VOA慢速英语2020--菲律宾偏远山区用三轮车教室授课

Three-Wheeled Classroom Comes to Philippine Tribe¹

The Aeta people live in distant mountainous parts of the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The coronavirus pandemic forced their schools to close earlier this year. A group of teachers living nearby worried about the effect on children. So, they started to deliver school materials in a new way.

No internet or television

Other students in the Philippines have been able to take online classes. But Aeta people living in the mountains north of Manila have no internet connection - or even television – for distance learning.

Christopher Semsem is one of the teachers behind the project from the Villa² Maria Integrated³ School. He and the other teachers thought of a different way to bring learning to the villages in the rural area of Pampanga.

They used old bookshelves and wooden boards to make a moving learning center. It has a large computer screen and rests on top of a motorcycle rickshaw.

Teachers first record videos on their mobile phones. Then they play the videos on the screen to help the children with lessons. This helps both teachers and students avoid the need for face-to-face contact.

So far, Aeta students have reacted well to the classes. Their parents were happy that classes had begun again, the teachers say.

History of the Aeta

There is debate among scientists about the history of the Aeta. Their traditional way of life is to move from place to place. But deforestation – or the cutting down of trees -- has led many of them to settle in one place.

School Principal Marizen Tolentino said the rickshaw project was important to help the children understand their lessons. Many of them cannot read, so they need help with learning materials on paper.

All-volunteer effort

Since the project first started in early October, the rickshaw has visited five villages. The moving classroom reaches around 500 students two to three times a week.

Teachers volunteer their time for the project. But the local government provided the rickshaw and driver.

Words in This Story

pandemic - n. an occurrence⁴ in which a disease spreads very quickly and affects a large number of people over a wide area or throughout the world

screen - n. the usually flat part of a television or computer monitor that shows the images or text

motorcycle - n. a vehicle with two wheels that is powered by a motor and that can carry one or two people

rickshaw – n. a small, light vehicle with two wheels that is pulled by one person on foot or on a bicycle and that is used in some Asian countries

1 tribe   

n.部落，种族，一伙人

参考例句：

• This is a subject tribe.这是个受他人统治的部落。
• Many of the tribe's customs and rituals are as old as the hills.这部落的许多风俗、仪式都极其古老。

2 villa   

n.别墅，城郊小屋

参考例句：

• We rented a villa in France for the summer holidays.我们在法国租了一幢别墅消夏。
• We are quartered in a beautiful villa.我们住在一栋漂亮的别墅里。

3 integrated   

a.整合的，完整的

参考例句：

• A fully integrated low phase noise LC voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) is presented.介绍了一种全集成的LC压控振荡器(VCO)的设计。

4 occurrence   

n.发生，出现，事件，发生的事件

参考例句：

• Two things account for its occurrence.发生这件事的原因有两个。
• For a military commander，winning or losing a battle is a common occurrence.胜败乃兵家常事。