(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
From VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report.
A United Nations agency estimates that 516 million of the world's women can not read and write. The U.N. Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization -- UNESCO says programs are needed to help illiterate women learn, although they are passed school age.
Women make up two-thirds of all illiterate adults. The majority of these women live in West Africa, many girls in that area never go to school. But in Liberia, a new education program is giving women in their 30s, 40s and 50s another chance to learn to read and write.
Pauline Rose heads UNESCO's worldwide monitoring report on Education for All, she says being illiterate causes huge problems in daily life. She notes situations like not being able to read directions on a medicine bottle, or the number on a bus.
"So there are real practical concerns about when women are illiterate."
Miss Rose says illiterate affects not only the women but also their families, because women are often the main caregivers of children. She says when women are illiterate, they are less likely to use health services.
Some countries, like Senegal, have improved women's literacy rates through government efforts. They tell more girls in primary school and community programs about the importance of education. But there are still many nations where less than one in four women can read and write. They include Niger, Benin, Mali and Burkina Faso.
Miss Rose says these countries need literacy programs that target women. She says there is a huge need for illiterate young women and adults to have a second-chance to read and write.
Liberia for example, has launched a second-chance literacy campaign to teach women. The students never went to school, or they were forced to leave school because of ten years of civil war in the country.
Lonee Smith is 35 years old, she is a student at the adult literacy school at the Firestone Liberia Natural Rubber Company in Margibi County. Her parents did not sent her to school, and she could not read or write.
Now she is in the first grade and has those skills. She sells her goods at the market and can now count her profit without help. She says having a second chance at education has changed her life.
"Today, I am a happy woman. I'm very proud."
Liberia's Ministry of Education says 5,000 women currently study in adult literacy programs across the country.
And that's the Education Report.
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词汇解释
1.illiterate adj. 文盲的；不识字的；没受教育的 n. 文盲
A large percentage of the population is illiterate.
人口中文盲的比例相当高。
2.caregiver n. 照料者，护理者
Do you think your English is good enough to work as a live-in caregiver?
你认为做居家保姆工作，你的英语水平足够吗？
3.literacy n. 读写能力；精通文学
Many adults have problems with literacy and numeracy.
很多成年人有读写和计算的困难。
内容解析
1.She says when women are illiterate, they are less likely to use health services.
Be less likely to 不太可能去做某事
In Western countries girls are far less likely to offend than boys.
在西方国家，女孩的犯罪倾向远低于男孩。
Those who expect the worst are less likely to be disappointed.
把事情想得坏的人,不容易失望.
参考译文
这里是美国之音慢速英语教育报道。
联合国某机构估计全世界有5.16亿妇女不能读写。联合国教科文组织(UNESCO)称需要提供帮助文盲妇女学习的项目，尽管她们已经过了上学的时间。
全部文盲成年人中有三分之二的为女性，其中多数生活在西非，该地区的许多女孩从未上过学。但在利比里亚，一个新教育项目帮助女性在30、40、50多岁时仍有学习读写的机会。
波林·罗斯是联合国教科文组织全民教育全球监测报告负责人，她说文盲造成日常生活出现很多大问题，她指出一些问题，比如不认得药瓶上的说明或公车上的数字。
“所以我们切实担忧妇女文盲问题。”
罗斯女士说文盲不仅影响了女性，还影响到她们的家人，因为妇女通常是儿童的主要照顾者。她说一旦妇女不识字，她们不大可能使用卫生服务。
诸如塞内加尔等国通过政府努力提高了妇女识字率，他们在小学和社区项目中告诉更多小学女生教育的重要性。但还在很多国家，只有不到四分之一的女孩能读会写。这些国家包括尼日尔、贝宁、马里和布基纳法索。
罗斯女士说这些国家需要为妇女提供识字项目，她说为文盲妇女和成年人提供第二次读写机会的需求巨大。
以利比里亚为例，该国为女性启动了第二次识字项目。这些学生们从未上过学，或者因为该国十年内战被迫离校。
Lonee Smith今年35岁，她是马及比县费尔斯通利比里亚天然橡胶公司成年识字学校的学生。她父母从未送她去上学，她不会读也不会写。
如今她上一年级，已经学会读写了。她在市场上卖东西，现在可以无需帮助就能算钱了。她说获得第二次教育机会改变了自己的人生。
“我现在是个幸福的女性，我很为此骄傲。”
利比里亚教育部称全国目前有5000名妇女参加了成人识字项目。
这里是教育报道。
