资源描述:
《2013考研英语泛读文章》由会员上传分享,免费在线阅读,更多相关内容在教育资源-天天文库。
1、这是一篇关于英国教育现状的文章,英国人其实和我们一样遭受着大学资源匮乏的困境,英国的中学生想读好大学依然不容易,即使是交高价也不行,A-level的信封和装有我们的大学通知书的印有刘翔的EMS信封没有两样。 ITISasmuchasummerritualasWimbledon.EveryAugustBritain’s18-year-oldschool-leaverstearopenenvelopescontainingtheirA-levelresultsandseewhethertheyhavedonewelle
2、noughtogetintotheirchosenuniversities.Themostsuccessfulstudents(andtheprettiestones)findtheirpicturessplashedacrossthenationalnewspapers.Thelessfortunatefacetheprospectoftryingtogetaplacethrough“clearing”,themopping-upexerciseinwhichstateuniversitiesoffertheir
3、unfilledplacestothebestoftherest. Butthisyear,thankstoboththeparlousstateofgovernmentfinancesandrenewedattemptstomakeuniversitiescompeteamongthemselvesforstudents,thelandscapeissignificantlydifferent.Undergraduatesstartingintheautumnwillbethefirsttopayupto9,0
4、00($14,000)ayearfortuition,almosttriplethepreviousmaximum.Fearsthathigherfeeswoulddeterpoorerstudentsfromapplyinghavenotbeenborneout.WhiletherehasbeenasmallfallintheapplicationrateamongEnglishstudents(somewhatdifferentrulesapplyindevolvedScotland,WalesandNorth
5、ernIreland),thedropwassharperamongthosefromwealthierareas. Theproblemisnotlackofapplicantsbutlackofplaces.AsDavidWilletts,theuniversitiesminister,pointsout,universitiesarestillheavilyoversubscribed—evenwithhigherfees,aroundaquarterofstudentswillfailtogetplace
6、s.Sincefeesarepaidupfrontbythegovernmentandrepaidbystudentsonlyiftheygetadecentjob,tokeepdowncoststotaxpayersadmissionsaredeterminedbystrictquotas.Ineffect,thestatedecideshowmanystudentswillgotouniversity. Inpreviousyears,quotasappliedtoallstudentsatstate-fund
7、eduniversities.Thisyearthebest-performingamongthem—thosewithAABgradesorbetterontheirA-levels—areexcluded,whichmeansthattheuniversitiesabletoattractthem(ie,thebestones)canexpandasmuchastheywant.Andtheremaining,muchreduced,quotahasbeencutfurtherbyreserving20,000
8、“margin”placesforwhichinstitutionscharginganaverageoflessthan7,500ayearcanbid. Thisintheoryhasintroducedaheftydoseofwelcomecompetition,andinrealityagreateroneofuncertainty.Ifpopul