How to Tackle Chronic Hunger and Poverty
VOA常速：如何应对长期饥饿和贫困
燕山大学 刘立军
TRANSCRIPT
When it comes to humanitarian aid, one of the greatest achievements of the past quarter century is the fact that since the early 1990s, the number of (Q1) undernourished people who live in the developing world has dropped by just short of half, from 23.3 percent to 12.9 percent.
But the improvement, though (Q2) impressive, has been uneven, with great regional differences. In fact, some areas, many of them suffering from (Q3) overpopulation, conflict or deeply inequitable economic growth have actually gotten worse.
So, in developing the Office of Food for Peace's Food Assistance and Food Security Strategy for the next decade, the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, (Q4) incorporated the lessons it has learned from the successes and even failures of the past 25 years.
"One of the more successful ways food assistance programs can (Q5) tackle chronic hunger and poverty is by looking beyond food," wrote Dina Esposito, Director of USAID's Office of Food for Peace in a recent (Q6) blog post. This means looking at food security from all angles and asking the right questions, such as how did families earn incomes to put food on the table? How much food did families produce on their land — only enough to feed their families, or were they able to sell crops too? What were the causes of (Q7) malnutrition in the communities?
The primary goal of the 2016-2025 plan is to improve and sustain food and nutrition security in (Q8) vulnerable populations. USAID's Office of Food for Peace is working to achieve that goal through a two-pronged approach. One works to meet immediate needs and strengthen capacities that protect and enhance lives and (Q9) livelihoods. The other works to strengthen local systems for longer-term (Q10) sustainability in key areas impacting food security.
"There is (Q11) unprecedented consensus that building the resilience of vulnerable communities, including their food and nutrition security, is key to our larger goals of ending extreme poverty, enhancing stability and (Q12) spurring economic growth," wrote Director Esposito. "Through the development of the new strategy, we reaffirm our shared vision of a world (Q13) free of hunger and poverty, where all people live in (Q14) dignity, peace and security and together set out an (Q15) ambitious goal for the next decade — to improve and sustain the food and nutrition security of vulnerable populations."
VOCABULARY
1. humanitarian adj. (常用于名词前) concerned with reducing suffering and improving the conditions that people live in 人道主义的（主张减轻人类苦难、改善人类生活）；慈善的。例如：
· to provide humanitarian aid to the war zone 给战区提供人道主义援助
· humanitarian issues 人道主义问题
· a humanitarian organization 慈善机构
· They are calling for the release of the hostages on humanitarian grounds. 他们站在人道主义立场要求释放人质。
· The expulsion of thousands of people represents a humanitarian catastrophe of enormous proportions. 驱逐成千上万人意味着人道主义的巨大灾难。
2. uneven adj. organized in a way that is not regular and / or fair 不均衡的；不公平的；不规则的。例如：
· an uneven distribution of resources 资源的不均衡分配
3. inequitable adj. 不公正的;不公平的 If you say that something is inequitable, you are criticizing it because it is unfair or unjust. 例如：
· The welfare system is grossly inequitable and inefficient. 福利制度非常不公平, 效率也极低。
4. chronic adj. (especially of a disease 尤指疾病) lasting for a long time; difficult to cure or get rid of 长期的；慢性的；难以治愈（或根除）的。例如：
· chronic bronchitis/arthritis/asthma 慢性支气管炎 / 关节炎 / 哮喘
· the country's chronic unemployment problem 该国长期存在的失业问题
· a chronic shortage of housing in rural areas 农村地区住房的长期匮乏
5. pronged adj. 分…部分的 A two-pronged or three-pronged attack, plan, or approach has two or three parts. 例如：
· a two-pronged attack on the recession. 应对经济衰退的"两步走"解决方案
· The bank has a three-pronged strategy for recovery. 银行有一套三管齐下的复苏战略。
6. impact v. （对…）产生影响 To impact on a situation, process, or person means to affect them. 例如：
· Such schemes mean little unless they impact on people. 这些计划没什么意义，除非它们对人民产生影响。
· That, in turn would increase pressure for higher wages and that, in turn, would impact on inflation and competition. 那样就会增加工资上涨的压力，而那样又会对通货膨胀和竞争产生影响。
7. consensus n. 一致看法; 共识 A consensus is general agreement among a group of people. 例句：
· The consensus amongst the world's scientists is that the world is likely to warm up over the next few decades. 世界各国科学家一致认为在未来几十年里地球有可能变暖。
· The question of when the troops should leave would be decided by consensus. 部队应该何时撤离的问题将由大家共同决定。
QUESTIONS
Fill in the blanks with the words or phrases you hear in the news.
When it comes to humanitarian aid, one of the greatest achievements of the past quarter century is the fact that since the early 1990s, the number of (Q1) ________________________ people who live in the developing world has dropped by just short of half, from 23.3 percent to 12.9 percent.
But the improvement, though (Q2) ________________________, has been uneven, with great regional differences. In fact, some areas, many of them suffering from (Q3) ___________________________, conflict or deeply inequitable economic growth have actually gotten worse.
So, in developing the Office of Food for Peace's Food Assistance and Food Security Strategy for the next decade, the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, (Q4) _______________________ the lessons it has learned from the successes and even failures of the past 25 years.
"One of the more successful ways food assistance programs can (Q5) ____________________ chronic hunger and poverty is by looking beyond food," wrote Dina Esposito, Director of USAID's Office of Food for Peace in a recent (Q6) ____________________________. This means looking at food security from all angles and asking the right questions, such as how did families earn incomes to put food on the table? How much food did families produce on their land — only enough to feed their families, or were they able to sell crops too? What were the causes of (Q7) ____________________ in the communities?
The primary goal of the 2016-2025 plan is to improve and sustain food and nutrition security in (Q8) _________________________________ populations. USAID's Office of Food for Peace is working to achieve that goal through a two-pronged approach. One works to meet immediate needs and strengthen capacities that protect and enhance lives and (Q9) _______________________. The other works to strengthen local systems for longer-term (Q10) ____________________________ in key areas impacting food security.
"There is (Q11) ____________________________ consensus that building the resilience of vulnerable communities, including their food and nutrition security, is key to our larger goals of ending extreme poverty, enhancing stability and (Q12) ____________________________ economic growth," wrote Director Esposito. "Through the development of the new strategy, we reaffirm our shared vision of a world (Q13) ______________________________ hunger and poverty, where all people live in (Q14) _________________________, peace and security and together set out an (Q15) _________________________ goal for the next decade — to improve and sustain the food and nutrition security of vulnerable populations."
| QUESTION | KEY |
| Q1 | undernourished |
| Q2 | impressive |
| Q3 | overpopulation |
| Q4 | incorporated |
| Q5 | tackle |
| Q6 | blog post |
| Q7 | malnutrition |
| Q8 | vulnerable |
| Q9 | livelihoods |
| Q10 | sustainability |
| Q11 | unprecedented |
| Q12 | spurring |
| Q13 | free of |
| Q14 | dignity |
| Q15 | ambitious |