VOA慢速英语:Support for Public Universities Still Below Pre-Recession Levels

短语讲解：

1.However, for the past two years, the state governor and the state legislature have been unable to agree on a state budget.

agree on 对某事[物]有同样看法， 商定[同意]某事，
例句：As we can't all agree on this matter, let's vote on it.
大家意见不一，我们表决好了。

2.The overall question that elected officials really need to … answer is, ‘What do they want higher education … to look like in the future?’

look like 看起来与（某人或某物）相像[相似]; 很可能出现[引起]（某事、做某事）
例句：You look like a nice upstanding young man.
你看起来像是一个正直的好青年。

3.This would let more students make use of the opportunities in private schools that they might not otherwise be able to pay for.

make use of 使用，利用; 假借
例句：We can make use of light from the sun to light a match.
我们能利用太阳光点着火柴。
be able to 能够; 能，会
例句：He will be able to take up his normal routine shortly.
他不久就能处理日常事务。

4. State governments need to recognize if they have private colleges in their state with underutilized capacity, that the first thing they should do is to make sure that those institutions remain viable.

make sure 把事情弄清楚，核实或查明某事物
例句：I make sure I make time for fishing because it's how I de-stress.
我一定会腾出时间去钓鱼，因为这是我减压放松的方法。