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From VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report.
这里是美国之音慢速英语教育报道。
International students and workers must take a standardized test of English to move into higher levels of education and employment. There are three popular tests that universities or employers can use. They are the Test of English as a Foreign Language, TOEFL, the Test of English for International Communication, TOEIC, and the International English Language Testing System, IELTS.
国际学生和职员进入更高层次教育和就业必须参加标准化考试。各个大学和雇主可以采用三种常用的考试。它们是托福、托业和雅思考试。
In most cases, the choice is clear. A student applying to a school learns which test the program requires. However, some programs or universities will accept scores from any of the international tests of English. Then, a student may choose which test to take.
在多数情况下选择很明确。申请学校的学生知道课程要求哪门考试。然而，一些课程或大学接受任何国际英语考试分数。学生们可以自行选择参加哪门考试。
The TOEIC tests workplace communication
托业考试测试职场沟通
The Educational Testing Service, ETS, in Princeton, New Jersey, develops and administers both the TOEFL and the TOEIC. It says the TOEIC measures the everyday English skills of people working in an international environment.
位于新泽西普林斯顿的教育考试中心（简称ETS）开发并管理托福和托业考试。该中心表示，托业评测的是人们在国际环境中工作的日常英语技能。
The TOEIC test started in the 1970s. The Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry asked ETS to develop a test for corporations to use. They wanted to know if non-native English speakers could carry out business in English.
托业考试始于20世纪70年代。日本通商产业省要求ETS开发一种考试供企业使用。他们想知道非英语母语者是否可以用英语开展业务。
The TOEIC is based on English used in the workplace. But the test does not require knowledge of special business words. The questions come from real situations like attending a company meeting.
托业考试是基于工作场所使用的英语。但是该考试不要求特殊商业词汇知识。考试中的问题来自于实际状况，像参加公司会议。
Organizations sometimes use the TOEIC to measure progress in English training programs. They also use it to consider people for placement at the right level in language programs. ETS says that 14,000 organizations in 150 countries use the TOEIC.
各个组织有时候使用托业考试来衡量英语培训课程取得的进展。他们还使用托业考试为人们安排合适水平的语言课程。ETS表示有150个国家的1.4万家机构采用了托业考试。
The TOEFL tests English used in the classroom
托福考试测试课堂使用的英语
There are several versions of the TOEFL.
目前有好几种版本的托福考试。
Students take the Internet-based TOEFL, or TOEFL IBT, on a computer. Many U.S. universities require the TOEFL IBT for international student admissions.
学生们可以参加基于互联网的托福考试，也就是电脑上的托福网考（又称新托福）。许多美国大学招收国际学生时要求新托福考试。
Another TOEFL is the paper-based TOEFL, or TOEFL ITP. It is part of ETS's institutional testing program. TOEFL ITP is used within institutions for the purpose of placement or to evaluate progress of students. It is not accepted for entrance to universities.
另一种托福考试是基于纸笔的学院托福（又称亚托福）。亚托福考试用于学院内部安排或评估学生学习进展。它不被大学招生所接受。
For young English learners, there are two new TOEFL tests. The TOEFL Junior Test is for young people between 11 and 15 years old. And the TOEFL Primary Test is for those over the age of eight.
对于年轻英语学习者来说有两种新的托福考试。初中版托福考试是针对11到15岁青的少年。而小学版托福考试是针对8岁以上的孩子。
IELTS tests academic and general language skills
雅思考试测试学术语言技能和日常语言技能。
The IELTS has two forms. The Listening and Speaking sections are the same for both forms. In the Reading and Writing sections, however, there are two different tests.
雅思考试有两种形式。对这两种考试来说，其中听力和口语是相同的，阅读和写作部分是不同的。
The Academic IELTS uses topics and materials covered in undergraduate, graduate, or professional programs.
学术雅思考试采用覆盖本科、研究所或专业课程的主题和材料。
The General IELTS uses topics and material from everyday books, newspapers and magazines.
培训类雅思日常书籍、报纸杂志的主题和材料。
A student's view of the tests
学生观点
Triwik Kurniasari is a graduate student at an American university. She has taken both the IBT and ITP forms of the TOEFL and the IELTS.
Triwik Kurniasari是美国一所大学的一名研究生。它参加了新托福和学院托福两种考试，还参加了雅思考试。
She says the paper-based, or institutional test, the TOEFL ITP, is easier. The ITP is similar to the multiple-choice tests students usually take.
她说，基于纸笔的学院托福考试更容易。学院托福考试类似于学生经常参加的多选题考试。
A major difference between the TOEFL IBT and the IELTS is in the Speaking section. On the IELTS, you have a face-to-face interview with a certified examiner. On the TOEFL IBT, you listen to a situation and record your response using a computer.
新托福和雅思主要的区别在于口语部分。在雅思考试中，考生必须同认证考官进行面对面交流。而新托福考试中，考生使用电脑听一种状况并作答。
Ms. Kurniasari explains why the computer-based Speaking section of the TOEFL IBT was difficult for her.
Kurniasari女士解释了为何新托福基于电脑的口语部分对她来说更难。
"For the TOEFL IBT, it's more challenging because I have to speak with a computer, basically, and I didn't get to meet the real person who talked with me. I remember there were twenty or thirty people in the room. The hardest part is the speaking test because when I was about to speak, and the person next to me also started to speak, then somehow I lost concentration because I could hear what she or he said during the speaking test."
“新托福考试更具挑战性，因为我必须和一台电脑对话，我见不到和我对话的这个真人。我记得在考场中有二三十个人。最难的部分是口语考试，因为当我说话时，我旁边的人也开始说话。然后不知怎的我就分心了，因为我在口语考试中能听到他（她）说的话。”
On the other hand, talking to a real person one-on-one during the IELTS was easier for Ms. Kurniasari.
另一方面，雅思考试期间真人一对一对话对Kurniasari女士来说更容易。
"For the ILETS test, it requires a speaking test, but I get to meet the real person. It was just like a regular conversation so it's much more comfortable and easier for me because I got to meet the person face to face, so I think the TOEFL IBT is much more challenging."
“在雅思考试中需要参加口语考试，但我能见到真人。它就像一次普通对话，所以它对我来说更舒服更容易。因为我面对面见到了真人，所以我认为托福考试更具挑战性。”
Listening and responding to class discussions
倾听并回应课堂讨论
Another difference between the TOEFL IBT and IELTS is the Listening section. The IELTS Listening section has four recorded monologues or conversations. The TOEFL IBT has classroom lectures by teachers and class discussions by students.
新托福和雅思之间的另一个不同在听力部分。雅思听力部分有四篇独白或对话。新托福考试包括教师课堂讲课和学生课堂讨论。
Ms. Kurniasari finds the TOEFL IBT classroom lectures and discussions harder to follow.
Kurniasari女士发现新托福考试的课堂讲课和讨论更难跟上。
"Sometimes they use idioms too, to share their ideas or thoughts and we really have to know the meaning of the idioms. I think the TOEFL IBT is much more difficult than IELTS, especially the class discussion and when the lecturer explains the lesson in a class."
“有时候他们还使用习语分享他们的观点或想法，我们必须知道这个习语的意思。我认为新托福考试比雅思更难，特别是课堂讨论以及讲师在课堂讲课。”
Her advice is to focus and take notes as much as possible.
她的建议是尽可能集中注意力并做笔记。
"We have to really concentrate, focus, of course we can take notes, but somehow it's just too fast, and somehow you cannot really memorize the things that they've said."
“我们必须专心、专注，当然我们可以记笔记，但是不知何故速度太快了，你没法记住他们说过的事情。”
Prepare well in advance of the test
提前做好考试准备
Triwik Kurniasari's strategy for success is to study, study and study.
Triwik Kurniasari的成功策略是学习、学习，再学习。
"If you want to take any kind of test, make sure that you have enough time to prepare for it. I usually try to prepare myself at least two months prior to the test just to allow myself to get used to the test and to study for the test."
“如果你想参加任何类型的考试，确保自己有足够时间准备考试。我通常会尽量提起两个月做考试准备，只是为了让自己适应考试并针对该考试学习。”
She also recommends using books rather than free online test materials. After getting a low score the first time she took the TOEFL IBT, she spent the money on study books for the tests.
她还建议利用书籍而不是免费的在线考试材料。在她首次参加新托福考试得了很低的分数之后，她花钱买了该考试的学习书籍。
"I decided to study harder and buy some books, even though they're expensive but since I wanted to get good scores... For me, books are much more effective than studying for instance, from samples on the Internet, because with the books I can go back and forth and take some notes."
“我决定学得更努力并且买了一些书，即使它们好贵，但是既然我想获得好成绩...对我来说，通过书籍比通过互联网上的样题学习更为有效，因为有了这些书，我可以反复看并做笔记。”
To practice for the Listening sections of the tests, she says students should listen to native speakers from more than one country.
为了练习该考试的听力部分，她说学生们应该收听来自多个国家的母语播音员。
"For listening try to listen to native speakers speaking on the radio, TV, on VOA, of course. I think the hardest part about IELTS is the accent because they use mostly British accent. I need to get used to the British accent. Sometimes they use Australian accent. And I'm not really familiar with the Australian accent."
“对于听力，尝试收听电台、电视或美国之音之类的母语播音员。我认为雅思最难的部分是口音，因为他们大多使用英音。我需要习惯英音。有时候他们用澳大利亚口音。而我真的不熟悉澳大利亚口音。”
Finally, our student's last word of advice is one that your mother would probably give you – be rested and well fed.
最后，给学生们的最后一句建议可能要靠妈妈，那就是休息好吃好。
"During the test you need to focus and concentrate. Before the test, make sure you get a good sleep. Make sure that you have breakfast!"
“在考试期间需要专注和专心。在考试前，确保睡个好觉，一定要吃早餐！”
And that's the Education Report.
以上就是本期美国之音慢速英语教育报道的全部内容。
I'm Jill Robbins.
我是吉尔·罗宾斯。
本栏目视频字幕与文本并不完全对应，且视频播放缓冲时间较长，敬请谅解！
