IN THE NEWS - World Bank

IN THE NEWS -April 27, 2002: World Bank

This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Program IN THE NEWS.

The World Bank is not a normal bank. It is not a place where individuals borrow money. The Bank does loan
money but not in the exact same way as a local bank.

The World Bank is one of the largest suppliers of development assistance. Its main goal is to improve living
conditions for poor people throughout the world. Last year, it provided more than seventeen-thousand-million
dollars in loans to developing countries to help end poverty.

The money went to efforts like debt reduction for some of the poorest countries in the world. That program was
designed to increase debt assistance and provide it faster than in the past. As a result, twenty -three countries
received debt assistance last year as compared to seven countries the year before.

The World Bank does more than just provide loans, however. It believes that continued poverty reduction comes
from investing in the people of a country --especially through education and health programs.

World Bank President James Wolfensohn announced one such program earlier this week at the organization’s
yearly spring meeting in Washington. The “Education for All”
plan is aimed at getting all children between the
ages of five and eleven into early education. The World Bank plans to establish the program soon in ten
countries. Bank leaders will choose countries that have strong education reform plans but no money to establish
them.

The World Bank uses engineers, economists¹, public policy experts and social
scientists to create these kinds of programs. These professionals also provide
developing countries with the necessary technical help to carry out the programs.
Ten thousand people work for the World Bank. Eight thousand are based in
Washington. The rest are spread around the world.

The World Bank is owned by more than one-hundred-eighty member countries.
They hold shares in the Bank. A Board of Governors and Board of Directors
represent the positions and interests of the members.

The World Bank began as a much smaller group. It was established at an
international conference in the United States in Nineteen-Forty-Four.

The Bank says it has helped to make great progress in developing nations especially in the past twenty or so
years. Bank officials say life expectancy² in developing nations has increased and baby and child deaths have
decreased. They also say more adults now can read than in the past.

However, the World Bank has critics around the world. Protesters have held large demonstrations³ at recent World
Bank meetings. Opponents say Bank programs make industrial nations richer and developing nations poorer.
Others say the organization’s activities result in environmental damage.

This VOA Special English program, IN THE NEWS, was written by Caty Weaver⁴. This is Steve Ember.

(VOA Photo -G. Flakus)
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1 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 expectancy   

n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额

参考例句：

• Japanese people have a very high life expectancy.日本人的平均寿命非常长。
• The atomosphere of tense expectancy sobered everyone.这种期望的紧张气氛使每个人变得严肃起来。

3 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

4 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。