媒体英语
University of Cambridge to scrap its state school targets 剑桥大学将取消公立学校招生指标
剑桥大学计划将取消面向公立学校学生设定的本科生录取名额指标。该校目前的招生指标是至少招收 69% 来自非私立学校的学生。
Only one in five of those who apply to the University of Cambridge is offered a place. Currently there is an admissions quota of at least 69% of places for state-educated pupils. Now, Cambridge is looking at using a more sophisticated set of measures, including whether an applicant has received free school meals and looking at individual exam results in the context of where their school is.
在每年申请剑桥大学的学生当中,只有五分之一的人能获得入学名额。目前,剑桥大学的招生计划中要求至少有69%的学生都是接受公立学校教育的学生。现在,剑桥大学正在考虑使用一套更复杂的衡量标准,包括查看申请者是否获得过免费校餐,以及综合申请者所在学校的情况来评估其个人的考试成绩。
Mike Nicholson, the director of admissions, told the BBC with many students achieving top grades, the university needed to make more subtle choices. Every university has to produce plans to show how they ensure fair and equal admissions for disadvantaged students. The Office for Students, which regulates England's universities, says it doesn't require a target for places for state pupils, but expected sustained work with schools by the most selective universities to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils.
剑桥大学招生办主任迈克·尼科尔森告诉英国广播公司,由于取得优异成绩的学生人数众多,因此大学需要做出更谨慎而细致的选择。每一所大学都必须制定招生计划,公开说明如何确保弱势学生能获得公平而平等的录取机会。负责管理英格兰大学的英国学生事务办公室表示,他们不要求大学为公立学校学生设定入学名额指标,但希望录取选拔最严格的顶尖大学能与各生源学校持续合作,提高弱势学生的学业成就。
Cambridge has been criticised for recruiting almost half its students from London and the South East, including from grammar schools which have a more privileged intake. The current vice chancellor, Deborah Prentice, has made clear she would like to encourage more applications from the brightest students across the North of England.
剑桥大学近一半的学生都来自伦敦和英格兰东南部的学校,包括文法学校,文法学校学生的家庭条件往往比较优越,因此受到批评。现任校长黛博拉·普伦蒂斯明确表示,她希望鼓励更多来自英格兰北部最优秀的学生申请剑桥大学。
词汇表
admissions 录取,入学
quota 定额,配额
state-educated 接受公立学校教育的
measures (判断的)标准
disadvantaged 弱势的,条件困难的
target 指标,目标
selective 筛选条件严格的
attainment 成就
recruiting 招收
grammar schools 文法学校
brightest 最聪明的
阅读理解:请在读完上文后,回答下列问题。
1. Who is the current admissions quota of places at the University of Cambridge for?
2. Why does Mike Nicholson say universities need to make more subtle choices?
3. True or false? The Office for Students requires a target for places for state pupils.
4. Where are around 50% of students at the University of Cambridge recruited from?
答案
1. Who is the current admissions quota of places at the University of Cambridge for?
Currently there is an admissions quota of at least 69% of places for state-educated pupils.
2. Why does Mike Nicholson say universities need to make more subtle choices?
Because many students are achieving top grades.
3. True or false? The Office for Students requires a target for places for state pupils.
False. The Office for Students says it doesn't require a target for places for state pupils.
4. Where are around 50% of students at the University of Cambridge recruited from?
Cambridge has been criticised for recruiting almost half its students from London and the South East.