VOA标准英语2012--New App Aims to Fight Poverty

New App Aims to Fight Poverty

A pilot project gets underway soon to test whether mobile phones can be used to help educate the poor. It’s estimated three quarters of the world’s poor have access to mobile phones.
More and more people are downloading application software – better known as apps – to their mobile phones. They can be used to play games, navigate¹, surf the web, shop and much, much more. Now, a project announced at the recent World Economic Forum² will use an app to help alleviate³ poverty and improve education.
It’s called AppBridge. The idea is to link software developers with communities and non-governmental organizations, or NGOs. The pilot project is led by a World Economic Forum community called Young Global Leaders. It’s made up of about 700 people under age 40 from business, civil society, government and academia.
“There’s an incredible opportunity to be able to deliver simple educational or job skill training tools to those who already have phones and are most in need. There’s an incredible opportunity to help educate and reach them with something they already have in their hands,” said Margo Drakos, founder⁴ of AppBridge.
Phones don’t have to be smart
AppBridge will be initially⁵ aimed at those who own feature phones. These not smartphones like the Apple iPhone. Nevertheless, they still have features that put them a level above a standard mobile phone that only can make and receive calls.
“This is really about providing simple tools to those individuals who have feature phones through SMS and to be able to accelerate penetration⁶ to smartphones or 3G access,” she said.
SMS, or Short Message Service, is for text messaging. 3G, or 3rd generation mobile telecommunications, allows the user to access the access the Internet, text message, make video calls and much more.
“So we started this concept of creating an online platform that would really allow local organizations and local partners on the ground to identify specific community needs and/or submit local content that they need to get out to individuals. And then to pair the local organizations on the ground with a global community of mobile app developers in tandem⁸ with universities,” she said.
How to apps
The early apps are expected to provide skills training.
“In some cases,” Drakos said, “these are going to be very much technically⁹ oriented skills, like learning simple automotive or simple electrical or simple plumbing¹⁰. To get the app through their phone and to know that it’s not spam and it’s not going to be costing them additional funds or so forth¹¹. So, there’ll be a distribution way for them to access this in tandem with local partners on the ground.
Apps could also be used to link entrepreneurs with micro-credit lenders or with markets.
“In some cases, women are not able to go and sell their goods from their home unless they know that the store is open and the stores don’t open at a consistent time. So, something as simple and basic as having an alert when the store is open for them to be able to leave their home and go sell their goods,” she said.
Drakos wasn’t always a technology entrepreneur. She used to make her living as a cellist¹², performing at concerts around the world.
AppBridge is working with telecommunication⁷ companies, educational institutions and non-profit organizations. Early versions of some of its apps could be available in March.

1 navigate   

v.航行，飞行；导航，领航

参考例句：

• He was the first man to navigate the Atlantic by air.他是第一个飞越大西洋的人。
• Such boats can navigate on the Nile.这种船可以在尼罗河上航行。

2 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

3 alleviate   

v.减轻，缓和，缓解(痛苦等)

参考例句：

• The doctor gave her an injection to alleviate the pain.医生给她注射以减轻疼痛。
• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。

4 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。

5 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

6 penetration   

n.穿透，穿人，渗透

参考例句：

• He is a man of penetration.他是一个富有洞察力的人。
• Our aim is to achieve greater market penetration.我们的目标是进一步打入市场。

7 telecommunication   

n.电信，远距离通信

参考例句：

• Telecommunication is an industry of service.电信业是一个服务型的行业。
• I only care about the telecommunication quality and the charge.我只关心通信质量和资费两个方面。

8 tandem   

n.同时发生；配合；adv.一个跟着一个地；纵排地；adj.（两匹马）前后纵列的

参考例句：

• Malcolm's contract will run in tandem with his existing one.马尔科姆的合同将与他手头的合同同时生效。
• He is working in tandem with officials of the Serious Fraud Office.他正配合欺诈重案办公室的官员工作。

9 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

10 plumbing   

n.水管装置；水暖工的工作；管道工程v.用铅锤测量（plumb的现在分词）；探究

参考例句：

• She spent her life plumbing the mysteries of the human psyche. 她毕生探索人类心灵的奥秘。
• They're going to have to put in new plumbing. 他们将需要安装新的水管。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

12 cellist   

n.大提琴手

参考例句：

• The cellist's bowing was very sensitive . 那位大提琴手的弓法十分细腻。 来自辞典例句
• World-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma founded The Silk Road Project in 1998. 世界闻名的大提琴家马友友于1998年创建了丝路工程。 来自互联网