed after the government launched¹ the "no-cheating" policy².

Cambodia's 88,000 final-year high school students took their exams last month. Many are afraid the government's "no-cheating" policy may hurt their chances of entering a university.

Some students prayed for success. One unhappy student told a Phnom Penh newspaper she hoped people watching the testing would let the student cheat "in a small way, like reading each other's answers." But her hopes did not come true. The "no-cheating" policy was firmly enforced³.

Some cheaters caught

As usual, some students tried to cheat on the exams. A few students were caught with hand-written notes to help aid their memory. One Grade 11 student was arrested after he tried to take the exam for his older brother.

For the most part, it seems, the new rules stopped the cheating that has taken place for years during exams in Cambodia.

Hang Chon Naron is the person responsible⁴ for the "no-cheating" policy. It is an important part of his efforts to reform⁵ education. His goal is to replace the old system – which supported cheating – with a culture of merit⁶ that helps those who work hard.

The education minister started in his current⁷ job two years ago. He thinks the pass rate will be higher this year, partly because students have studied more. Other changes also have helped, including improved teacher training and extra classes.

"We have seen the change in student attitudes – especially we got a report from the schools that they worked harder, they attended the additional⁸ classes on Saturday and Sunday that [were] offered by the teachers."

Changing habits

The minister hopes that honesty⁹ in exam-taking will begin correcting the biggest problem facing the education system: high school graduates who are not ready to fill jobs. The system has long produced graduates who lack the skills that employers¹⁰ need.

"Indeed, you know, we still have insufficiency because for one year working is not enough, because for some subject matter it takes a few years at least – two or three years. But we will see more progress this year compared to last year, and I believe that it is a change of mentality¹¹ from the students. And it sets new habits."

Other changes include better training for teachers, increasing their pay and making improvements¹² to school buildings. Other programs are aimed at improving education for women. As we reported in January, the Asian Development Bank and other donors¹³ are providing the money to help improve Cambodia's education system.

Fixing the problems in the education system will not be easy, says the minister. But he thinks it was good to start by ending cheating on exams. That policy not only shows weaknesses in the system, he says. It also forces students to learn.

"All that spending – like spending on textbooks, spending on more resources¹⁴, even higher salaries of teachers – if the students don't learn then you cannot have [success with] that."

As for the Class of 2015, it seems most students took the new no-cheating policy seriously. They spent extra hours preparing for the exams. They will soon find out whether those efforts helped. A report on the test results is to be released¹⁵ in the middle of September.

Words in This Story

merit – n. a good quality or feature that deserves¹⁶ to be praised

attitude – n. the way you think and feel about someone or something

insufficiency – adj. not having or providing enough of what is needed

mentality – n. a particular way of thinking

1 launched   

v.发射( launch的过去式和过去分词 )；[计算机]开始（应用程序）；发动；开展（活动、计划等）

参考例句：

• He launched a bitter diatribe against the younger generation. 他对年轻一代发起了猛烈的抨击。
• The product was launched amid much fanfare worldwide. 这个产品在世界各地隆重推出。

2 policy   

n.政策，方针，保险单

参考例句：

• This policy is very tough.这个政策是很强硬的。
• The country has always pursued a policy of peace.该国一直奉行和平政策。

3 enforced   

n.强迫的v.实施( enforce的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；强迫；强制执行

参考例句：

• a period of enforced absence 不得不离开的一段时间
• This reform must be enforced. 此项改革势在必行。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 responsible   

adj.有责任的，应负责的；可靠的，可信赖的；责任重大的；vi.休息，睡；静止，停止

参考例句：

• He must be responsible to me for this matter.这件事他必须对我负责。
• The police are responsible for the preservation of law and order.警察负责维持法律与秩序。

5 reform   

n.改革，改正，感化；vt.改革，改过，革新，改善，重新组成；vi.革新，改过，重组

参考例句：

• All their efforts at reform have been set back.他们所有的改革努力都遭受到挫折。
• Frankly speaking,I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

6 merit   

n.优点，价值，功绩，成绩；vt.值得

参考例句：

• There is great merit in dealing fairly with your employees.公正地对待你的雇员有极大好处。
• History affords us lessons that merit attention.历史给我们提供了值得注意的借鉴。

7 current   

n.涌流，趋势，电流，水流，气流；adj.当前的，通用的，流通的，现在的，草写的，最近的

参考例句：

• Electric current is often powerful enough to kill a man.电流常强得足以致命。
• There is a story about her in the current number.最近一期上有关于她的故事。

8 additional   

adj.添加的，额外的，另外的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to set down these additional rules.有必要制定这些补充规则。
• I think we can fit in an additional room.我想我们可以再加建一间房子。

9 honesty   

n.诚实，公正，正直

参考例句：

• I would never question his honesty.我绝不会怀疑他的诚实。
• All respect him for his honesty.他为人诚实，大家都尊敬他。

10 employers   

雇主( employer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Employers must consider all candidates impartially and without bias. 雇主必须公平而毫无成见地考虑所有求职者。
• The onus is on employers to follow health and safety laws. 雇主有义务遵行健康安全法。

11 mentality   

n.心理，思想，脑力

参考例句：

• He has many years'experience of the criminal mentality.他研究犯罪心理有多年经验。
• Running a business requires a very different mentality from being a salaried employee.经营企业所要求具备的心态和上班族的心态截然不同。

12 improvements   

增加或修改( improvement的名词复数 )； 改进； 改善； 改良

参考例句：

• improvements in efficiency at the factory 工厂效率的提高
• They've spent a lot of money on home improvements. 他们花了很多钱装修家居。

13 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 resources   

n.勇气；才智；谋略；有助于实现目标的东西；资源( resource的名词复数 )；[复数]物力；办法；来源

参考例句：

• The world's resources are rapidly diminishing. 世界资源正在迅速减少。
• a policy to equalize the distribution of resources throughout the country 使资源在全国分布均衡的政策

15 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。

16 deserves   

v.应受，应得，值得( deserve的第三人称单数 )；应受报答；应得报酬；应得赔偿

参考例句：

• A wilful fault has no excuse and deserves no pardon. 不能宽恕故意犯下的错误。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is the only poet in this country that deserves the name. 他是这个国家唯一的一位名副其实的诗人。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》