Is it time for England to?kill off A-levels ?

Its?school-leavers?are worryingly?innumerate

重點(diǎn)詞匯：

Kill off : 消滅，除掉

A-level : (英） 普通教育高級(jí)程度證書(shū) = GCE Advanced level

School-leaver : n.中學(xué)畢業(yè)生

Innumerate : adj.不會(huì)算數(shù)的 numerate : adj.會(huì)算數(shù)的

Mick Jagger is the best-known alumnus of Dartford Grammar, a?secondary school?in Kent. Yet the front-man?of the Rolling Stones?is not its only claim to fame.Dartford is among a tiny bunch of English?state schools?that decline to?enter sixth-form?students for A-levels.Instead pupils follow courses set by International Baccalaureate , an exam board?headquartered in Switzerland . They study six subjects , when most of their peers usually take only three; these must include maths ,English and a foreign language. “We’re not just preparing students for university,” says Julian Metcalf , the head teacher, “but for another 60 years of life beyond that”.

重點(diǎn)詞匯：

Alumnus : n.男校友

Alumna : n.女校友

Grammar school : 文法學(xué)校（英國(guó)高質(zhì)量公立學(xué)校）

英國(guó)學(xué)校分級(jí)：

Primary school 小學(xué)（5-1歲入讀）

?Secondary / high school 中學(xué)（11-18歲入讀）

美國(guó)學(xué)校分級(jí)：

Elementary school 小學(xué)（6-12歲入讀）

Junior high school 初中（12-14歲入讀）

High school 高中（14-18歲入讀）

Front-man : n.樂(lè)隊(duì)主唱 The Rolling Stones 滾石樂(lè)隊(duì)

Claim to fame 出名的原因

A bunch of 大批，大量（非正式）

State school 公立學(xué)校 = public school

Decline to do sth. 拒絕做某事

Enter : v.為……報(bào)名參加考試

Example： How many students have been entered for the exam?

Sixth-form : 第六學(xué)級(jí)（）英國(guó)高中的最高年級(jí)

International Baccalaureate(IB) 國(guó)際文憑課程

Baccalaureate : n.中學(xué)畢業(yè)會(huì)考

Exam board : 考試局

Headquarter : v.將總部設(shè)在某地 n.總部（單復(fù)數(shù)同形）headquarters

Head teacher : n.校長(zhǎng) = principal n.校長(zhǎng)

Peer ： v.凝視，盯著看，使于...地位相等 n.貴族，同輩，同齡人，同等地位的人

段落大意：部分英國(guó)中心開(kāi)始拋棄A-level課程，轉(zhuǎn)而學(xué)習(xí)IB課程

Every few years England’s A-level system?comes in for a kicking . Britain’s prime minister is the latest person to give it .Campaigning?to lead the Tories?in August , Rishi Sunak warned that England was unusual among rich countries in letting youngsters drop?maths and their native language at 16 . He proposed?swapping the present system?for?a new “British Baccalaureate”?that would require pupils to keep up both of those subjects until they are 18 . There is no chance of this happening in the two years before Britain’s next election?. But Mr Sunak may be thinking of writing such a reform into his party’s manifesto .

重點(diǎn)詞匯：

Come in for sth. 遭到

The government’s economic policies have come in for a lot of criticism

Kicking : n. （連續(xù)）猛踹

Campaign to do sth 開(kāi)展活動(dòng)以……

Tory : n.英國(guó)保守黨黨員 The Tories 英國(guó)保守黨 = The Tory party / the Conservative Party

Youngster : n.年輕人，少年，兒童

Drop : v. 退休，休學(xué)

Swap A for B 把A替換成B

The chance of doing sth. 發(fā)生某事的可能性

Manifesto : n. 宣言

Election ： n.選舉，推選，當(dāng)選

Election campaign?general election national election election process

段落大意：英格蘭的A-level長(zhǎng)期招致非議，新首相蘇納克也認(rèn)為不合理，希望改革

難句解析：

Campaigning to lead the Tories in August?, Rishi Sunak warned that?England was unusual among rich countries?in letting youngsters drop maths and their native languages at 16

綠色部分是現(xiàn)在分詞短語(yǔ)做伴隨狀語(yǔ)，交代時(shí)間

紅色部分是句子主干，后接that引導(dǎo)的賓語(yǔ)從句

藍(lán)色部分是賓語(yǔ)從句，淺藍(lán)色為其狀語(yǔ)，表示英格蘭在哪方面不同于其他富裕國(guó)家

Even critics agree that A-levels are ,in themselves?,rigorous?and demanding qualifications?, and that they enjoy great?prestige?abroad .Britain’s universities have traditionally been?pickier?that those in many other countries. Ambitious sixth-formers have generally been grateful that they are allowed to?sweat?only the subjects they need for admission?.Focused?graft in the final years of secondary school helps explain why most students in England can earn bachelor’s degrees?in three years , when those in many other countries study for at least four.

重點(diǎn)詞匯：

Critics : n.批評(píng)者 criticize : v.批評(píng)

In themselves 就本身而言 = in and of themselves

Example : The carvings are works of art in themselves , even disregarding their religious significance

描述學(xué)歷資質(zhì)的特點(diǎn)：

Rigorous : adj.嚴(yán)格的

Demanding : adj. 要求高的

Enjoy prestige : 享有盛譽(yù)

Prestige : n.聲望，威望

Picky ： adj.挑剔的（非正式）

Qualification ： n.資格，學(xué)歷

Sweat : v.努力認(rèn)真的做某事（熟詞僻義）

Admission : n.準(zhǔn)許加入，錄取

Graft : n.艱苦的工作（非正式） v.嫁接

Their success was the result of years of hard graft

Bachelor’s degree 本科學(xué)位

段落大意：A-level也并非一無(wú)是處，在國(guó)外還是得到了廣泛認(rèn)可，學(xué)生也能集中精力學(xué)習(xí)核心課程，縮短本科學(xué)習(xí)時(shí)間

難句解析：?

Focused graft?in the final years of secondary school?helps (to) explain?why most students in England can earn bachelor’s degrees in three years?, when those in many other countries study for at least four.

紅色部分是句子主干，淺紅色部分為主語(yǔ)后置定語(yǔ)

藍(lán)色部分為why引導(dǎo)名詞性賓語(yǔ)從句，內(nèi)嵌淺藍(lán)部分為when引導(dǎo)的狀語(yǔ)從句，表示對(duì)比

Yet A-levels may not be handing English teenagers the breadth of skills they need. Their performance in literacy?and numeracy?tests falls behind those in most other rich countries after they turn 16. One-third of 16-to 19-year-olds in England have “l(fā)ow basic skills”, reckon analysts from the OECD, a club of mostly-rich countries. One in ten university students cannot pass basic tests in maths or comprehension.

重點(diǎn)詞匯：

Breadth : n.（興趣，知識(shí)的）廣泛

Literacy : n.讀寫能力

Literate ： adj. 有讀寫能力的

Illiterate : adj.沒(méi)有讀寫能力的

Numeracy : n.算術(shù)能力的 innumeracy : n.沒(méi)有算術(shù)能力的

Reckon : v.估算

OECD 經(jīng)濟(jì)合作與發(fā)展組織 = Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Comprehension : n.理解，領(lǐng)會(huì)，理解能力，包括，

Reading comprehension aural comprehension reading comprehension selection

段落大意：接受A-level教育的學(xué)生基本技能令人堪憂，讀寫和算數(shù)能力落后于其他國(guó)家的同齡人

難句解析：

Their performance?in literacy and numeracy tests falls?behind those?in most other rich countries?after they turn 16

紅色部分為句子主干，淺紅色部分為后置定語(yǔ)，先行詞分別為performance 和 those

藍(lán)色部分為時(shí)間狀語(yǔ)

There is enough time in the school day to offer extra maths and English classes without greatly crimping?other studies . But it would cost money . For no good reason?, England’s schools get less funding for pupils aged 16-19 than they do for younger children . Broadening?studies?would also require more staff .The number of people who began training to be a secondary-school teacher this September was about one-third lower than hoped , the biggest such shortfall in years . Maths teachers are?in?particularly?short supply.

重點(diǎn)詞匯：

School day : n. 學(xué)校上課日

Crimp : v. 約束，阻礙（非正式）

His zeal about his career can crimp the rest of his life

Good reason : n.充分理由

Study : n.學(xué)科

Shortfall : n.缺口，差額

In short supply : 不充裕緊缺

段落大意：學(xué)校有時(shí)間設(shè)置課程，但缺乏資金和老師

Shaking things up could involve more than academics?. Pupils who do the International Baccalaureate(IB) must not only pass exams but also complete some kind of community service . For many of the ib’s boosters?, this is a big part of its?appeal?. Some argue that a “British Baccalaureate”?should mix subjects from academic and vocational paths ,which at present are kept far apart . Whatever happens ,it will probably give no one complete satisfaction .

重點(diǎn)詞匯：

Shake sth. Up 調(diào)整，改組

He presented plans to shake up the legal profession

Academic : n.學(xué)術(shù)，學(xué)習(xí)

Booster : n. 提倡者，支持者

Appeal : n.吸引力

Vocational : adj. 職業(yè)技術(shù)的

段落大意：改革A-level制度可能涉及引入學(xué)習(xí)之外的活動(dòng)或內(nèi)容，但無(wú)論怎么改都很難以讓人滿意。