【TEM4】【慢速英語】3.4 VOA原文

03-06

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1. College Admissions: Preparing to Test Your Abilities

For many would-be college students, testing is the most difficult part of the undergraduate application process.

Applicants sit for hours taking tests. They answer questions about a number of subjects, sometimes providing answers both in writing and by saying them out loud.

In some countries, a single test result can be the only thing college or university officials consider when deciding whether or not to admit a student.

But that is not true everywhere. Ryan Griffin says that in the United States, test scores are only part of what school officials consider.

Griffin is head of International Admissions at the University of Missouri, a public research university in Columbia, Missouri. He notes that many schools have changed their thinking about this part of the application.

Ryan Griffen, director of international admission at the University of Missouri.

Griffin says a growing number of U.S. colleges and universities let applicants choose whether or not they want to take a standardized test, such as the SAT or ACT. He told VOA the University of Missouri does not require international applicants to provide results from either test.

Why? The College Board, a higher education group, created the SAT in 1926 as way of fairly measuring a students academic abilities and critical thinking skills. A university professor created the ACT in 1959 so as to offer a different method for rating college applicants. But Griffin says research has since shown the two tests are not as fair as was once thought, especially for students in need of financial help.

Colleges and universities have come to recognize that tests like the SAT and the ACT usually help students with experience in the U.S. education system. Additionally, official testing centers are available in some, but not all areas. They can be difficult to reach and costly for some applicants.

Still, Griffin says, if a student decides to apply to a school that does require a standardized test score, there is a lot to consider. Both the SAT and the ACT are divided into different parts.

Both tests have areas that measure a students abilities in mathematics, where they must choose the best answer to a question.

Standardized tests also require students to demonstrate their ability to understand a reading and express themselves in writing. But unlike the SAT, the ACT has a part with questions about science.

Schools usually prefer one standardized test over the other and will clearly state which of the two they want applicants to take, says Griffin. The different parts of both tests have their own test scores. And he thinks that students should consider taking either test more than once.

"Theres going to be some anxiety as far as sitting down for this test for the first time," Griffin told VOA. "So it can be a good chance for the student ... to feel as though they then have a better understanding ... for their second attempt."

Most Americans take the SAT or ACT in the spring of their next to last year in high school. If students decide to re-take the test, Griffin suggests doing so in the autumn of their final year.

Some colleges will only accept a students most recent test score. But another reason he says students should take either one more than once is that some schools will accept the highest score from both attempts. And if, for example, a student scores higher in math the first time they take the SAT, but higher in writing the second time, some schools will combine the higher numbers. Students can often ask schools how they weigh these scores, or read about their methods on the schools websites.

International students carry their national flags at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri.

There are many test preparation books and classes available to people interested in paying for them. But Griffin says the best test preparation is to be well-rested the night before and calm the day of the test.

"Its ... important for students ... to be confident in their knowledge, so that when they sit down to take the test theres not an extra level of ... pressure that theyre putting on themselves," he said.

However, academic tests are not the only ones students from non-English speaking countries will face. After World War II, U.S. schools needed a way of measuring the language abilities of the greatly increasing number of international students entering the country. So a test of English as a foreign language -- the TOEFL -- was created in 1964.

Another test for non-native English speakers -- the IELTS -- was created in 1980. The IELTS is mainly for use by English-speaking European colleges and universities. But Mark Algren says it is becoming more widely used in the United States. Algren is the executive director of the Center for English Language Learning at the University of Missouri.

Algren notes that like the SAT and ACT, the TOEFL and IELTS are similar, and schools usually prefer one over the other. They also both have individually scored parts. These measure a students abilities in listening, speaking, reading and writing in English.

Like the academic tests, he says, there are many resources available to help applicants prepare themselves. But one of the best things any language learner can do is to take seriously the English language classes their school offers.

Outside of school, the best thing a student can do is read in English, notes Algren. All areas of language ability are important. But in a college environment, reading is the most commonly used language skill. And reading connects to the second most commonly used skill: writing.

"Read, read, read, read, read; because when youre reading, youre not only learning reading," he said. "Youre learning vocabulary ... Youre going to learn grammar."

Unlike traditional standardized tests, Algren suggests students not take the TOEFL or IELTS more than once. Test results are considered acceptable for up to two years, and many schools, such as Missouri, only accept the most recent score.

Instead, Algren says, students should make use of internet-based practice tests. These will help student get used to the amount of time they have to complete these tests, and let them know where their strengths and weaknesses lie.

"Be truthful with yourself, because you do ... get some idea of things you need to be working on," he added.

Both Algren and Griffin agree that honesty is important, especially in testing. Schools have ways of looking at test scores to see if there is anything unusual about them that suggests a student cheated.

Also, in the case of language testing, many U.S. schools require international students to take an additional English ability test when they arrive. This to ensure that students are fully prepared to begin their studies.

Im -Pete Musto. And Im Caty Weaver.

Pete Musto reported this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. How do you prepare for tests? What advice can you offer to other students who are considering taking the SAT, ACT, TOEFL or IELTS? Write to us in the Comments Section or on 51VOA.COM.

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Words in This Story

undergraduate – adj. describing a student at a college or university who has not yet earned a degree

application – n. a formal and usually written request for something, such as a job, admission to a school, or a loan

standardized test – n. any form of test that requires all test takers to answer the same questions, or a selection of questions from common bank of questions, in the same way, and that is scored in a consistent manner

academic – adj. of or relating to schools and education

prefer – v. to like someone or something better than someone or something else

anxiety – n. fear or nervousness about what might happen

confident – adj. having a feeling or belief that you can do something well or succeed at something

2.Refugee Women Get a Taste of Starting a Business

When refugees arrive in a new country, they bring few possessions. But many bring something more valuable: their skills.

Recently, twenty refugee women and asylum seekers met at a pop-up store in Phoenix, the largest city in the American state of Arizona. They came together to show their handmade products and exchange stories.

"I am from Iraq," said Nada Alrubaye. "I was an art teacher and I had two boys. One, my young boy, was killed in Baghdad. I decided to go to Turkey with another son because I wanted to protect him. After that, I came to Arizona."

Rodain Abo Zeed also spoke at the meeting. "I escaped from Syria," she said, "when the war started because there was no safety and no opportunities for my kids to continue their education, and because my husbands restaurant got burned down to ashes."

Another refugee, Tahmina Besmal, told the gathering "We escaped from Afghanistan, me, my mom and two sisters because of safety and there was no opportunities for ladies to go to school, to do a job, to be independent."

Details of the trips and the countries may be different, but their stories are similar.

More than 20 refugee women left sadness and often tragic pasts behind. They all were given a chance to sell homemade products at this donated space in Phoenix.

A group of social work students at Arizona State University created the Global Market pop-up store to help these women earn money.

The Global Market Project involved local non-profit groups at Arizona State, said Alyaa Al-Maadeed, one of the students.

The American Muslim Womens Association (AMWA) was one of the groups supporting the project.

"Last year, we started a new beginning skill training program for refugee women, said Asna Masood, the groups president. She added that the women are taught how to sew and then helped to sell their products in the community.

Among the products for sale were paintings, jewelry, soap, and handicraft arts.

Nada Alrubaye says she likes the market because she can sell paintings, jewelry or other possessions that were in her home. "I am happy with this shop," she said.

The store was only open in February, but organizers are already thinking about the future.

"The goal of the project is not only to bring these women short-term income. We want to really provide them with the experience to learn how to run their own businesses and learn how to be entrepreneurs," said Megan McDermott, an Arizona State student.

Iraqi refugee Tara Albarazanchi sold her homemade soaps and body care products at the market.

"This pop-up gives me the experience of working in a shop, dealing with people (and) dealing with cash," she said, adding that she is also learning about record-keeping.

The organizers hope visitors to the store also learned new things – hopefully about the lives of refugees in their community.

Im Susan Shand.

June Soh reported this story for VOA. Susan Shand adapted the story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

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Words in This Story

pop-up – adj. a short rental opportunity

opportunity – n. a possibility; a chance

sew – v. to make or repair something (such as a piece of clothing)

handicrafts – n. an object made by skillful use of your hands — usually plural

shop – n. a business; a place with products for sale

income – n. money that is earning; earnings

entrepreneur – n. one who sets up and operates a business

3.Stay on Your Toes!

By Anna Matteo

03 March, 2018

Now, its time for the VOA Learning English program Words and Their Stories.

Each week, we explore the meaning of expressions in American English. We often take terms and examine them from head to toe -- looking at each and every detail -- making sure not to overlook anything.

Speaking of toes, lets talk about them for a minute.

Like the rest of our feet, they spend all day stuck inside socks and shoes. This cant be good for them. So, lets take them out of our shoes, give them a chance to stretch, and talk about how we use them in every-day speech.

While listening to this program, you need to stay on your toes. We will give one example after another. So, youll need to listen closely or you might miss one.

Staying or keeping on your toes not only means to pay close attention. It also means to be ready to act. For example, when trying something dangerous, you need to keep on your toes. You want to be ready for anything that may happen.

This expression comes from the fact that when you actually lift your heels and shift your weight to the balls of your feet and your toes, you are ready to jump into action!

Now, the phrase keeping on your toes is different from tiptoeing around. Your feet are in a similar position. All your weight is on the balls of your feet. But the two expressions have different purposes and meanings. In fact, they are opposites.

As we said, when you are on your toes, you are prepared to take action. But when standing on your tiptoes, you are not very balanced. You are either trying to make yourself taller to reach something or you are trying to walk very quietly.

So, in American English, to tiptoe around something means to avoid an issue or talking about something in an indirect way.

Heres an example of this expression.

"At the community meeting, city officials tiptoed around the issue of violence in schools for too long. Parents came to the meeting to hear solutions and not evasive language."

Now, toes are important when we walk. They help us keep our balance. But they are good at something else.

Imagine a person running up to a lake or the ocean to take a swim. Some brave people might just jump right in. They dont care how cold the water is. Others may want to test the water temperature first. So, they put a toe in the water before jumping in.

There are other situations where you should put your toes in the water before jumping right in.

Before moving to a new city or perhaps starting a new job, you need to do some serious thinking. When some people start a job, they may want to jump right in. But others move more slowly so as to avoid any unnecessary risk. Unsure about how their abilities measure up in the workplace, they tiptoe around co-workers. Or they are careful to avoid politically divisive or touchy subjects.

Working in this way, new employees wont make anyone angry. They wont step on anyones toes.

Now, when you actually step on someones toes, most people simply apologize and that will be that. But stepping on someones toes in the idiomatic sense is more serious. It means you have done something on purpose to offend someone else.

But stepping on a co-workers toes is not the worst thing you can do. If you go toe-to-toe with someone – that can be much worse!

Well, actually, that depends.

Toe-to-toe has two meanings: to be in direct competition with someone or to fight with someone. So, going toe-to-toe with a co-worker in a friendly, but competitive way is fine. In fact, employees are often expected to compete with one another in the workplace. If you are sure in your abilities, you are not afraid to go toe-to-toe with anyone.

However, going toe-to-toe with a co-worker by having a fight or argument with them is not a good idea.

The company might fire one or both workers! At the very least going-toe-to-toe can create a difficult work environment. So, sometimes its a good idea to toe the line when you start working a new job. Just follow the rules and do your best not to step on anyones toes.

Some native English speakers think this expression starts with the verb "tow," meaning to pull. Its not hard to understand why. We often tow things with a line of rope. But in this expression, the word "toe" is spelled t-o-e -- not t-o-w.

Word historians have attempted to explain the origin of this expression. Some claim it comes from the sport of boxing. In the boxing ring, fighters are so close to each other that their toes seem to touch.

However, the one story that connects most closely with following the rules is from boating.

Some people say that in the 19th century, sailors faced punishment if they did not obey shipping rules. To prepare, crew members would stand in a line with their toes on a crack, or line, between the wooden boards that make up the deck of the ship.

And thats Words and Their Stories for this week. Thanks for listening.

We hope you found these expressions useful. We avoided using them in stories that might make your toes curl. After all, if you feel uneasy and uncomfortable, you probably wont come back for more.

Im Bryan Lynn.

And Im Anna Matteo.

Tiptoe by the window

By the window, that is where Ill be

Come tiptoe through the tulips with me

Oh, tiptoe by the garden

By the garden of the willow tree

Come tiptoe through the tulips with me ...

Anna Matteo wrote this for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. At the end of the audio story, Tiny Tim sings "Tiptoe Through the Tulips."

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Words in This Story

evasive – adj. not honest or direct

idiomatic – adj. an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its separate words but that has a separate meaning of its own

fire – v. to dismiss from employment

deck – n. a flat surface that forms the main outside floor of a boat or ship

curl – v. to twist or form (something) into a round or curved shape : to become curved or rounded

4.Satellites See Fishing Industry』s Effects on the High Seas

By Susan Shand

03 March, 2018

Until recently, scientists had trouble identifying what was causing large numbers of fish to disappear from the high seas.

Now they have an answer: human beings.

By using emergency signals from ships, scientists got what they are calling the first complete picture of commercial fishing worldwide. And a new study claims the effect is much bigger than researchers thought.

Major commercial fishing covers more than 55 percent of the oceans. The worlds fishing fleet travels more than 460 million kilometers a year, according to a study in the journal Science. That is equal to three times the distance between Earth and the sun.

Five countries do 85 percent of high seas fishing. The five are China, Spain, Taiwan (China), Japan and South Korea.

Boris Worm, a marine biologist at Dalhousie University in Canada, called the fishing study "mind-blowing." Worm helped prepare a report on the findings. He likened industrial fishing to factories that are mass producing goods for people around the world.

The latest fishing information was taken from 22 billion ship safety signals sent to satellites orbiting the Earth. Before this, scientists had to use shipping records and observations, which were not always correct.

Ships are obeying no-fishing areas and times, although they do sail along the edges of marine-protected areas. The study noted a drop in fishing around holidays, including Christmas, New Years and the Lunar New Year.

"The maps of global fishing in this report are sobering," said Douglas McCauley, a marine biologist who wasnt part of the study. He works at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

FILE - Chinas national flags are seen on fishing boats preparing for spring fishing in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, China, March 26, 2016.

The top country for fishing is China. Of the 40 million hours that large ships fished in 2016, 17 million hours were by boats sailing under a Chinese flag, noted marine biologist Barbara Block. She is with Stanford University in California.

"No longer is the ocean, especially the high seas – out of sight, out of mind," noted Jane Lubchenco in an email. She formerly led Americas National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Lubchenco was not part of the study.

From 2012 to 2016, the researchers collected signals from boats. New laws require many ships to carry identification systems that every few seconds report their position to satellites as a safety measure.

Scientists then used computer programs to show where the boats were fishing, how they were moving, and what they were likely fishing for and how the fish were caught.

The information was then compared with log books from some ships and they were the same, Worm said. It also shows that in the high seas, there is a heavy use of long line fishing, which catches more of the top predators like tuna, sharks and whales.

Researchers said the findings could be used to better protect the oceans and keep fisheries alive.

Block said that for too long scientists failed to recognize that human activities have the biggest effect on the planet. He added we have to develop a better system or else well end up with a planet without Bluefin tuna and some sharks.

Im Susan Shand.

The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted the report for VOA Learning English. The editor was George Grow.

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Words in This Story

According – adv. as stated by or in

Fleet – n. a group of ships that work together

Commercial – adj. relating to or based on the amount of profit that something earns

Mind-blowing – adj. exciting; surprising

Marine – n. of or involving the sea

Global - adj. involving the whole world

Sober – adj. having or showing a very serious quality

Predator – n. an animal that lives by killing and eating other animals

編輯：南梓淇

責編：孫鵬軒

http://weixin.qq.com/r/TEgEHLDEve3CrfR-9x1e (二維碼自動識別)