VOA标准英语2010-Robots Kick Up Some Fun at Annual Tech Co

Hundreds of American high school students design and build robots that can score soccer goals

Julie Taboh | Washington, DC 01 April 2010

Nathan Hicks, (left) FIRST competitor, with his mentor¹, Stewart Ocheltree, expects to return again next year, win or lose.

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FIRST

Students from 59 U.S. high schools representing 11 states brought their robots to Washington recently to compete in the annual FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition.

The event challenged high school students, working with professional mentors², to design and build robots that could score a soccer goal.

Eighteen-year-old Alison Gale³ was back for her fourth year of competition. Nathan Hicks, 15, was there for the robots, while 18-year old Addonis Miller⁴ got inspired to join the competition after taking a class in technology.

Students at the controls, trying to get their robots to kick a soccer goal.

They were among hundreds of U.S. high school students who came to Washington to compete in a Robotics Competition created by an organization called FIRST, which stands for, "For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology."

'Varsity sport for the mind'

Each year, students across America work together in teams, with experienced mentors, on a particular technology project assigned to them by FIRST. They have only six weeks to complete the project before they set out for the competition.

The challenge this year was to design and build a robot that can kick a soccer ball into a goal. 

The brains behind the competition is Dean Kamen, a leading American scientist and inventor who founded FIRST in 1989. His goal is to help young people discover the excitement and rewards of science and technology.

Kamen says he put FIRST together because he realized that, "the future of this country is going to depend more than ever on the technical expertise⁵ of our work force."

One in 10 US high schools participate

One of the reasons Kamen is so passionate⁶ about bringing technology to children he says, is to offer an alternative to their obsession⁷ with sports.

Sports, he says, crowds out the ability for kids - especially women and minorities - to realize that they're not going to make money bouncing and throwing a ball, "unless you're one of the four or five kids that turns out to be seven feet tall with extraordinarily⁸ good skills at bounce, bounce, bounce, throw."

FIRST founder⁹ Dean Kamen wants high school students to learn that science and engineering can be fun, accessible and rewarding.

But there are, he said, "millions of exciting jobs and careers for kids that develop the muscle hanging between their ears."

Support in high places

Sen. Harry¹⁰ Reid was one of two U.S. lawmakers who came to the competition. Reid, a senator from the state of Nevada, said he found it incredible that they weren't there watching kids play basketball, but watching kids, "who want to be scientists."

"There isn't anything we can do with our children that's more important than getting them interested in math and science," he said.

Student competitors watch a match between the soccer-ball kicking robots that they created.

Many of the students said they felt these yearly competitions have taught them more than just building robots. 

Nathan Hicks enjoyed working with people, "because you can share when you win, and when you lose you're not alone."

Addonis Miller believes he's learned leadership, courage and better technology skills.

Alison Gale said working on something for six weeks, and having an opportunity to come to the competition and show off what you've been doing has been, "the best time of high school so far."

And technology events like the Robotics Competition may be especially important for women, according to Judi Medwedoff, who is both mentor and chairperson of Alison's team.

"This year we have 12 girls on our team, out of the 58, and every year we have more and more women on the team and that's always something really great to see," said Medwedoff.

Dean Kamen hopes that once U.S. senators and members of Congress see what his organization is doing, they'll find a way to do their part in making sure FIRST is available to every school, to every kid in the country.

 

1 mentor   

n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导

参考例句：

• He fed on the great ideas of his mentor.他以他导师的伟大思想为支撑。
• He had mentored scores of younger doctors.他指导过许多更年轻的医生。

2 mentors   

n.（无经验之人的）有经验可信赖的顾问( mentor的名词复数 )v.（无经验之人的）有经验可信赖的顾问( mentor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Beacham and McNamara, my two mentors, had both warned me. 我的两位忠实朋友，比彻姆和麦克纳马拉都曾经警告过我。 来自辞典例句
• These are the kinds of contacts that could evolve into mentors. 这些人是可能会成为你导师。 来自互联网

3 gale   

n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等）

参考例句：

• We got our roof blown off in the gale last night.昨夜的大风把我们的房顶给掀掉了。
• According to the weather forecast,there will be a gale tomorrow.据气象台预报，明天有大风。

4 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

5 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

6 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

7 obsession   

n.困扰，无法摆脱的思想(或情感)

参考例句：

• I was suffering from obsession that my career would be ended.那时的我陷入了我的事业有可能就此终止的困扰当中。
• She would try to forget her obsession with Christopher.她会努力忘记对克里斯托弗的迷恋。

8 extraordinarily   

adv.格外地；极端地

参考例句：

• She is an extraordinarily beautiful girl.她是个美丽非凡的姑娘。
• The sea was extraordinarily calm that morning.那天清晨，大海出奇地宁静。

9 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

10 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。