考博英語模擬試題：閱讀訓(xùn)練（一）

Overseas students shun UK and US universities

The market share of international students enjoyed by British and US universities has dropped sharply as Australia，Japan and New Zealand become increasingly popular destinations，according to an international comparison of education systems published yesterday.

The latest edition of Education at a Glance，an annual audit published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development，showed that although foreign students continue to be attracted to the two countries because of the English language teaching and perceived quality of education，in relative terms their position is weakening.

The Paris-based organisation reported that US market share fell 2 per cent from 2002-3，while the UK suffered the fastest decline among OECD members，falling from 16.2 per cent in 1998 to 13.5 percent in 2003.

The most recent year used by the report is 2003 so the percentages did not include a 21.3 per cent fall in the number of Chinese students accepted for university courses in Britain this year. Britain is increasingly reliant on the higher fees paid by students from outside the European Union to help sustain its universities for domestic students.

The overall number of students studying outside their own countries stood at 2.1m in 2003，an 8.3 percent annual average increase since 1998.

According to the report the international complexion of US campuses has changed strikingly since September 11 2001. The country''s universities have seen decreases of 10-37 per cent in students from the Gulf states，northern Africa and some south-east Asian countries.

The report also concluded that despite continued，if uneven，growth in the number of graduates churned out by the rich world''s universities，the monetary value of a degree showed no sign of having been tarnished.

Andreas Schleicher，head of the Indicators and Analysis Division of the OECD''s Directorate of Education，said there was no evidence of inflation of the labour-market value of qualifications and that graduates could expect to continue to earn considerably more than those without a degree.

Assessing the performance of the world''s schools，Mr Schleicher said Asia was soaring while Europe remained level and South America had slipped into relative decline.

一、全文翻譯

英美大學(xué)留學(xué)生人數(shù)驟跌

據(jù)昨天公布的一項國際教育體系比較研究稱，英美大學(xué)的留學(xué)生市場份額急劇下降，而澳大利亞、日本和新西蘭日益成為受歡迎的留學(xué)目的地。

最新版《各國教育概觀》(Education at A Glance)顯示，盡管由于英美兩國以英語教學(xué)，且教育質(zhì)量明顯較高，外國學(xué)生繼續(xù)被這兩個所吸引，但相對而言，兩國的地位在下降。該報告是經(jīng)合組織(OECD)公布的年度教育審計報告。

總部位于巴黎的經(jīng)合組織報告說，美國的市場份額2002至2003年下降了2%，而英國在經(jīng)合組織成員國中降幅最大，已從1998年16.2%的份額降至2003年的13.5%.

該報告采用數(shù)據(jù)的最近年度是2003年，因此該數(shù)據(jù)并沒有將今年的情況包括在內(nèi)，今年留學(xué)英國的中國學(xué)生人數(shù)減少了21.3%.英國正日益依賴歐盟以外學(xué)生支付的更高學(xué)費，使英國大學(xué)能夠繼續(xù)招收國內(nèi)學(xué)生。

2003年海外留學(xué)生總?cè)藬?shù)為210萬，自1998年以來每年平均增長8.3%.

根據(jù)這篇報告，自2001年9月11日的事件以來，美國大學(xué)校園里國際學(xué)生的構(gòu)成發(fā)生了驚人變化。來自海灣地區(qū)各國、北非以及某些東南亞的學(xué)生人數(shù)減少了10%至37%.

報告還得出結(jié)論，盡管富國大學(xué)的畢業(yè)生人數(shù)仍在持續(xù)(或許不均勻地)增長，學(xué)位的經(jīng)濟價值絲毫沒有貶值的跡象。

經(jīng)合組織教育指標(biāo)和分析部負(fù)責(zé)人安德里亞。施萊歇爾(Andreas Schleicher)說，沒有證據(jù)顯示，學(xué)位資格在勞動力市場上的價值正發(fā)生“膨脹”，畢業(yè)生收入可以期望比那些沒有學(xué)位的人高出許多。

在評估全球?qū)W校的表現(xiàn)時，施萊歇爾先生說，亞洲正在“急劇上升”，歐洲保持原有水準(zhǔn)，而南美洲則相對有所滑坡。

二、重點詞匯

destinationn.目的地， [計]目的文件，目的單元格

perceive vt.察覺

reliantadj.信賴的，依靠的，信賴自己的

domesticadj.家庭的，國內(nèi)的，與人共處的，馴服的

complexion n.面色，膚色，情況，局面

despiteprep.不管，盡管，不論

tarnishv.失去光澤

indicatorn.指示器， [化]指示劑

inflation n.脹大，夸張，通貨膨脹， (物價)暴漲

soaringadj.高飛的，翱翔的