(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
I was an illiterate in the old society, but now I can read.
我这个旧社会的文盲， 今天也认字了。
2.caregiver n. 照料者，护理者
It is nearly always women who are the primary caregivers.
从事初级保健护理工作的几乎都是女性。
3.literacy n. 读写能力；精通文学
I can't believe that he failed the literacy test.
我无法相信他识字测试不及格。
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
Rice flour makes the cake less likely to crumble.
这种糕饼用米粉做不那么容易碎。
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。
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共有5.15亿以上的妇女不能读写，联合国教科文组织(UNESCO)称需要发起帮助文盲妇女读书的项目，尽管她们已经过了上学的年龄。
妇女占文盲成年人的三分之二，大多数居住在西非，当地很多女孩从未上过学。但在利比里亚，一个新的教育项目给30到50岁的妇女学习读写的新机会。
波林·罗斯是负责UNESCO全民教育全世界监督报道工作，她说文盲给日常生活带来了巨大的不便，她发现有的人不认得药瓶上的说明，或是公车上的数字。
“所以妇女不识字就带来了实际的问题。”
罗斯女士说，文盲不仅影响了妇女本人，还影响了整个家庭，因为妇女通常是孩子主要的照顾者。她说一旦妇女是文盲，她们就不大可能使用卫生服务。
诸如塞内加尔等国家通过政府提高了妇女的识字率，他们告诉小学和社区项目的女孩子教育的重要性。但在很多国家，只有四分之一不到的妇女能读会写，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针对妇女的扫盲项目，她说不识字的年轻妇女和成年人急需掌握读写能力的第二次机会。
比如利比里亚就发起针对妇女的二次教育活动，这些学生从未进过学校，或者在该国十年内战期间被迫离开学校。
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人识字学校的学生。她父母从未让她上过学，她不能读也不会写。
现在她上一年级，已经掌握了这些能力。她在市场上卖东西，能独立计算盈利。她说获得二次教育的机会改变了自己的人生。
“我现在是个幸福的女人，我很骄傲。”
利比里亚教育部称最近全国有5000名妇女在成人扫盲项目中接受了学习。
这里是美国之音教育报道。
