EDUCATION REPORT - Teen Taught by Mom Wins Top Science Compe

EDUCATION REPORT - Teen Taught by Mom Wins Top Science Competition
By Nancy Steinbach

Broadcast: Thursday, December 15, 2005

I'm Faith Lapidus with the VOA Special English Education Report.

A sixteen-year-old boy from California has won first prize in the Siemens Westinghouse Competition in Math, Science and Technology. Michael Viscardi of San Diego does not go to high school. His mother teaches him at home.

 
Michael Viscardi
His mother has a doctorate¹ in neuroscience; his father is a software engineer.

Michael does, however, attend advanced math classes at the University of California, San Diego. He worked on his project with his professor.

The project involved a mathematical² problem first developed in the nineteenth century by the French mathematician³ Lejeune Dirichlet. The winning research shows solutions to the problem. One of the judges said the young man's work could lead to new developments in heat flow and other areas of physics. One possible use is in designing the shape of airplane wings.

The Siemens Westinghouse competition awards a top prize of one hundred thousand dollars for college to one individual and one team. The team prize this year went to two students from Arizona, Anne Lee and Albert Shieh. They will share one hundred thousand dollars in college money.

 
Ann Lee and Albert Shieh
They improved computer programs used to study large amounts of genetic⁴ information. The two did their work at the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix⁵, Arizona Their research could lead to finding⁶ genetic changes that cause some disorders⁷.

The Siemens Foundation⁸ joined with the College Board and six universities to start the competition in nineteen ninety-eight. This year, more than one thousand six hundred students took part.

Experts from the universities judge competitions in six areas of the country. The individual and team winners from those areas then compete nationally. They demonstrate⁹ their research projects to a group of university professors and scientists. The top winners were chosen last week.

The Siemens Foundation created the competition to improve student performance in math and science in the United States. It is open to American high school students who develop independent research projects in the physical or biological sciences or mathematics.

This VOA Special English Education Report was written by Nancy Steinbach.  I'm Faith Lapidus.

1 doctorate   

n.(大学授予的)博士学位

参考例句：

• He hasn't enough credits to get his doctorate.他的学分不够取得博士学位。
• Where did she do her doctorate?她在哪里攻读博士？

2 mathematical   

adj.数学的，数学上的

参考例句：

• The solution can be expressed by a mathematical equation.答案可用一个数学方程式来表示。
• Einstein was a mathematical genius.爱因斯坦是数学天才。

3 mathematician   

n.数学家

参考例句：

• The man with his back to the camera is a mathematician.背对着照相机的人是位数学家。
• The mathematician analyzed his figures again.这位数学家再次分析研究了他的这些数字。

4 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

5 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。

6 finding   

n.发现，发现物；调查的结果

参考例句：

• The finding makes some sense.该发现具有一定的意义。
• That's an encouraging finding.这是一个鼓舞人心的发现。

7 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 foundation   

n.[pl.]地基；基础；基金会；建立，创办

参考例句：

• The foundation of the university took place 600 years ago.这所大学是600年前创办的。
• The Foundation gives money to help artists.那家基金会捐款帮助艺术家。

9 demonstrate   

vt.论证，证明；示范；显示；vi.示威游行

参考例句：

• Let me demonstrate to you how this machine works.我给你演示一下这台机器的运转情况。
• How can I demonstrate to you that my story is true?我怎样才能向你证明我的话是真实的呢？