http://time.com/4626283/michelle-obama-final-remarks-transcript/

start: 6:45

We wanted to make higher education cool. We wanted to change theconversation/ˌkɑnvɚ’seʃən/around what it means and what it takes to be a success in this country. Because let’s be honest, if we’re alwaysshining'ʃaɪnɪŋ/thespotlighton professionalathletes/'æθli:t/or recording artists or Hollywoodcelebrities/sə'lɛbrəti/, if those are the only achievements/ə'tʃi:vmənt/we celebrate/'sɛlɪbret/, then why would we ever think kids would see college as a priority?

shining'ʃaɪnɪŋ/

adj. 光亮的；华丽的

v. 闪烁（shine的ing形式）；发亮

athletes/'æθli:t/

n. 运动员；身强体健的人（athlete的复数形式）

celebrities/sə’lɛbrəti/

n. 名人；名声

So we decided to flip the script and shine a big, bright spotlight on all things educational. For example, we made College Signing Day a national event. We wanted tomimic/'mɪmɪk/all thedrama/'drɑmə/and excitementtraditionally/trə'diʃənəli/reserved for those few amazing football and basketball players choosing their college and university teams. We wanted to focus that same level of energy and attention on kids going to college because of theiracademic/ˌækə'dɛmɪk/achievements.Because as a nation, that’s where the spotlight should also be — on kids who work hard in school and do the right thing when no one is watching, many beatingdaunting/‘dɔntɪŋ/odds/ɑdz/.

mimic/'mɪmɪk/

vt. 模仿，摹拟

n. 效颦者，模仿者；仿制品；小丑

adj. 模仿的，模拟的；假装的

drama/'drɑmə/

n. 戏剧，戏剧艺术；剧本；戏剧性事件

n. (Drama)人名；(刚(金))德拉马

academic/ˌækə'dɛmɪk/

adj. 学术的；理论的；学院的

n. 大学生，大学教师；学者

daunting/‘dɔntɪŋ/

adj. 使人畏缩的；使人气馁的；令人怯步的

odds/ɑdz/

n. 几率；胜算；不平等；差别

Next, we launched Better Make Room. It’s a social mediacampaign/kæm'pen/to give young people the support andinspiration/ˌɪnspə'reʃən/they need to actually complete higher education. And to really drive that message home, you may recall that Idebuted/de'bju/my music career — (laughter) —rapping/'ræpiŋ/withJay about getting some knowledge by going to college. (Laughter and applause/ə'plɔz/.)

inspiration/ˌɪnspə'reʃən/

n. 灵感；鼓舞；吸气；妙计

debuted/de’bju/

n. 初次登台；开张

vi. 初次登台

n. (Debut)人名；(法)德比

rapping/'ræpiŋ/

n. 轻敲；起模

v. 敲；叩（rap的ing形式）

We are also very proud of all that this administration/əd,mɪnɪ'streʃən/has done to make higher education moreaffordable/ə'fɔrdəbl/.We doubled investments inPell grantsand collegetax credits. We expanded income-basedloan/lon/repayment/rɪ'pemənt/options fortens of millionsof students. We made it easier to apply forfinancial aid. We created a College Scorecard to help students make good decisions about higher education. And we provided new funding and support for schoolcounselors/'kaʊnslɚ/. (Applause.)Altogether/ˌɔltə'ɡɛðɚ/, we made in this administration the largest investment in higher education since the G.I. Bill. (Applause.) And today, the high school graduation rate is at a record high, and more young people than ever before are going to college.

administration/əd,mɪnɪ'streʃən/

n. 管理；行政；实施；行政机构

affordable/ə'fɔrdəbl/

adj. 负担得起的

loan/lon/

n. 贷款；借款

vi. 借出

vt. 借；借给

repayment/rɪ'pemənt/

n. 偿还；[金融] 付还

Pell grantshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pell_Grant

counselors/'kaʊnslɚ/.

n. 顾问；法律顾问；参事（等于counsellor）

Altogether/ˌɔltə’ɡɛðɚ/

adv. 完全地；总共；总而言之

n. 整个；裸体

And we know that school counselors like all of thefolks/fok/standing with me on this stage have played a critical role in helping us get there. In fact, a recent study showed that students who met with a school counselor to talk about financial aid or college were three times more likely to attend college, and they were nearly seven times more likely to apply forfinancial/faɪ'nænʃl/aid.

folks/fok/

n. （复数）人们

n. (Folks)人名；(英)福克斯

So our school counselors are truly among the heroes of theReach Higherstory.And that’s why we created this event two years ago, because we thought that they should finally get some recognition/ˌrɛkəɡ'nɪʃən/.(Applause.) We wanted everyone to know about the difference that thesephenomenal/fɪˈnɑmənəl/men and women have been making in the lives of our young people every day. And our 2017 School Counselor of the Year, Terri Tchorzynski, is a perfect example.

phenomenal/fɪˈnɑmənəl/

adj. 现象的；显著的；异常的；能知觉的；惊人的，非凡的

So when students at Terri’s school reported feeling unprepared to apply for higher education, Terrisprang intoaction to create a school-wide, top-to-bottom college-readiness/'rɛdɪnəs/effort. Under Terri’s leadership, more students thanever beforeattendedworkshops/'wɝkʃɑp/on resume writing, FAFSA completion — yes, I can now say FAFSA — (laughter) — and interviewpreparationˌprɛpə'reʃən/. I canbarely/'bɛrli/say it. (Laughter.)They did career and personal —personality/ˌpɝsə'næləti/assessments/ə'sɛsmənt/.They helped plan a special college week. And they organized aMilitary/'mɪlətɛri/Day, hostingrecruiters/rɪˈkrutɚ/from all branches of our armed forces. And because of these efforts, today, 75 percent ofCalhoun’sseniors now complete key college application steps, andTerri’s school has won state and national recognition.

sprang/spræŋ/into

v. 跳跃；弹起（spring的过去式）

n. 网眼；网眼编织法

n. (Sprang)人名；(德、瑞典、英)施普朗

readiness/‘rɛdɪnəs/

n. 敏捷，迅速；准备就绪；愿意

ever before

以前；从前

workshops/'wɝkʃɑp/

n. 车间；研讨会；工场；讲习班

barely/'bɛrli/

adv. 仅仅，勉强；几乎不；公开地；贫乏地

assessments/ə'sɛsmənt/.

n. 评定；估价

recruiters/rɪˈkrutɚ/

n. 招聘人员，征兵人员

And all of this is just one small part of what Terri does for her students each day.I can go on and on about all the time she spends one-on-one with students, helping them figure out their life path. Terri told us — as you heard, she told us about one of those students, so wereached out toKyra.And here’s what Kyra had to say in her own words. Kyra wrote that “Mrs. Tchorzynski has helped me grow to love myself. She helped me with my doubts andinsecurities/ˌɪnsɪ'kjʊrəti/.”She said, my life has changed “for the better in all aspects.” Kyra said, “She held my hand through my hardest times.” She said, “Mrs. Tchorzynski is mylifesaver.” That’s what Kyra said. (Laughter.)

And this is what each of you do every single day. You see the promise in each of your students.You believe in them even when they can’t believe in themselves, and you worktirelessly/'taɪrlɪsli/to help them be who they were truly meant to be. And you do it all in the face of some overwhelming challenges — tight budgets/'bʌdʒit/, impossible student- counselor ratios — yeah,amen— (laughter) — endless demands on your time.

You all come in early, you stay late. You reach into your own pockets — and see, we’ve got the amen corner. (Laughter.) You stick with students in their darkest moments, when they’re most anxious and afraid. And if anyone is dealing with a college [high school] senior or junior, you know what this feels like. These men and women show them that those kids matter; that they have something to offer; that no matter where they’re from or how much money their parents have, no matter what they look like or who they love or how theyworship/'wɝʃɪp/or what language they speak at home,they have a place in this country.

worship/‘wɝʃɪp/

n. 崇拜；礼拜；尊敬

vt. 崇拜；尊敬；爱慕

vi. 拜神；做礼拜

And as I end my time in the White House, I can think of no better message to send our young people in my last official remarks as First Lady. So for all the young people in this room and those who are watching, know that this country belongs to you — to all of you, from every background and walk of life. If you or your parents areimmigrants/'ɪmɪɡrənt/, know that you are part of a proud Americantradition/trə'dɪʃən/—theinfusion/ɪn'fjuʒn/of new cultures, talents and ideas, generation after generation, that has made us the greatest country on earth.

infusion/ɪn'fjuʒn/

n. 灌输；浸泡；注入物；激励

If your family doesn’t have much money, I want you to remember that in this country, plenty of folks, including me and my husband — we started out with very little. But with a lot of hard work and a good education, anything is possible — even becoming President. That’s what the American Dream is all about.(Applause.)

If you are a person of faith, know thatreligious/rɪ'lɪdʒəs/diversity/daɪ'vɝsəti/is a great American tradition, too. In fact, that’s why people first came to this country — to worship freely. And whether you are Muslim/ˈmʌzləm/, Christian/'krɪstʃən/, Jewish/'dʒʊɪʃ/, Hindu/ˈhɪndu/, Sikh/sik/— these religions/rɪ'lɪdʒən/are teaching our young people about justice, andcompassion/kəm'pæʃən/, andhonesty/'ɑnəsti/. So I want our young people to continue to learn and practice those values with pride. You see, ourglorious/'ɡlɔriəs/diversity — our diversities of faiths and colors andcreeds/kri:d/— that is not athreat/θrɛt/to who we are, it makes us who we are. (Applause.) So the young people here and the young people out there:Do not ever let anyone make you feel like you don’t matter, or like you don’t have a place in our American story — because you do. And you have a right to be exactly who you are.But I also want to be very clear: This right isn’t just handed to you. No, this right has to be earned every single day.You cannot take your freedoms forgranted/ˈɡræntɪd/.Just like generations who have come before you, you have to do your part topreserve/prɪ'zɝv/and protect those freedoms. And that starts right now, when you’re young.

religious/rɪ'lɪdʒəs/

adj. 宗教的；虔诚的；严谨的；修道的

n. 修道士；尼姑

diversity/daɪ'vɝsəti/

n. 多样性；差异

religions/rɪ'lɪdʒən/

n. 宗教；宗教信仰

compassion/kəm'pæʃən/

n. 同情；怜悯

honesty/'ɑnəsti/.

n. 诚实，正直

glorious/'ɡlɔriəs/

adj. 光荣的；辉煌的；极好的

creeds/kri:d/

n. 信条，教义（creed的复数形式）

threat/θrɛt/

n. 威胁，恐吓；凶兆

don’t matter 无关紧要

granted/ˈɡræntɪd/

想当然

preserve/prɪ'zɝv/vt. 保存

Right now, you need to be preparing yourself to add your voice to our national conversation. You need to prepare yourself to be informed and engaged as a citizen, to serve and to lead, to stand up for our proud American values and to honor them in your daily lives. And that means getting the best education possible so you can thinkcritically/ˈkrɪtɪklɪ/, so you can express yourself clearly, so you can get a good job and support yourself and your family, so you can be a positive force in your communities.

thinkcritically/ˈkrɪtɪklɪ/批判性思考

adv. 精密地；危急地；严重地；批评性地；用钻研眼光地；很大程度上；极为重要地

And when you encounterobstacles/'ɑbstəkl/— because Iguarantee/ˌɡærən'ti/you, you will, and many of you already have — when you are struggling and you start thinking about giving up, I want you to remember something that my husband and I have talked about since we first started thisjourney/'dʒɝni/nearly a decade/'dɛked/ago, something that has carried us through every moment in this White House and every moment of our lives, and that is the power of hope — the belief that something better is always possible if you’re willing to work for it and fight for it.

obstacles/‘ɑbstəkl/

n. 障碍，干扰；妨害物

It is ourfundamental/ˌfʌndə'mɛntl/belief in the power of hope that has allowed us to rise above the voices of doubt anddivision/də'vɪʒən/, of anger and fear that we have faced in our own lives and in the life of this country. Our hope that if we work hard enough and believe in ourselves, then we can be whatever we dream, regardless of the limitations that others may place on us. The hope that when people see us for who we truly are, maybe, just maybe they, too, will beinspired/ɪn'spaɪrd/to rise to their best possibleselves/sɛlvz/.

That is the hope of students like Kyra who fight to discover their gifts and share them with the world. It’s the hope of school counselors like Terri and all these folks up here who guide those students every step of the way, refusing to give up on even a single young person. Shoot, it’s the hope of my — folks like my dad who got up every day to do his job at the city water plant; the hope that one day, his kids would go to college and have opportunities he never dreamed of.

That’s the kind of hope that every single one of us — politicians, parents,preachers/'pritʃɚ/— all of us need to be providing for our young people. Because that is what moves this country forward every single day — our hope for the future and the hard work that hope inspires.

preachers/'pritʃɚ/

n. 牧师；传教士；鼓吹者

So that’s my final message to young people as First Lady. It is simple. (Applause.) I want our young people to know that they matter, that they belong. So don’t be afraid — you hear me, young people? Don’t be afraid. Be focused. Be determined. Be hopeful. Beempowered/ɪm'paʊɚ/. Empower yourselves with a good education, then get out there and use that education to build a country worthy of your boundless promise. Lead by example with hope, never fear. And know that I will be with you, rooting for you and working to support you for the rest of my life.

empowered/ɪm'paʊɚ/

vt. 授权，允许；使能够

And that is true I know for every person who are here — is here today, and for educators andadvocates/'ædvəkət/all across this nation who get up every day and work their hearts out tolift upour young people. And I am so grateful to all of you for your passion and your dedication and all the hard work on behalf of our next generation. And I can think of no better way to end my time as First Lady than celebrating with all of you.

advocates/'ædvəkət/

vt. 提倡，主张，拥护

n. 提倡者；支持者；律师

lift up

举起；激励

So I want to close today by simply saying thank you.Thank you for everything you do for our kids and for our country.Being your First Lady has been the greatest honor of my life, and I hope I’ve made you proud.

[time]

Start: 6:45

End: 7:10

Time: 25m

11:04 - 11.56 52m

[sentences]

Because as a nation, that’s where the spotlight should also be — on kids who work hard in school and do the right thing when no one is watching, many beating daunting /‘dɔntɪŋ/ odds/ɑdz/.

We are also very proud of all that this administration/əd,mɪnɪ'streʃən/ has done to make higher education more affordable/ə'fɔrdəbl/.

And that’s why we created this event two years ago, because we thought that they should finally get some recognition/ˌrɛkəɡ'nɪʃən/.

They did career and personal — personality/ˌpɝsə'næləti/ assessments/ə'sɛsmənt/.

Terri’s school has won state and national recognition

And all of this is just one small part of what Terri does for her students each day.

And here’s what Kyra had to say in her own words.

She said, my life has changed “for the better in all aspects.” Kyra said, “She held my hand through my hardest times.” She said,

You believe in them even when they can’t believe in themselves

You all come in early, you stay late

they have a place in this country.

the infusion /ɪn'fjuʒn/ of new cultures, talents and ideas, generation after generation, that has made us the greatest country on earth.

If your family doesn’t have much money, I want you to remember that in this country, plenty of folks, including me and my husband — we started out with very little. But with a lot of hard work and a good education, anything is possible — even becoming President. That’s what the American Dream is all about.

Do not ever let anyone make you feel like you don’t matter, or like you don’t have a place in our American story — because you do. And you have a right to be exactly who you are.

You cannot take your freedoms for granted /ˈɡræntɪd/.

Thank you for everything you do for our kids and for our country. Being your First Lady has been the greatest honor of my life, and I hope I’ve made you proud.