2016年12月英语四级听力在线练习(74)思维导图

IncomeinequalityintheUnitedStatesisamajorelectioncampaignissue.Itisanissueofinteresttomanypeopleacrossthecountry.

Studieshaveshownthat49millionAmericans--includingoneinfourchildren--arelivinginpoverty.TheUnitedStatesCensusBureausaystherewere43.1millionpeopleinpovertylastyear.Thatis3.5millionfewerthanin2014.

AcommunitydevelopmentprograminGeorgiaisworkingtoimproveneighborhoodsandhelpliftfamiliesoutofpoverty.Italsohelpsyoungpeoplefrompoorfamiliesgetagoodeducation.

TheEastLakeFoundationdirectsthecommunityredevelopmentprogramsintheEastLakeneighborhoodofAtlanta,Georgia.DanielShoyheadsthefoundation.

“Sobyhavingahigh-qualityeducationpipelineweareabletoprovidefirstclassopportunitiesforourchildren,andreallyfortheirfamilies,tohelpthemmovebeyondtheintergenerationalcycleofpoverty,toexposethemtowhatIconsideraworldofpossibilities.”

Theprogramprovideseducationtochildrenfromtheageofthreeallthewaytocollege.Thethree-year-oldsattendclasseswheretheyfocusmainlyonreading.Theprogramworkstoensurethechildrencanreadwellbythetimetheyenterthethirdgrade.

Astheygrowup,theirprogressisfollowedandtheyareurgedtoworkhard.Theyattendthesamepublichighschoolwhichhasaneducationalcurriculumthatrequiresmathematics,scienceandtechnology.

“I’dsaythemoststaggeringresultthatwe’veseenisforouryoungpeoplegofromhavingonlyaboutfivepercentofits5thgradersbeabletomeetorexceedthestatestandardinmathtonow95percentofouryoungpeopleacrossallcoreacademicsubjectsmeetandexceedthatstandard.”

Shoynotesthatthechildren“areperformingwellcomparedtotheirpeersacrossthecountry.”

Theeducationprogramisjustoneoftheactivitiesofferedtoyoungpeoplewholiveinthecommunity.

JalilSpearmangrewupintheprogramandisnowinthe11thgrade.Hehopestobecomeanengineer.

“Havingallthesedifferentextra-curricularactivitieslikeengineering,dance,band,like,reallyhelpsyouto,like,decideonwhatyouliketodorightnowinhighschool,sowhenyougoofftocollegeyoualreadyknowsomethingthatyouwanttodo.”

Manyofthestudentsfrompoorfamiliesareperformingaswellasmiddle-classstudents.

TerezChapmanandherfamilymovedtoEastLake15yearsago.Shenowattendscollegeandworkspart-time.

“Knowingthatsomeoneelseotherthanyourfamilyhastakena(n)interestinyou,itreallyencouragesyou--andmakesyouwanttodobetterandsetthebarhighforyourselftomakeyourownaccomplishments.”

TerezChapmansaysthatsupportfromteachershelpsthestudentsgetthepreparationtheyneedtobesuccessfulinschoolandinlife.

I’mCatyWeaver.

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pipeline–n.thesystemfordevelopingandproducingsomething

intergenerational–adj.passingfromonegenerationtothenext

cycle–n.asetofeventsoractionsthathappenagainandagaininthesameorder;arepeatingseriesofeventsoractions

expose–v.tocause(someone)toexperiencesomethingortobeinfluencedoraffectedbysomething(often+to)

focus–v.todirectyourattentionoreffortatsomethingspecific

curriculum–n.thecoursesthataretaughtbyaschool,college,etc.

staggering–adj.verylarge,shockingorsurprising

core–adj.themostimportantorbasicpartofsomething

peer–n.apersonwhobelongstothesameagegrouporsocialgroupassomeoneelse

extra-curricular–adj.activitiesthathappenataschoolbutnotnecessarilyinaclassroom,suchassports

setthebar–expressiontochangethestandardthatisusedtojudgewhethersomeoneorsomethingisgood,successful,etc.

accomplishment–n.somethingdone,achievedoraccomplishedsuccessfully