VOA慢速英语:Thousands of US Teachers Lose Jobs as States Cut Budgets

短语讲解：

1. In California, thousands of teachers have lost their jobs.

lose jobs 失去工作
例句：It was a real shock when they told us over two hundred employees would lose their jobs. 
 听说两百名雇员将被解雇，我们真是大吃一惊。 

2. Getting the letter and seeing [you] will no longer be employed, your services will no longer be required -- it is very disheartening, to say the least, and frustrating.

no longer 不再，不复，再也不
例句：He was long a famous musician, but he plays no longer.
他成为有名的音乐家已很久了, 但他现在不演奏了。

3. Sixty percent of the teachers at the Mariposa-Nabi primary school in Los Angeles have received layoff notices.

primary school 小学
例句：I work for a primary school.
我在一所小学教书。

4. Salvador Rodriguez, the school principal, has been able to provide computers for his students.

be able to能,会
例句：I was able to refute his argument.
我能驳倒他的论点。

5. Mr. Rodriguez says there used to be twenty students to a teacher.

used to过去常常
例句：The Greeks used to worship several gods.
过去，希腊人崇奉好几种神。

6. Teachers say this is true especially in schools with large immigrant populations where English is not the first language of many students.

first language本国语，第一语言
例句：French is spoken as the first language in this country .
在这个国家法语被当作第一语言来说。

7. About half of those laid off were teachers, says John Deasy, the head of the Los Angeles Unified School District.

lay off 解雇，下岗
例句：The work force has been laid off.
工人们被辞退了。

8. The recession has had an enormous impact on the state budget and we have had a huge drop in funding.

have an impact on 对…有影响
例句：The nature of the crop may have an impact on the rate of technological change. 
作物的性质可能影响技术进步的速度。

9. But he says the situation in California is worse because the state was already facing a budget deficit before the recession.

budget deficit 预算赤字
例句：The American federal budget deficit could exceed $420 billion.
美国联邦预算赤字可能会超过四千两百亿美元。

10. Other states are also talking about shortening the school year to save money.

save money 省钱
例句：To save money, we traveled second-class. 
为了省钱,我们乘坐二等舱旅行。