(单词翻译:单击)
听力文本
Should Schools Ban Mobile Phones?
Mobile phones have changed the way we communicate, but people disagree on whether the devices are useful tools for education.
Students can be easily distracted by their phones during class.
Are they listening to the teacher or texting their friends? Are they taking a picture of a quiz to cheat? Maybe they are playing a game, or watching a video, instead of paying attention.
School officials, teachers and parents all are trying to find out the best way to supervise students' use of mobile or cellphones.
In the Canadian province of Ontario, officials are restricting phone use during teaching time. However, there are exceptions for classroom activities, health and other emergencies.
France passed a law in 2018 banning the use of cellphones in schools for students up to age 15, the age when they go to high school.
Last July, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new law. It says state public and charter schools can ban students from using smartphones in class and at school. It does not, however, say schools are required to completely ban the devices.
The law asks school districts, charter schools and education offices to develop cellphone policies to prevent, or limit students' use of the devices at school. There are exceptions, which include emergencies or issues related to health and well-being.
One high school, in California's Silicon Valley area, had a serious problem with students and their cellphones.
Joanne Sablich, a French teacher, said students using their phones in class had been a real problem. They were "checking their phones and texting-- going on social media," she said, and she would have to take the phone "over and over and over."
The schools vice principal, Adam Gelb, said some students were spending as much as 11 or 12 hours a day on their phones.
So, the administration turned to technology for answers. San Mateo High School now locks up cellphones during the day in a special container. Each student must put their phone away in a small bag with a magnetic lock. It is called a Yondr Pouch.
At the end of the day, students unlock the bag with another device. The bag is being used in schools in both the United States and Europe. The cost for the equipment is around $20,000 a year for a school, or $12 for each student.
Teacher Joanne Sablich is happy. She sees a difference in students' behavior. She said they are "very engaged this year," instead of just looking at their phones.
Other schools are choosing simpler answers to the problem—they ban cellphones in classrooms. One of these schools is Forest Hills school district, near Grand Rapids, Michigan. School officials decided this school year to ban cellphones throughout the day, including at lunch.
Dan Behm is the superintendent of the district. He told the publication Education Week the reason why district officials put the ban in place. They "wanted to provide a clean break for students and not have the frenetic energy that can happen if kids start texting each other or social-media posts start going," Behm said.
They tried the ban last year as a test. Behm said they found that students said they were less anxious when they were not so attached to their devices.
Education Week found that more than 30 schools, and in some cases school districts, have put in place some kind of restrictions during the current or last school year. Districts across the country also have their own versions of phone restrictions both formal or informal.
One district choosing not to ban cellphones is Saint Marys Area School District in the state of Pennsylvania. Brian Toth is the superintendent of the small rural district. He told VOA, each teacher can decide whether, and when, to restrict students' cellphone use.
Toth said students have grown up with cellphones, and "it is our responsibility to teach them proper use for tools within the classroom." He added that schools are teaching about cellphones and how to use them with social media and the Internet.
"It is part of changing education for kids," he said. "As long as we teach them to use them responsibly."
The technology is here, Toth said, schools should use it to help students, and not fear it.
I'm Anne Ball. And I'm Brian Lynn.
重点解析
重点讲解：
1. disagree on 对……持有不同看法；众议纷坛；
Raymond and I may disagree on certain issues.
雷蒙和我可能会在某些事情上意见不一。
2. find out 查明；找出；
I need to find out who tried to frame me.
我得找出是谁企图诬陷我。
3. as much as 多达；差不多；
Tour prices are being discounted as much as 33%.
旅行价格打了6.7折之多。
4. instead of 而不是；替代；
It felt like I'd had two babies instead of one.
我感觉像是有两个孩子而不是一个。
参考译文
学校是否应该禁止学生使用手机
手机改变了我们的交流方式，但人们对手机是否有利于教育存在分歧。
上课时，学生很容易被电话分散注意力。
他们是在听老师讲课，还是在给朋友发短信？他们是在用手机拍测验的照片来作弊吗？也许他们在玩游戏，或者看视频，而不是专心听讲。
学校行政人员、老师和家长都在努力寻找监督学生使用手机的最佳方式。
在加拿大的安大略省，校方人员正在限制教学期间对电话的使用。但是，对于课堂活动、健康状况和其他紧急情况也有例外。
法国在2018年通过了一项法律，禁止15岁以下的学生在学校使用手机，15岁是他们上高中的年龄。
去年7月，加州州长加文·纽森签署了一项新法律。法律中提到，公立学校和特许学校可以禁止学生在课堂和学校使用智能手机。然而，法律中并未说明学校必须完全禁用手机。
该法律要求学区、特许学校和教育办公室制定手机使用政策，防止或限制学生在学校使用手机。也有一些例外，包括紧急情况或与健康有关的问题。
加州硅谷地区的一所高中，学生因使用手机引发了严重的问题。
法国教师乔安妮·萨布里奇说，学生在课堂上使用手机真是一个问题。她说，他们“查看手机、发短信、玩社交软件”，她不得不“一遍又一遍”地拿过他们的手机。
学校副校长亚当·盖尔布说，一些学生每天花在手机上的时间多达11或12个小时。
因此，政府求助于采用技术手段来寻求解决方案。圣马特奥高中现在要求，学生在白天把手机锁在专用的容器里。每个学生都必须把手机放在一个带磁性锁的小包中，这种小包叫Yondr袋。
一天结束时，学生们用另一个设备打开包。美国和欧洲的学校都在使用这种包。学校花在设备上的费用大约是每年2万美元，每个学生支付12美元。
乔安妮·萨布里奇老师很高兴。她看到了学生的行为发生了改变。她说他们“今年很专注”，而不是盯着手机看。
其他学校则选择更简单的方法来解决问题，即禁止在教室里使用手机。密歇根州大急流城附近的森林小丘校区采用的就是这种方法。校方人员决定在本学年禁止全天使用手机，包括午餐时间。
丹·贝姆是该地区的主管。他向《教育周刊》透露了地区官员实施禁令的原因。贝姆说，他们“希望给学生们提供一个清净的休息时间，而不是像孩子们互相发短信或在社交媒体发帖后，表现出的疯狂能量。”。
他们去年试行这项禁令做测试。贝姆说，他们发现如果学生们不老玩手机，焦虑程度就会降低。
《教育周》发现，在本学年或上学年，30多所学校，以及一些学区，都实施了某种限制措施。全国各地区也有各自采用的正式或非正式的电话限制措施。
而有一个地区选择不禁用手机，这就是宾夕法尼亚州的圣玛丽学区。布莱恩·托思是这个小乡村的负责人。他告诉美国之音，每位老师都可以决定是否以及何时限制学生使用手机。
托特说，学生们是玩着手机长大的，“我们有责任教他们在课堂上正确使用各种工具。”他补充说，学校教授有关手机的知识，并指导使用手机上的社交媒体和互联网的方法。
“这是改变儿童教育的一部分，”他说。“只要我们教会他们负责任地使用手机就可以了。”
托特说，我们拥有这项技术，学校应该利用它来帮助学生，而不是感到害怕。
安妮·鲍尔和布莱恩·林恩报道。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
