智利总统任命新教育部长

 　　SANTIAGO, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Chile's President Sebastian Pinera Monday appointed Carolina Schmidt, former head of the National Women's Service, as the new Education Minister replacing Harald Beyer.

　　Beyer was forced to step down after congress indicted¹ him last week of failing to provide oversight² of Chile's institutions of higher learning, which have been tarnished³ by charges of corruption⁴ and profiteering. He has been banned for five years from holding public office.

　　"The new education minister has an ambitious, clear and highly demanding mandate⁵" that "seeks to make unwavering progress towards a country that can ensure quality education for its children and youngsters," Pinera said of his new nominee⁶.

　　Schmidt was the highest-rated member of Pinera's cabinet, with a 71 percent approval rating among Chileans. She becomes Pinera's fourth Education Minister.

　　After the announcement, Chile's dissident student movement on Monday called on Schmidt to steer⁷ clear of the conservative policies they feel have eroded⁸ the country's education system.

　　"We hope the new minister is not from the most conservative wing of the government, which has been the (camp) that has prevented all types of initiatives," said Diego Vela, a dissident spokesman and president of the Catholic University Student Federation⁹.

　　"What we need are fundamental changes in education," said Vela.

　　The students delivered a letter containing their demands to the presidential palace of La Moneda Monday.

　　Chile's student movement began in 2011 with mass protests against the increasing privatization of education by Pinera's pro- business government and the erosion of public education. The students have been calling for a complete overhaul¹⁰ of the education system to improve it and make it more affordable¹¹.

　　The education crisis continues to plague Pinera's administration and his conservative party months before the presidential elections slated¹² for next November.

1 indicted   

控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
• He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。

2 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

3 tarnished   

（通常指金属）（使）失去光泽，（使）变灰暗( tarnish的过去式和过去分词 )； 玷污，败坏

参考例句：

• The mirrors had tarnished with age. 这些镜子因年深日久而照影不清楚。
• His bad behaviour has tarnished the good name of the school. 他行为不轨，败坏了学校的声誉。

4 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

5 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

6 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

7 steer   

vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶

参考例句：

• If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车，我就来驾车。
• It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。

8 eroded   

adj. 被侵蚀的，有蚀痕的 动词erode的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The cliff face has been steadily eroded by the sea. 峭壁表面逐渐被海水侵蚀。
• The stream eroded a channel in the solid rock. 小溪在硬石中侵蚀成一条水道。

9 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

10 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

11 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

12 slated   

用石板瓦盖( slate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Yuki is working up an in-home phonics program slated for Thursdays, and I'm drilling her on English conversation at dinnertime. Yuki每周四还有一次家庭语音课。我在晚餐时训练她的英语口语。
• Bromfield was slated to become U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. 布罗姆菲尔德被提名为美国农业部长。