(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Every year, South African 12th grade students take a test to decide their next steps following the completion of high school. Many students were unhappy with the results of their 2014 exam. The scores were released January 5. Universities use the scores to make admissions decisions.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga announced that the Class of 2014 pass rate was 75.8 percent. That represents a drop of almost two and one half points from the pass rate in 2013.
Exam results argued
The meaning of the numbers quickly became a subject of political debate.
President Jacob Zuma sees the results as a sign of progress. A presidential statement said, "South Africa is especially proud of the Class of 2014 as they represent a special category of learners who sat through their exams as the country celebrated 20 years of freedom and democracy."
However, the opposition disagreed. The Pan Africanist Congress party said it thinks the results show serious problems in South Africa's education system.
The P.A.C. also criticized President Zuma's ruling African National Congress. The Pan Africanists said they do not think enough jobs are available for young adults who have just completed high school.
A party official said students should be able to find jobs after studying for 12 years.
Nombulelo Nyathela is a spokeswoman for the advocacy group Equal Education. She said the test issue is more complex than the way either political side sees it.
Education struggles
Ms. Nyathela said the numbers are only part of the story of education in South Africa. There is also a problem with students who leave school before grade 12. About half of the students who enter grade 2 drop out of, or leave, school before grade 12.
"We need to be careful about using the matric pass rate as the only indicator of either an improvement or ... a decline in the education system."
It has been 20 years since the end of the apartheid system of white minority rule and enforced racial separation in South Africa. The government is trying to give all its citizens an equal education. The country established a new education program in 2012.
Students who took the 2014 test were the first to study under the program. It began when they were in grade 10. The program is designed to guide teachers on better teaching. For example, the teachers now ask more ‘high-order' questions. These are questions that make the students think carefully about what they are learning. The new exams are based on this higher quality of teaching.
Angie Motshekga said students who do not pass the exam would have a chance to take it again. She said some students may need extra help after only two years of the new learning program.
Improvements still needed
Nombulelo Nyathela said that South Africa should spend more money on improving education. She said she thinks a lack of resources is the root of the systemic problems in basic education.
"So we definitely need schools with laboratories, schools with libraries, schools with adequate-sized classrooms, schools with fences where learners feel secure, schools with adequate teachers, so that, you know, teachers are not teaching classes of over 100 learners."
I'm Caty Weaver.
词汇解释
1.matric n. 大学入学许可
A senior certificate with matric exemption is required for entry to university.
上大学需要有中学毕业的资格证书。
2.apartheid n. 种族隔离
He praised her role in the struggle against apartheid.
他赞扬了她在反对种族隔离制的斗争中所起的作用。
3.advocacy n. 主张；拥护；辩护
I support your advocacy of free trade.
我支持你的自由贸易倡议。
内容解析
1.About half of the students who enter grade 2 drop out of, or leave, school before grade 12.
drop out of 退学，失学；从……当中退出
She longed to drop out of the race and make an independent life for herself.
她真想脱离这个圈子去过自由的生活。
We won't drop out of the occupation, will we, after the war is over.
战争结束以后，我们不会从这个占领地退出吧？
参考译文
每年南非12年级学生都会在高中毕业后参加考试看下一步如何，很多学生对2014年考试结果不满意。分数是1月5日公布的，各大学使用分数来录取学生。
基础教育部长莫特赛克加宣布2014年级的通过率是75.8%，与2013年的通过率相比下降了近1.5个百分点。
这意味着这个数字很快就成为政治辩论的话题。
雅各布·祖玛总统认为该结果是进步的表现，他在总统声明中说，“南非对2014级学生非常骄傲，因为他们代表着特别类型的学习者，他们耐心考试时，该国正庆祝自由和民主20周年。”
然而，反对表并不认可，泛非主义者大会党称它认为该结果表明南非教育体系存在着严重问题。
泛非主义者大会党还批评总统祖玛执政的非洲国民大会，泛非主义者称他们认为刚从高中毕业的年轻人没有足够的就业机会。
该党官员称学生们在学习12年后应该能找到工作。
Nombulelo Nyathela是游说团体平等教育组织的发言人，她说考试问题比两党认为的都要复杂。
Nyathela说这些数字只是南非教育问题的一个方面，12年级之前辍学的学生也存在问题，那些上了2年级的学生中约有一半的学生在12年级之前辍学。
“我们应该谨慎地使用大学入学考试通过率作为评估教育系统改进或退步的唯一指标。”
白人少数进行统治并实施激进的分离措施的南非隔离制度已经结束20年了，政府努力给每位公民平等教育的机会，该国2013年建立了新的教育项目。
参加2014年考试的学生是该项目下第一批接受教育的学生，该项目开始时他们还在10年级。该项目的目的是指导教师更好地教学，比如，教师现在会问更多“高水平”的问题。这些问题能让学生认真地思考所学知识，新考试就是基于这种高质量的教学而设计的。
莫特赛克加说没有通过该考试的学生将有机会复考，她说一些学生只接受了两年的新教育项目，可能需要额外帮助。
Nombulelo Nyathela说南非应该在改善教育方面花更多的钱，她说她认为缺少资源是基础教育系统问题的根源。
“所以我们肯定需要有实验室的学校，有图书馆的学校，有足够大教室的学校，有围墙能让学习者感到安全的学校，有充足教师的学校，所以，要知道现在教师们不是在给超过100名学生的课堂上课。”
我是凯蒂·韦弗。
