环球英语 — 215：International Literacy

　　Voice 1
Hello. I’m Christy Van Arragon.
Voice 2
And I’m Marina Santee. Welcome to Spotlight¹. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 3
‘In my village, I cut the grass. I collect the firewood. I do the cooking. It is my job because I am a girl. My brothers go to school.’
Voice 2
Eight hundred and seventy five million [875,000,000] adults cannot read or write. They are illiterate². Two thirds of these people are women.
Voice 1
Groups like UNESCO are working to change this. The United Nations General Secretary, Kofi Annan, spoke³ about this issue. He showed how a girl lacking education affects the whole community – and country. He said that people groups cannot change much until girls receive a quality education. Education is necessary for solving many international problems.
Voice 2
For example, many people say that education is our best weapon in fighting the AIDS disease⁴. Education enables⁵ women to gain information. This information can tell them how to avoid catching⁶ the HIV virus that leads to AIDS. Education gives them the power to avoid possible dangers.
Voice 1
There are strong links between educated mothers and their children’s survival⁷ and development. An educated mother is more likely to take her child for health visits. She is more likely to give her children a balanced healthy diet. Educated women are often more able to protect and care for their families. They are able to gain the information they need to do this. Education helps women to become better informed. Not knowing how to read and write is a barrier in receiving life saving⁸ information and skills.
Voice 2
But many families simply do not have the money to send their children to school. And if they have the money to send only one child, they will send the boy. They believe that this is a better long–term investment⁹.
Voice 1
Safety is also sometimes an issue. Many families live long distances from schools. Parents are more likely to permit their boys to make these long trips.
Voice 2
Another barrier for girls is early marriage and pregnancy¹⁰. Many countries have laws that do not permit pregnant¹¹ girls to attend school. They also have laws that prevent the girls returning to school after their children are born.
Voice 1
So many girls already have their future planned for them. It includes marriage, children and working in the home. It is the same as their mothers and their grandmothers. However, some girls are fighting this old system.
Voice 2
Lalita Kumari grew up in the Sitamarhi District ? India’s poorest state of Bihar. Here, it is difficult for the boys to gain an education. So women have an even smaller chance. Only about twenty–six percent [26%] of the women are able to read and write. The rest are illiterate. A girl who wants an education in Sitamarhi must fight for it. Lalita Kumari believes it is well worth this fight.
Voice 1
Lalita attended school in secret. When Lalita’s brother discovered her secret, he was angry.
Voice 3
‘I still remember the day my brother caught me going to school. He beat me. He was ashamed. I had dared to study. Yet the men in our family had never attended school.’
Voice 1
Lalita then heard about a special school for girls – The Mahila Shikshan Kendra. It was part of the Bihar Education Project. This project aims to provide an education for girls. Lalita went against her parents’ wishes. She attended the school. She lived and studied there for eight months with twenty–four [24] other girls. The girls learned¹² to read and write. Teachers trained them in life skills. They also taught them health care and public speaking skills. The girls also learned karate¹³ – a skilled¹⁴ fighting sport.
Voice 2
Lalita returned home after studying. Her new skills enabled¹⁵ her to set up a clothes–making shop. She decided¹⁶ that she wanted to gain more of an education. The Mahila Shikshan Kendra School provided¹⁷ the money for her. Lalita learnt teaching¹⁸ skills. Today Lalita teaches karate in four Mahila Shikshan Kendra schools. She sends money home to her family every month. Her mother and father are extremely pleased with her success. With great emotion, her mother said,
Voice 1
‘Look at the respect that people are giving to my daughter.’
Voice 2
Aid group UNICEF have used Lalita’s picture on their ‘World’s Children Report 2004.’ The group recognised her as great example of success.
Voice 1
UNICEF says that education is a right for all children, boys and girls. The group is working to give girls across the world this right. UNICEF has set their goals as the year 2015. By this time, the groups want all children to be able to attend school. UNICEF also want an education to be a law requirement everywhere – for boys and girls.
Voice 2
UNICEF has provided programmes to help governments form policies. These policies will help reduce the number of girls not in schools. UNICEF is working with other organisations to reach its goals. It is working with governments, children’s organisations, communities, schools, children and families. Plans and goals are in place. These seek to support and develop the educational system in different countries. The future of many children depends on this work.
Voice 1
Eleven–year–old Bhahkita lives in Sudan’s North Kordofan State. UNICEF supports the school she attends. Bhahktita has dreams for the future. She would like to be an engineer. But if things stay as they are, this will remain just a dream. Her school only goes up to grade four. This means children must leave at the age of nine or ten. The community hopes that the State Ministry¹⁹ of Education will support expanding the school. But this may not happen before Bhahkita finishes school. Her hopes are with UNICEF. She hopes that UNICEF will support expanding the school. They will first have to raise the money to do this.
Voice 2
Bhahkita is only young. But she is old enough to know that an education is the only way she will create opportunities for herself – and the girls who follow her.
Voice 1
International Literacy²⁰ Day is on September the eighth. UNESCO has celebrated²¹ this day since its beginning in 1966. United Nations agencies²² set goals and act to bring education to countries all around the world. They believe that everyone gains from sending girls to school. This includes the girl, her family, community and country. The director–General of UNESCO said that literacy can provide the answer to development.
Voice 3
‘Literacy is a key to development. This is especially because it places people at the centre of the development process. It is the basis of lifelong learning²³. Our world is moving fast with changing technology and increasing knowledge. Literacy has the rich promise of a fresh start and a second chance.’
Voice 2
And so intelligent young girls like Bhahkita could be successful women of the future – if they are simply given the chance.
 

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 illiterate   

adj.文盲的；无知的；n.文盲

参考例句：

• There are still many illiterate people in our country.在我国还有许多文盲。
• I was an illiterate in the old society,but now I can read.我这个旧社会的文盲，今天也认字了。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

5 enables   

v.使能够，提供做…的权利[措施]( enable的第三人称单数 )；使可能

参考例句：

• The software enables you to access the Internet in seconds. 这种软件使你在几秒钟内便可访问互联网。
• This pass enables me to travel half-price on trains. 我用这张通行证可以半价乘火车。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

7 survival   

n.留住生命，生存，残存，幸存者

参考例句：

• The doctor told my wife I had a fifty-fifty chance of survival.医生告诉我的妻子，说我活下去的可能性只有50%。
• The old man was a survival of a past age.这位老人是上一代的遗老。

8 saving   

n.节省，节约；[pl.]储蓄金，存款

参考例句：

• Energy saving is term strategic policy of our country.节约能源是我国长期的战略国策。
• Old-fashioned housewives were usually very saving.旧时的家庭主妇通常都很节俭。

9 investment   

n.投资，投资额；(时间、精力等的)投入

参考例句：

• It took two years before I recouped my investment.我用了两年时间才收回投资。
• The success of the project pivots on investment from abroad.这个工程的成功主要依靠外来投资。

10 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

11 pregnant   

adj.怀孕的，怀胎的

参考例句：

• She is a pregnant woman.她是一名孕妇。
• She is pregnant with her first child.她怀了第一胎。

12 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

13 karate   

n.空手道(日本的一种徒手武术)

参考例句：

• Alice's boyfriend knew a little karate.艾丽斯的男朋友懂一点儿空手道。
• The black belt is the highest level in karate.黑腰带级是空手道的最高级别。

14 skilled   

adj.(in)熟练的，有技能的；需要技能的

参考例句：

• Unskilled workers usually earn less money than skilled workers.无技能的工人通常比有技能的工人挣钱少。
• She was skilled enough in French to translate a novel.她法语娴熟，足以翻译小说。

15 enabled   

adj.激活的v.使能够，提供做…的权利[措施]( enable的过去式和过去分词 )；使可能

参考例句：

• His photographic memory enabled him to tuck away yards of facts. 他过目不忘的记忆力使他能记下大量事实。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Long practice enabled that American to speak fluent Chinese. 长期的练习使得那个美国人能讲一口流利的汉语。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

17 provided   

conj.假如，若是；adj.预备好的，由...供给的

参考例句：

• Provided it's fine we will have a pleasant holiday.如果天气良好，我们的假日将过得非常愉快。
• I will come provided that it's not raining tomorrow.如果明天不下雨，我就来。

18 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。

19 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

20 literacy   

n.识字，有文化，读写能力

参考例句：

• I can't believe that he failed the literacy test.我无法相信他识字测试不及格。
• The literacy rate there is the highest in Central America.那里的识字率居中美洲之首。

21 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

22 agencies   

n.代理( agency的名词复数 )；服务机构；（政府的）专门机构；代理（或经销）业务（或关系）

参考例句：

• There are many specialized agencies in the United Nations. 联合国有许多专门机构。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The project is funded by the World Bank and other multilateral agencies. 这项计划由世界银行和其他多国机构资助。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 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。