英语听力精选进阶版 6235

Record Scramble¹ for British University Places 英国大学申请者人数大幅攀升

What do you do if you don't get into your first choice of university? That's the dilemma² that faces thousands of British students every year.

Many candidates turn to Clearing, the service that helps find university places for students at the last moment. If they don't have the marks to get into their first choice of institution, Clearing tells them about places available at other universities, though they might have to read another subject.

But this year has seen a record number of people applying to university. This, combined with the weak economy, an uncertain job market and budget cuts at universities, means that there's been even more of a scramble for places than usual. Some sources say six students have applied³ for each remaining undergraduate university place.

The British university admissions service, UCAS, says up to a quarter of this year's university applicants⁴ – almost 190,000 people – still don't have a place on a degree course. That's a rise of over 46,000 students from last year.

Faced with these figures, some British students might be thinking of an interesting alternative: studying abroad. The University of Nottingham, for example, is offering places at its campuses in Ningbo, near Shanghai, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Students here can gain University of Nottingham degrees in business, accounting⁵, engineering and English. Similarly, the University of Bolton says it has 'unlimited⁶' places at its campus in the United Arab Emirates.

Given the problems getting into university, the UK's Higher Education Minister, David Willetts, encourages students who haven't made the grade to consider alternatives to university, such as apprenticeships and studying at home.

"There are a range of options available," he says. "People are able to reapply. They should think how they can spend their year adding that bit to their CV, which would help their application – getting practical work experience or extra skills – anything that strengthens their chances next year."

But some commentators⁷ say that rising university costs, poor long-term job prospects⁸, and a drop in graduate recruitment mean it's the worst time to be a university student in the UK.

Glossary 词汇表

dilemma 困境、窘境 

candidate 候选人、申请者 

university place 大学入学机会 

marks 学习成绩 

institution 学校 

to read another subject 读另外一门学科 

to apply 申请 

job market 就业市场 

a scramble for 争夺 

undergraduate 本科生 

admissions 录取 

applicant 申请者 

degree course 学位课程 

campus 校园、校区 

to make the grade 够等级 

apprenticeship 学徒 

CV 个人简历 

work experience 工作经验 

job prospects 工作前景 

graduate recruitment 毕业生就业

1 scramble   

v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料

参考例句：

• He broke his leg in his scramble down the wall.他爬墙摔断了腿。
• It was a long scramble to the top of the hill.到山顶须要爬登一段长路。

2 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

3 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

4 applicants   

申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were over 500 applicants for the job. 有500多人申请这份工作。
• He was impressed by the high calibre of applicants for the job. 求职人员出色的能力给他留下了深刻印象。

5 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。

6 unlimited   

adj.无限的，不受控制的，无条件的

参考例句：

• They flew over the unlimited reaches of the Arctic.他们飞过了茫茫无边的北极上空。
• There is no safety in unlimited technological hubris.在技术方面自以为是会很危险。

7 commentators   

n.评论员( commentator的名词复数 )；时事评论员；注释者；实况广播员

参考例句：

• Sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 体育解说员翻来覆去说着同样的词语，真叫人腻烦。
• Television sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 电视体育解说员说来说去就是那么几句话，令人厌烦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。