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练习 | VOA慢速新闻:研究称共和党人认为高校伤害了美国

5.9分钟 2500 119wpm

VOA Special 2017 教育带练习新闻听力

研究称共和党人认为高校伤害了美国

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VOA慢速：Study: Republicans See Colleges Hurting America
研究称共和党人认为高校伤害了美国

燕山大学刘立军宋崴编写

◆TRANSCRIPT

A majority of Republicans and Republican-leaning voters say American colleges and universities have a negative effect on the United States.

That is one of the findings of a new report by the Pew Research Center. The report was based on phone interviews with more than 2,500 adults across the United States and the District of Columbia.

Over the past two years, Pew found the share of Republicans and Republican leaners who view the effect of colleges and universities positively has dropped 18 percentage points.

In the past, a little more than half had a positive view. Now only about one-third do.

Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents see the value of colleges and universities very differently. Pew said 72 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaners say colleges have a positive effect on the United States - little changed from recent years.

○Younger Republicans see colleges more positively

Some of the opinions about the value of college differ based on age.

Pew reported that half of Republicans and Republican-leaners aged 18 to 29 say colleges have a positive effect on the country. But only about one-quarter of Republican and Republican-leaners 65 and older say colleges have a positive effect.

○Anger, distrust and debt

A former Republican congressman from Louisiana, Billy Tauzin, said he believes many Republicans are unhappy that at some colleges conservative speakers are not only unwelcome, but blocked from speaking.

This year some students at the University of California - Berkeley and Middlebury College in Vermont demonstrated violently against conservative speakers. The demonstrations drew wide coverage and criticism by news media favored by conservatives.

David Andersen, who teaches political science at Iowa State University, said he is not surprised Republicans and Republican-leaning adults have a negative opinion of American higher education.

"One of the things going on is that there is an anti-elitism and anti-intellectualism among some in the Republican Party," Andersen said.

Andersen said he sees distrust in his own classroom among students from largely Republican and conservative communities in Iowa.

"Students are very willing to push back as we discuss issues," he said. "But that's the whole point of being at a university. Let's talk about what you believe and see how it matches up with the facts."

On some issues, such as climate change, Andersen offers information about the big majority of scientists who say climate change is real and caused by man-made activities.

When they get home, some students talk with their families about classroom discussions that conflict with the ones at home.

Sometimes, those conversations do not go well.

"One student said, ‘My uncle yelled at me for two hours because he thought I had become a godless liberal,'" Andersen said.

Andersen said he believes most Americans without a college education still want their children to go to college, hoping they will gain better job opportunities.

William Eveland Jr., a professor at the School of Communication and the Department of Political Science at Ohio State University, said there may be other reasons Republicans do not favor colleges and universities. One of them is the increased cost of college, and the increasing number of students and parents who go into heavy debt to pay off loans.

○College is still preferred over the media

The Pew Research Center report found Republicans have an even worse opinion of the news media than they do of American colleges. Pew found 85 percent of Republicans and people who lean Republican say the news media has a negative effect on the United States.

Democrats and Democratic-leaning adults are divided - with 44 percent saying the news media has a positive effect and 46 percent saying it has a negative effect.

I'm Bruce Alpert.

And I'm Jill Robbins.

Adapted from 共和党人认为高校伤害了美国

◆VOCABULARY
1.elitism n. a way of organizing a system, society, etc. so that only a few people (= an elite ) have power or influence 精英统治；精英主义。例如：Many people believe that private education encourages elitism. 许多人认为私立教育助长精英主义。

2.intellectual n. a person who is well educated and enjoys activities in which they have to think seriously about things 知识分子；脑力劳动者

3.intellectualism n. 知性主义，对理智的偏重，理智主义; 唯智论

◆QUESTIONS
Read the statements. Then listen to the news and check (?) the true or () false statements.

1. A majority of Republicans and Republican-leaning voters say American colleges and universities have a negative effect on the United States.

2. The report was based on online questionnaire with more than 2,500 adults across the United States and the District of Columbia.

3. Over the past two years, Pew found the share of Republicans and Republican leaners who view the effect of colleges and universities positively has dropped more than 18 percentage points.

4. Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents see the value of colleges and universities very differently.

5. Younger Republicans see colleges more positively.

6. Some of the opinions about the value of college differ based on age.

7. Pew reported that half of Republicans and Republican-leaners aged 18 to 29 say colleges have a negative effect on the country.

8. "One of the things going on is that there is an anti-elitism and anti-intellectualism among some in the Republican Party," Andersen said.

9. Andersen said he believes most Americans without a college education still want their children to go to college, hoping they will gain better education opportunities.

10. The increased cost of college is probably one of the reasons Republicans do not favor colleges and universities because they got heavy debt to pay off loans.

11. College is still preferred over the media.

◆KEY

√1. A majority of Republicans and Republican-leaning voters say American colleges and universities have a negative effect on the United States.

×2. The report was based on online questionnaire with more than 2,500 adults across the United States and the District of Columbia. (online questionnaire 修改为phone interviews)

×3. Over the past two years, Pew found the share of Republicans and Republican leaners who view the effect of colleges and universities positively has dropped more than 18 percentage points. (more than 18 percentage修改为18 percentage)

√4. Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents see the value of colleges and universities very differently.

√5. Younger Republicans see colleges more positively.

√6. Some of the opinions about the value of college differ based on age.

×7. Pew reported that half of Republicans and Republican-leaners aged 18 to 29 say colleges have a negative effect on the country. (negative 修改为positive)

√8. "One of the things going on is that there is an anti-elitism and anti-intellectualism among some in the Republican Party," Andersen said.

×9. Andersen said he believes most Americans without a college education still want their children to go to college, hoping they will gain better education opportunities. (education修改为job)

√10. The increased cost of college is probably one of the reasons Republicans do not favor colleges and universities because they got heavy debt to pay off loans.

√11. College is still preferred over the media.

时长：5.9分钟

语速：119wpm

来源：刘立军、宋葳 2017-09-27

练习 | VOA慢速新闻:研究称共和党人认为高校伤害了美国

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