英语听力—环球英语 1212 Going Where the Students Are

 　　Voice 1

 

　　Welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Ryan Geertsma.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　And I'm Robin² Basselin. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　A large yellow school bus drives through the streets of New Delhi, India. The bus is full of books, computers and other resources necessary for education. However, what is NOT on the bus is school children. Most school buses drive children to school buildings. There they gather and learn. However, this bus is NOT taking children to school. Instead, it IS the school. It is a school for children who live and work on the streets of New Delhi. And this bus moves around to serve the children where they are. It is a program of the non-profit organization Butterflies. However, this bus is not one of a kind. Today's Spotlight is on the growing number of mobile³ schools. They are bringing education to children who are living and working on the streets.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Nurul Kumala is the oldest of four children in her family. She lives in the city of Jakarta, in the country of Indonesia. In 2008, Nurul left school. She was only 2 years from completing high school. However, Nurul's family was struggling financially. The global financial crisis⁴ had affected⁵ Indonesia's economy. And many families were having a difficult time making enough money. So, Nurul decided⁶ to leave school to get a job. She worked many different kind of jobs. However, she made very little money.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　After more than a year of working at different low paying jobs, Nurul made an important decision. She decided to return to school. However, traditional school would not work well for Nurul. She was now working. She was also older than most students in her class. So instead, Nurul decided to attend the Bintaro Mobile Class. Nurul spoke⁷ with the new service IPS about why she attends the classes. With tears in her eyes, she told the reporter,

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　"I want to improve my life and the lives of my parents."

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　The Bintaro Mobile classes are part of a larger program in Indonesia. The program is supported by The National Commission⁸ for Child Protection and the Mutiara Indonesia Foundation⁹. The mobile education program's goal is to bring education to a particular group of children - children living and working on the streets. Many of them have already left school once. The head of the National Commission for Child Protection told the IPS reporter,

 

　　Voice 4

 

　　"We set up the mobile classes for street children in order for them to attend school whenever, wherever, and with whomever. It is sort of home schooling¹⁰ for street children."

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Mobile school programs recognize that it is difficult for students to return to school after leaving. They also recognize that many of the students need to continue working while they attend school. So, like many other mobile school programs, the Bintaro mobile classes do not meet every day. Instead, the class van arrives in the Bintaro area of Jakarta only on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This van is smaller than the Butterflies bus in India, but bigger than a normal car. The van drives to different areas on different days. This works¹¹ well for the students that need to continue working when they are not in school. It also helps the teachers to serve more children around the city.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　The Doorstep School is another mobile school program, located in Mumbai India. It was started by a single teacher named Bina Lashkari. As a university student, Bina visited a poor area of Mumbai. Her school project was to ask out-of-school children why they did not go to school. Bina learned¹² about the special needs of children living and working on the streets.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Soon after, Bina raised enough money to buy her own bus. She and another teacher travelled around to poorer areas of Mumbai in the bus. They stopped to teach children that were not in school. They taught the same children every day, but for short periods of time. Bina also gave the children a lot of freedom to come and go as they needed. Bina told a reporter from the "Business Standard" about the program. She said,

 

　　Voice 5

 

　　"It is not uncommon¹³ for a child to bring a younger brother or sister to class or to be called away by their mother to fill water, make food or care for a crying baby. But this freedom encourages the students to become and remain part of the learning¹⁴ process."

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Many teachers and education experts believe that good education requires teachers to provide defined¹⁵ structure. They also believe it is important for the students to attend every day, all day. These things are important. But for children who are not attending school at all, there is something that is more important. Mobile schools teachers believe that the most important thing is getting children learning. And often mobile school programs teach their students much more than just reading, writing and mathematics.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　In Quezon City in the Philippines, UNICEF began the Mobile Education and Child Protection Program. This program works to educate street children and their families. But they also teach students about the dangers of living on the streets. This UNICEF project is concerned both about educating street children AND keeping them safe. The project also provides mental health treatment for students that need it. And they encourage skills training.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　One skill they encourage in particular is information technology and communications. One reason is because UNICEF joined with the technology company Sony Ericsson to help support the project. In April of 2010, Sony Ericsson gave UNICEF a mobile education van filled with all the newest information technology tools and resources.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Like past economic crises¹⁶, the 2008 global economic crisis was particularly difficult for children and young adults. That year, many young people all over the world, like Nurul, were forced to leave school. Many began working or even living on the streets. However, because of creative mobile education programs, students like Nurul are once again in school.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　The mobile school model may not be perfect. However, they are helping¹⁷ children to learn again. And the children are not the only people learning. And after over 20 years in mobile education, people like Bina Lashkari are still learning. She talked with the "Business Standard" reporter about what she has learned from the mobile students and their communities.

 

　　Voice 5

 

　　"They value the power of education. They have now seen their children study and succeed in new jobs and skills - jobs and skills that they were once denied. They have shown me that education is truly the answer to all our problems."

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　The writer of this program was Robin Basselin. The producer was Mark Drenth. The voices you heard were from the United States and the United Kingdom. All quotes were adapted and voiced by Spotlight. You can find this program and others on our website at http://www.Radio.English.net This .program is called "Going Where the Students Are." We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye!

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 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

3 mobile   

adj.可移动的，易变的，机动的；n.运动物体

参考例句：

• The old lady sits on a mobile chair every morning.那位老妇人每天上午坐在一把可携带使用的椅子上。
• She's much more mobile now that she's bought a car.自从她买了汽车后，活动量就大多了。

4 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

5 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

6 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。

7 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。

8 commission   

n.委托，授权，委员会，拥金，回扣，委任状

参考例句：

• The salesman can get commission on everything he sells.这个售货员能得到所售每件货物的佣金。
• The commission is made up of five people,including two women.委员会由五人组成，其中包括两名妇女。

9 foundation   

n.[pl.]地基；基础；基金会；建立，创办

参考例句：

• The foundation of the university took place 600 years ago.这所大学是600年前创办的。
• The Foundation gives money to help artists.那家基金会捐款帮助艺术家。

10 schooling   

n.教育；正规学校教育

参考例句：

• A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
• Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。

11 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。

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 uncommon   

adj.罕见的，非凡的，不平常的

参考例句：

• Such attitudes were not at all uncommon thirty years ago.这些看法在30年前很常见。
• Phil has uncommon intelligence.菲尔智力超群。

14 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。

15 defined   

adj 定义的; 清晰的

参考例句：

• These categories are not well defined. 这些类别划分得不太明确。
• The powers of a judge are defined by law. 法官的权限是由法律规定的。

16 crises   

n. 危机；危险期

参考例句：

• Economic crises recur periodically. 经济危机周期性地发生。
• Great crises often call forth gifted leaders. 危急存亡之际常能产生天才的领袖。

17 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。