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VOA慢速英语2010年-New Science Websites for Children

时间:2011-01-03 06:53:39

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BOB DOUGHTY1: And I’m Bob Doughty. Many boys and girls like science. Some of them go to the Internet to find answers to scientific questions. Today, we will tell about a few science websites for children.

(MUSIC)

FAITH LAPIDUS: Millions of children around the world use the Internet every day. Many boys and girls have better computer skills than their parents. They explore the World Wide Web, play video games and research school projects.

Some young people use the Web to make new friends through social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter.

One company hopes to use this interest in social networking to increase their interest in science. Earlier this year, the Mad Science Group launched what it called the first-ever science-based social network for children. It is known as the Mad Science Kids Club.

BOB DOUGHTY: Elke Steinwender is Marketing2 and Promotions3 Manager for the Mad Science Group. She says the website is designed for children between the ages of six and fourteen.

ELKE STEINWENDER: "It is a place where kids can build their own social community online and they can really engage in some fun and cool scientific discovery and really allow them to turn their home into a lab if they choose to do so."

A look at the homepage of Mad Science Kids Club

The Mad Science Kids Club lets children explore science with other boys and girls around the world. Like Facebook, the children are able to invite people they know to become their friends. Or, they can join existing groups to meet new friends.

There are several groups. One, called the Counting Club, is for children who love working with numbers. They share different information about mathematics. This includes advice about solving math problems and jokes involving numbers. Another group, called Cosmic Adventures, is for children who are interested in space.

FAITH LAPIDUS: Boys and girls can buy different kinds of computer applications from the Kids Club store. One application is called Lab Rat. It lets children ask and answer questions about science. Their questions are then published on the website, along with the correct answer from Mad Science experts.

There is also the Science Zone. Elke Steinwender says this offers science experiments that children and their parents can do at home.

ELKE STEINWENDER: "They can see the actual experiment being done by one of our mad scientists. And then they can download the PDF file to replicate4 them at home."

Members of the Mad Science Kids Club can share pictures on the website and send and receive e-mail through the network. They can also play games.

BOB DOUGHTY: The Mad Science Group joined with a company called Everloop to create the science-based social network. Everloop is known for its experience creating social media websites for children with a high level of online safety.

Elke Steinwender says there are many levels of safety built into the Kids Club to make sure that children have a safe and fun experience online.

ELKE STEINWENDER: "When a child receives the new friend invitation or a group invitation the parent has the option to say yes or no. They can change their privacy setting and give more or less freedom to their child. There is also Crisp Moderation and that's an online moderation that basically makes sure that the post streams remain content friendly. And there are also some more sophisticated, anti-bullying, for example, protocols5. So it's a mix between software and actual people monitoring the Kids Club."

FAITH LAPIDUS: Parents are required to approve their child's membership in the Mad Science Kids Club. There are also applications that help parents control and follow what their children are doing.

The Mad Science Kids Club is still being tested. A full launch is planned for early next year. The website will launch first in the United States and Canada. It will be opened up in other countries over a period of time.

(MUSIC)

BOB DOUGHTY: There are several other science-based websites that seek to increase children’s interest in science. One is called sciencenewsforkids.org. It helps to explain science-related news stories in a way that children can understand them. The stories can deal with any number of areas in science, from animals and environmental issues to space and weather.

Recently, a story published on the website discussed a study about the effects of climate change on lakes. Another story examined the long-term effects of jet lag on learning and memory.

The writers add a list of power words at the end of each story. Here they provide simple definitions of important words related to the story. The website also offers activities to test brain power, information about science experiments and, yes, games.

FAITH LAPIDUS: Extremescience.com is another website for young scientists. A scientist who formerly6 worked for the American space agency launched the website in nineteen ninety-eight.

A specialty7 of the Extreme Science website is providing information about amazing or unusual scientific facts. This includes information on things like the largest diamond ever discovered, the Earth’s driest desert or highest waterfall. It also includes facts about the oldest animal known to scientists, the largest land animal and the fastest animal in the sea.

(MUSIC)

BOB DOUGHTY: TheFeaturedCreature.com is another website that children are sure to find interesting. It calls attention to some lesser-known species. Carly Martinetti launched the website earlier this year. Ms. Martinetti is a twenty-year-old psychology8 student. She says she has been interested in unusual animals since she was a little girl.

CARLY MARTINETTI: "I used to have millions of pets, like the weirdest9 ones you could probably think of. I had a soft shell turtle and a hedgehog, and red-eyed tree frogs. My whole room pretty much looked like a miniature zoo." (:13)

Visitors to TheFeaturedCreature.com website can find information about some of the strangest and most interesting animals on Earth. Miz Martinetti says there is more to the animal kingdom than lions, tigers and bears. She wants to help people learn about the millions of little-known species.

Carly Martinetti: "I was getting kind of bored with seeing all the nature shows on Savannah, and Great Plains and things like that, where it's always you hear about lions and cheetahs10. I wanted to kind of expose readers to some of the other cool creatures that are out there."

FAITH LAPIDUS: Recently, one story on the Featured Creature website described the arboreal11 alligator12 lizard13. The colorful lizards14 are natives of Mexico. They grow to be only about sixteen centimeters in length. The website says they are an endangered species and victims of a growing illegal pet trade.

Have you ever seen a long-eared hedgehog? You can find one at the Featured Creature website. They look almost like a cross between a rat and a porcupine15. But be careful! The website warns that many long-eared hedgehogs have been found to carry brown dog ticks. These little creatures spread disease to animals and sometimes people.

TheFeaturedCreature.com is not as much a scientific website for children as it is a website created by a young person with an interest in unusual animals. The web postings are not overly scientific. Instead, the information is presented in a funny way that young people will surely enjoy.

(MUSIC)

BOB DOUGHTY: Finally, we close with a story about another science website for children. Parents may find this one especially interesting. It is called sciencetoymaker.org, but there are no toys for sale. Instead the website provides step-by-step guides on how to make your own play-things, all at little or no cost.

Many of the toys are made out of things one might find around the home. For example, one of the projects is for a scribbling16, spinning top. To make it, you need a milk carton, a pencil, a ballpoint pen, scissors and a pencil sharpener.

FAITH LAPIDUS: The final product is supposed to produce a top that can not only move in circles, but write or scribble17. There is also a guide for making a giant water prism that promises to break up sunlight into a rainbow of beautiful colors.

The website also provides explanations as to what scientific theories make the toys work the way they do. We have not yet tested any of the projects, so it is difficult to say how well they work. At the very least, they will provide hours of scientific exploration and fun for children.

(MUSIC)

BOB DOUGHTY: This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written and produced by June Simms. I'm Bob Doughty.

FAITH LAPIDUS: And I'm Faith Lapidus. You can find transcripts18, MP3s and podcasts of our programs at voaspecialenglish.com. And you can find us on Twitter and YouTube at VOA Learning English. Join us again next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 doughty Jk5zg     
adj.勇猛的,坚强的
参考例句:
  • Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质:脾气倔强,性格刚强。
  • The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。
2 marketing Boez7e     
n.行销,在市场的买卖,买东西
参考例句:
  • They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
  • He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。
3 promotions ea6aeb050f871384f25fba9c869cfe21     
促进( promotion的名词复数 ); 提升; 推广; 宣传
参考例句:
  • All services or promotions must have an appeal and wide application. 所有服务或促销工作都必须具有吸引力和广泛的适用性。
  • He promptly directed the highest promotions and decorations for General MacArthur. 他授予麦克阿瑟将军以最高的官阶和勋奖。
4 replicate PVAxN     
v.折叠,复制,模写;n.同样的样品;adj.转折的
参考例句:
  • The DNA of chromatin must replicate before cell division.染色质DNA在细胞分裂之前必须复制。
  • It is also easy to replicate,as the next subsection explains.就像下一个小节详细说明的那样,它还可以被轻易的复制。
5 protocols 66203c461b36a2af573149f0aa6164ff     
n.礼仪( protocol的名词复数 );(外交条约的)草案;(数据传递的)协议;科学实验报告(或计划)
参考例句:
  • There are also protocols on the testing of nuclear weapons. 也有关于核武器试验的协议。 来自辞典例句
  • Hardware components and software design of network transport protocols are separately introduced. 介绍系统硬件组成及网络传输协议的软件设计。 来自互联网
6 formerly ni3x9     
adv.从前,以前
参考例句:
  • We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
  • This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。
7 specialty SrGy7     
n.(speciality)特性,特质;专业,专长
参考例句:
  • Shell carvings are a specialty of the town.贝雕是该城的特产。
  • His specialty is English literature.他的专业是英国文学。
8 psychology U0Wze     
n.心理,心理学,心理状态
参考例句:
  • She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
  • He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。
9 weirdest 1420dbd419e940f3a92df683409afc4e     
怪诞的( weird的最高级 ); 神秘而可怕的; 超然的; 古怪的
参考例句:
  • Think of the weirdest, craziest shit you'd like to see chicks do. 想想这最怪异,最疯狂的屁事。你会喜欢看这些鸡巴表演的。
  • It's still the weirdest damn sound I ever heard out of a Jersey boy. 这是我所听过新泽西人最为怪异的音调了。
10 cheetahs 49fe48184ec612a4c6ab48e2544552ef     
n.(奔跑极快的)非洲猎豹( cheetah的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Unlike lions or cheetahs, leopards are secretive, solitary cats. 花豹不像狮子或印度豹,是属于较神秘而隐居的大猫。 来自互联网
  • Among this lot are cheetahs, lions, leopards, rhinoceroses, spotted hyenas and elephants. 印度豹、狮子、花豹、犀牛、斑点土狼、大象等,都是此地的居民。 来自互联网
11 arboreal jNoyf     
adj.树栖的;树的
参考例句:
  • Man was evolved from an ancestor that was probably arboreal.人大概是从住在树上的祖先进化而来的。
  • Koala is an arboreal Australian marsupial.考拉是一种澳大利亚树栖有袋动物。
12 alligator XVgza     
n.短吻鳄(一种鳄鱼)
参考例句:
  • She wandered off to play with her toy alligator.她开始玩鳄鱼玩具。
  • Alligator skin is five times more costlier than leather.鳄鱼皮比通常的皮革要贵5倍。
13 lizard P0Ex0     
n.蜥蜴,壁虎
参考例句:
  • A chameleon is a kind of lizard.变色龙是一种蜥蜴。
  • The lizard darted out its tongue at the insect.蜥蜴伸出舌头去吃小昆虫。
14 lizards 9e3fa64f20794483b9c33d06297dcbfb     
n.蜥蜴( lizard的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Nothing lives in Pompeii except crickets and beetles and lizards. 在庞培城里除了蟋蟀、甲壳虫和蜥蜴外,没有别的生物。 来自辞典例句
  • Can lizards reproduce their tails? 蜥蜴的尾巴断了以后能再生吗? 来自辞典例句
15 porcupine 61Wzs     
n.豪猪, 箭猪
参考例句:
  • A porcupine is covered with prickles.箭猪身上长满了刺。
  • There is a philosophy parable,call philosophy of porcupine.有一个哲学寓言,叫豪猪的哲学。
16 scribbling 82fe3d42f37de6f101db3de98fc9e23d     
n.乱涂[写]胡[乱]写的文章[作品]v.潦草的书写( scribble的现在分词 );乱画;草草地写;匆匆记下
参考例句:
  • Once the money got into the book, all that remained were some scribbling. 折子上的钱只是几个字! 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
  • McMug loves scribbling. Mama then sent him to the Kindergarten. 麦唛很喜欢写字,妈妈看在眼里,就替他报读了幼稚园。 来自互联网
17 scribble FDxyY     
v.潦草地书写,乱写,滥写;n.潦草的写法,潦草写成的东西,杂文
参考例句:
  • She can't write yet,but she loves to scribble with a pencil.她现在还不会写字,但她喜欢用铅笔乱涂。
  • I can't read this scribble.我看不懂这种潦草的字。
18 transcripts 525c0b10bb61e5ddfdd47d7faa92db26     
n.抄本( transcript的名词复数 );转写本;文字本;副本
参考例句:
  • Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样,都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
  • You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书,你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句

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