VOA慢速英语20060406a

EDUCATION REPORT - Oceangoing Programs for International StudentsBy Nancy Steinbach

Broadcast: Thursday, April 06, 2006

I'm Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Education Report.

In January, we talked about the Semester¹ at Sea program and its move to a new home at the University of Virginia. For years the program has taken college students around the world on a ship where they live and study.

The University of Pittsburgh, in Pennsylvania, had been home to the Semester at Sea program since nineteen eighty. But the school withdrew² its support last year. There were growing tensions³ with the Institute for Shipboard Education. The non-profit institute operates the Semester at Sea program.


MV Explorer

University officials noted⁴, for example, that the ship visited Kenya when the State Department had warned against it.

A bus accident in India in nineteen ninety-six killed four students in the program and resulted in big legal claims.

And in January of last year, a fifteen-meter wave damaged the ship during a storm in the Pacific.

The University of Pittsburgh said it was not questioning the safety of future trips. Instead, it said the institute was not providing schools and individuals with enough information to weigh the risks involved.

The Institute for Shipboard Education says both sides decided⁵ to end ties as a result of a disagreement.

At the University of Virginia, a group of professors questioned the quality of the classes that would be offered on the ship. University officials defended the program and named an expert in Spanish literature to lead it.

Professor David Gies said he would develop a new study plan for the Semester at Sea. He said the ship will now sail to ports along the west coast of Latin⁶ America. The first trip is planned for this summer.

There is a new, unrelated program for college students who want to study at sea. The Scholar Ship was recently announced with support from Royal Caribbean Cruises⁷ and other partners.

Students who join the program are being offered academic credits⁸ from Macquarie University in Australia. Five schools in Morocco, Mexico, China and Ghana will provide teachers and administrators⁹.

The first sixteen-week trip is planned for January from Greece. The plan is for at least six hundred students to visit eight countries.

Scholar Ship President Joe Olander says organizers have already heard from four thousand interested students. He told us earlier this week that the program is still negotiating¹⁰ for a ship.

This VOA Special English Education Report was written by Nancy Steinbach. Read and listen to our reports at www.unsv.com. I'm Steve Ember.

1 semester   

n.一学期，半学年，六个月的时间

参考例句：

• A student will probably attend four or five courses during each semester.每个学生一学期可能要修四五门课程。
• I had an especially rough time during my first semester.我第一个学期的日子难受极了。

2 withdrew   

v.取[收]回( withdraw的过去式 )；（使）撤退[出]；提；收回

参考例句：

• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She quickly withdrew her hand from the hot iron. 她很快地将手从火烫的熨斗上缩了回来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 tensions   

（情绪上的）紧张( tension的名词复数 )； 张力； 紧张的状态； （作家或电影导演制造的）紧张气氛

参考例句：

• Social tensions were manifested in the recent political crisis. 最近的政治危机显示了社会关系的紧张。
• These disagreements are symptomatic of the tensions within the party. 出现意见分歧表明该党内部的关系紧张。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 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。

6 Latin   

adj.拉丁的，拉丁语的，拉丁人的；n.拉丁语

参考例句：

• She learned Latin without a master.她无师自通学会了拉丁语。
• Please use only Latin characters.请仅使用拉丁文字符。

7 cruises   

v.乘船巡游( cruise的第三人称单数 )；以快而平稳的速度长距离行驶；巡航；轻而易举赢得（或获得）

参考例句：

• Cruises on the Thames in London, have become an annual attraction. 在伦敦泰晤士河上的巡航已成为一年一度的引人注目的事。 来自辞典例句
• Throughout the year traders and recruiters arrive from far, dry cruises. 一年到头，总有商人和募工者经过干渴的长途航行来到这里。 来自辞典例句

8 credits   

n.节目前后字幕；信任，信用，声望，荣誉， [财务]贷方，银行存款；信任( credit的名词复数 )；存款；学分；（借钱偿还的）信誉link-v.相信，信任，把…归给

参考例句：

• He credits me with having better sense than that. 他认为我的见识要比那强得多。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Does this item go among the credits or the debits? 这笔账应记入贷方还是借方？ 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

9 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

10 negotiating   

n. 谈判 动词negotiate的现在分词

参考例句：

• They were coerced into negotiating a settlement. 他们被迫通过谈判解决。
• We want to get all the parties back to the negotiating table. 我们想把有关各方拉回到谈判桌上来。