西点军校

West Point is a college for future army officers. It has more than four thousand students. The students are called cadets1. The school is located about 80 kilometers north of New York City.

West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States. General George Washington built a fort2 there during the Revolutionary War. The aim was to protect the Hudson River from the British soldiers. He moved his headquarters3 to West Point in 1779 in the middle of the war.

In 1802， President Thomas Jefferson signed legislation4 to establish the military academy at West Point. The education centered on civil engineering. West Point graduates designed many roads， bridges， harbors5 and railways for the young nation.

Not all the young men and women at West Point are American. This year， fifty eight are from other countries. Up to sixty cadets can be international students.

International students are nominated6 by their governments. They must satisfy physical and educational requirements. They must also do well on the Test of English as a Foreign Language. After graduation， they return home to serve in their nations armed forces. Other services besides the Army also accept foreign students at their academies.

Major Joe Sowers， a West Point public affairs officer， says information about the military academy is available through American embassies7.

西點军校是一所培养未来军官的大学，有4000多名学生。这些学生被叫做“士官生”。西点军校位于纽约市北部80公里处。

西点是美国持续被占领时间最长的军事要塞。乔治·华盛顿将军在美国独立战争期间在西点建立了一个堡垒，旨在保护哈德孙河免遭英国士兵侵犯。战争中期，华盛顿在1779年把指挥部搬到了西点。

1802年，托马斯·杰斐逊总统签署法案，在西点建立军事学院。学校教育主要集中在土木工程。西点军校的毕业生为年轻的美国设计了很多道路、桥梁、港口和铁路。

西点军校里的年轻人并非全部是美国人。今年，有58名来自别的国家，最多可招收60名国际生。

国际生由他们本国的政府推荐，他们必须符合体能和教育程度上的要求。他们也必须在托福考试中表现优异。毕业以后，他们回国进入自己国家的部队。学院还招收军事专业以外的外国学生。

西点军校的一名公共事务官员乔·索尔斯上校称，关于西点军校的信息可在美国大使馆获取。