2 People with Disabilities Achieve New Opportunities 残疾人获得新机会

仔细听

A government report says more people with disabilities work as janitors or building cleaners than any other job.People with physical or mental disabilities are less likely to be employed than people without a disability.And those who are employed are more likely to work in lower paying jobs，and to earn less than their co-workers with no disability.

一份政府报告显示，相对于其他工作，更多残疾人士在从事门卫或大楼清洁工的工作。比起健全人，患有身体或精神残疾的人在就业市场缺乏竞争力。就算是就了业的残疾人，大多数做的也是低收入工作，而且工资也比他们健全的同事少。

听力破解：本句有多处重读，如 less likely“可能性更小”，此处重读是为了强调健全人与残疾人在工作机会上的差异；此外，who are employed中的are也被播音员重读，此处是为了表示意义上的递进。

词汇宝典：physical or mental disabilities中的physical和mental是一对相关词汇，经常搭配出现，表示“身体”和“精神”。

仔细听

Meg Grigal works with an organization called Think College.That group helps colleges and universities provide courses，social opportunities and job training for people with mental disabilities.Many of the students have Down's syndrome.Ms.Grigal says the students gain from higher education just like anyone else hoping to earn more in future employment by going to college.

梅格·葛瑞加在一家名为 Think College 的机构工作。该机构帮助各大高校为有精神残疾的人提供课程、社交机会和岗位培训。这里的许多学生都患有唐氏综合症。葛瑞加女士说，和其他所有希望通过接受大学教育在未来的就业中得到更高薪水的人一样，这些学生也可以从高等教育中受益。

听力破解：本句中courses，social opportunities and job training是三个并列的相关词汇，播音员在前两个词（组）的朗读中都用了升调，最后一个词组使用降调，这是英语中朗读并列成分时常用的发音规则。

仔细听

“I think we are starting to be able to document the economic impact for people with intellectual disabilities that shows having them go to college even if it isn't for a degree is going to improve their employment outcome.”

“我想现在已经有资料可以证明智力残疾人士上大学的经济效应了，就算不是为了那一纸文凭，让他们有机会上大学也是可以改善他们的就业前景的。”

听力破解：本句中even if it isn't for a degree中的isn't被播音员重读。even if是个表示让步的短语，重读 isn't 正是为了表明语义中的这种让步关系。

词汇宝典：document 常用作名词，是“文件”的意思，但此处用作动词，意为“用文献、证书、证件等证明”，如：He can document his theory with facts.他能为自己的理论提供事实证明。

仔细听

Ms.Grigal says the most common reason students with intellectual disabilities do not go to college is because their teachers and parents do not think they can do it.

“You can only believe in what you've seen is possible.And if your entire career or the entire length of your child's life you've been told people with intellectual disabilities can't go to college，then that is your knee-jerk reaction when you are broached with an opportunity.”

葛瑞加女士说，之所以大多数智力残疾人士不去上大学，是因为他们的老师和家长们认为他们不行。

“人们只会相信自己亲眼看到的事情是可能发生的。如果在你的整个职业生涯或童年生活中，人们一直告诉你智力残疾的人不能上大学，那么当有人跟你谈及这个机会时，你也会下意识地认为这是不可能的。”

听力破解：第二段第一句有两个明显被重读的词：believe和seen。这里的重读是句意表达的需要，表示“看到的，才会相信”。实际上这句话来自一个谚语：To see is to believe.眼见为实。

学着说一说

1.be employed

▶employ 意思是“雇用”，口语中常用被动语态，表示被雇用，如：

A：Could you help me out with those forms？I can't finish it by my own.你能帮我弄一下这些表格么？我一个人完成不了。

B：Don't ask me to fill in the forms.You are employed to do that.

不要叫我来填这些表格，你就是被雇来干这个的。

2.even if

▶even if 有“即使，纵然”的意思，经常引导让步状语从句，等同于even though。如：

I wouldn't lose courage even if I should fail ten times.

即使要失败十次，我也决不灰心。

Don't utter hard words even if you feel angry.即使是生气也不要骂人。

3.knee-jerk reaction

▶这个短语原意为“膝跳反应”，新闻中使用其延伸意义，表示“本能的第一反应”。如：

It was a knee-jerk reaction on her part.这是她未加思索做出的反应。