VOA慢速英语2010年-Education Report - For Some, Free Citi

This is the VOA Special English Education Report.

Americans talk a lot about illegal immigration but not as much about legal immigration.

Legal immigrants who want to become citizens must learn English and show a knowledge of American history and government. They must also pay a fee and meet other requirements.

Immigrants may take what are called citizenship¹ classes to help them prepare for the naturalization test. Last year, thirteen groups received a total of just over one million dollars from the government to offer these classes.

This year, that support has grown to almost eight million dollars, and the money is going to seventy-five organizations across the country. And now, starting in October, many classes will be offered free of charge.

This will happen through a program supported by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. Alejandro Mayorkas is the agency's director .

ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS: "We hope to make it an easier transition for people to realize their aspirations² of becoming U.S. citizens."

Classes like this one teach students English and the history and government of the United States.

Elsy Ventura from El Salvador enrolled³ in a one-hundred-dollar class near Washington. She says that is a lot to pay as a single mother also supporting her own mother, who lives with her. But her goal is to become an American.

ELSY VENTURA: "I want to have rights as anybody else in this country."

Other immigrants share that goal. But for some young people, hopes of citizenship were recently blocked in Congress for the fifth time in ten years.

The United States has an estimated eleven million illegal immigrants. About two million of them arrived as children brought by their parents.

A measure known as the Dream Act would put these children of undocumented immigrants on a path toward citizenship instead of possible expulsion. In return, they would have to show "good moral character" and graduate from high school. They would also have to complete two years of college or serve in the military.

UNDOCUMENTED STUDENT: "I grew up in the United States, ever since I was six years old, and it's the custom here and the culture I have grown to love."

(SOUND: Protesters shouting "Dream Act Now!")

"Dream" is short for Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors⁴. Some conservatives say it could increase illegal border crossings at a time when many Americans want stronger controls.

But the idea gained support among conservatives and liberals, the military and education leaders. Still, the measure died this month in the Senate, where it was tied to a bill to let gays serve openly in the military.

Political observers do not expect Congress to consider the Dream Act again before congressional elections in November. But they do expect supporters to keep trying in the future.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report. Our reports are online at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

 

1 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

2 aspirations   

强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音

参考例句：

• I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。

3 enrolled   

adj.入学登记了的v.[亦作enrol]( enroll的过去式和过去分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起

参考例句：

• They have been studying hard from the moment they enrolled. 从入学时起，他们就一直努力学习。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He enrolled with an employment agency for a teaching position. 他在职业介绍所登了记以谋求一个教师的职位。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 minors   

n.未成年人( minor的名词复数 )；副修科目；小公司；[逻辑学]小前提v.[主美国英语]副修，选修，兼修( minor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors. 法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had three minors this semester. 这学期他有三门副修科目。 来自《简明英汉词典》