2016年湖北自考英语阅读翻译资料（4）
湖北自考网
Advantage Unfair
According to the writer Walter Ellis, author of a book called the Oxbridge Conspiracy, Britain is still dominated by the old-boy network: it isn't what you know that matters, but who you know. He claims that at Oxford and Cambridge Universities (Oxbridge for short) a few select people start on an escalator ride which, over the years, carries them to the tops of British privilege and power. His research revealed that the top professions all continue to be dominated, if not 90 per cent, then 60 or 65 per cent, by Oxbridge graduates.
And yet ,says Ellis, Oxbridge graduates make up only two per cent of the total number of students who graduate from Britain's universities. Other researches also seem to support his belief that Oxbridge graduates start with an unfair advantage in the employment market. In the law, a recently published report showed that out of 26 senior judges appointed to the High Court last year, all of them went to private schools and 21 of them went to Oxbridge.
But can this be said to amount to a conspiracy? Not according to Dr. John Rae, a former headmaster of one of Britain's leading private schools, Westminster:"I would accept that there was a bias in some key areas of British life, but that bias has now gone. Some time ago - in the 60s and before - entry to Oxford and Cambridge was not entirely on merit. Now, there's absolutely no question in any objective observer's mind that entry to Oxford and Cambridge is fiercely competitive."However, many would disagree with this. For, although over three-quarters of British pupils are educated in state schools, over half the students that go to Oxbridge have been to private, or "public" schools. Is this because pupils from Britain's private schools are more intelligent than those from state schools, or are they simply better prepared?
On average, about ￡5,000 a year is spent on each private school pupil, more than twice the amount spent on state school pupils. So how can the state schools be expected to compete with the private schools when they have far fewer resources? And how can they prepare their pupils for the special entrance exam to Oxford University, which requires extra preparation, and for which many public school pupils traditionally stay at school and do an additional term?
Until recently, many blamed Oxford for this bias because of the university's special entrance exam (Cambridge abolished its entrance exam in 1986). But last February, Oxford University decided to abolish the exam to encourage more state school applicants. From autumn 1996, Oxford University applicants, like applicants to other universities, will be judged only on their A level results and on their performance at interviews, although some departments might still set special tests.
However, some argue that there's nothing wrong in having elite places of learning, and that by their very nature, these places should not be easily accessible. Most countries are run by an elite and have centres of academic excellence from which the elite are recruited.
Walter Ellis accepts that this is true:"But in France, for example, there are something like 40 equivalents of university, which provide this elite through a much broader base. In America you've got the Ivy League, centred on Harvard and Yale, with Princeton and Stanford and others. But again, those universities together - the elite universities - are about ten or fifteen in number, and are being pushed along from behind by other great universities like, for example, Chicago and Berkeley. So you don't have just this narrow concentration of two universities providing a constantly replicating elite."
When it comes to Oxford and Cambridge being elitist because of the number of private school pupils they accept, Professor Stone of Oxford University argues that there is a simple fact he and his associates cannot ignore:"If certain schools do better than others then we just have to accept it. We cannot be a place for remedial education. It's not what Oxford is there to do."
However, since academic excellence does appear to be related to the amount of money spent per pupil. This does seem to imply that Prime Minister John Major's vision of Britain as a classless society is still a long way off. And it may be worth remembering that while John Major didn't himself go to Oxbridge, most of his ministers did.
不公平的优势
据《牛津剑桥阴谋帮派》一书作者沃尔特埃利斯所说，英国如今仍然处于老同学关系网的控制下：你懂什么并不重要，重要的是认识谁。他声称在牛津大学和剑桥大学求学的少数精英一开始便平步青云，扶摇直上，几年之内，就登上了特权和权力的顶峰。他的调查结果显示，英国高级职能部门仍然由牛津和剑桥的毕业生控制着
According to the writer Walter Ellis, author of a book called the Oxbridge Conspiracy, Britain is still dominated by the old-boy network: it isn't what you know that matters, but who you know. He claims that at Oxford and Cambridge Universities (Oxbridge for short) a few select people start on an escalator ride which, over the years, carries them to the tops of British privilege and power. His research revealed that the top professions all continue to be dominated, if not 90 per cent, then 60 or 65 per cent, by Oxbridge graduates.
And yet ,says Ellis, Oxbridge graduates make up only two per cent of the total number of students who graduate from Britain's universities. Other researches also seem to support his belief that Oxbridge graduates start with an unfair advantage in the employment market. In the law, a recently published report showed that out of 26 senior judges appointed to the High Court last year, all of them went to private schools and 21 of them went to Oxbridge.
But can this be said to amount to a conspiracy? Not according to Dr. John Rae, a former headmaster of one of Britain's leading private schools, Westminster:"I would accept that there was a bias in some key areas of British life, but that bias has now gone. Some time ago - in the 60s and before - entry to Oxford and Cambridge was not entirely on merit. Now, there's absolutely no question in any objective observer's mind that entry to Oxford and Cambridge is fiercely competitive."However, many would disagree with this. For, although over three-quarters of British pupils are educated in state schools, over half the students that go to Oxbridge have been to private, or "public" schools. Is this because pupils from Britain's private schools are more intelligent than those from state schools, or are they simply better prepared?
On average, about ￡5,000 a year is spent on each private school pupil, more than twice the amount spent on state school pupils. So how can the state schools be expected to compete with the private schools when they have far fewer resources? And how can they prepare their pupils for the special entrance exam to Oxford University, which requires extra preparation, and for which many public school pupils traditionally stay at school and do an additional term?
Until recently, many blamed Oxford for this bias because of the university's special entrance exam (Cambridge abolished its entrance exam in 1986). But last February, Oxford University decided to abolish the exam to encourage more state school applicants. From autumn 1996, Oxford University applicants, like applicants to other universities, will be judged only on their A level results and on their performance at interviews, although some departments might still set special tests.
However, some argue that there's nothing wrong in having elite places of learning, and that by their very nature, these places should not be easily accessible. Most countries are run by an elite and have centres of academic excellence from which the elite are recruited.
Walter Ellis accepts that this is true:"But in France, for example, there are something like 40 equivalents of university, which provide this elite through a much broader base. In America you've got the Ivy League, centred on Harvard and Yale, with Princeton and Stanford and others. But again, those universities together - the elite universities - are about ten or fifteen in number, and are being pushed along from behind by other great universities like, for example, Chicago and Berkeley. So you don't have just this narrow concentration of two universities providing a constantly replicating elite."
When it comes to Oxford and Cambridge being elitist because of the number of private school pupils they accept, Professor Stone of Oxford University argues that there is a simple fact he and his associates cannot ignore:"If certain schools do better than others then we just have to accept it. We cannot be a place for remedial education. It's not what Oxford is there to do."
However, since academic excellence does appear to be related to the amount of money spent per pupil. This does seem to imply that Prime Minister John Major's vision of Britain as a classless society is still a long way off. And it may be worth remembering that while John Major didn't himself go to Oxbridge, most of his ministers did.
不公平的优势
据《牛津剑桥阴谋帮派》一书作者沃尔特埃利斯所说，英国如今仍然处于老同学关系网的控制下：你懂什么并不重要，重要的是认识谁。他声称在牛津大学和剑桥大学求学的少数精英一开始便平步青云，扶摇直上，几年之内，就登上了特权和权力的顶峰。他的调查结果显示，英国高级职能部门仍然由牛津和剑桥的毕业生控制着
结束
本文标签
特别声明：1.凡本网注明稿件来源为“湖北自考网”的，转载必须注明“稿件来源：湖北自考网（www.hbzkw.com）”,违者将依法追究责任；
2.部分稿件来源于网络，如有不实或侵权，请联系我们沟通解决。最新官方信息请以湖北省教育考试院及各教育官网为准！
2.部分稿件来源于网络，如有不实或侵权，请联系我们沟通解决。最新官方信息请以湖北省教育考试院及各教育官网为准！
"2016年湖北自考英语阅读翻译资料（4）" 相关文章推荐
-
252023-03湖北自学考试中学语文教学法课程考试大纲汇总湖北自学考试中学语文教学法课程考试大纲汇总
-
252023-03湖北自学考试中学语文教学法课程考试大纲：第十章湖北自学考试中学语文教学法课程考试大纲：第十章
-
252023-03湖北自学考试中学语文教学法课程考试大纲：第九章湖北自学考试中学语文教学法课程考试大纲：第九章
-
252023-03湖北自学考试中学语文教学法课程考试大纲：第八章湖北自学考试中学语文教学法课程考试大纲：第八章
-
252023-03湖北自学考试中学语文教学法课程考试大纲：第七章湖北自学考试中学语文教学法课程考试大纲：第七章
-
252023-03湖北自学考试中学语文教学法课程考试大纲：第六章湖北自学考试中学语文教学法课程考试大纲：第六章
限时，免费获取学历提升方案
已帮助10w万+意向学历提升用户成功上岸
推荐信息
毛泽东思想概论
培训优势：课时考点精讲+刷题+冲刺，熟练应对考试题型。全程督促学习，安排好学习计划。 毛泽东思想概论...自考培训
英语二
本课程既是一门语言实践课程,也是拓宽知识、了解世界文化的重要素质课程,它以培养学习者的综合语言应用能力为目标，使他们在学习、工作和社会交往中能够使用英语进行有效的交流。 英语二...自考培训
马克思主义基本原理概论
本书包括两个部分：自学考试大纲和基本原理。主要内容有，马克思主义是关于工人阶级和人类解放的科学，物质世界及其发展规律，认识的本质及其规律，人类社会及其发展规律，资本主义的形成及其发展，资本主义发展的历史进程，社会主义社会及其进程，共产主义社会及其进程等。 马克思主义基本原理概论...自考培训
思想道德修养与法律基础
《思想道德修养与法律基础》课具有鲜明的政治性、思想性、理论性、针对性、科学性、知识性以及实践性和修养性。它包罗政治、思想、道德、心理本质、学习成才和法律本质等内容，指导和回答大学生在人生、抱负、信念等方面遍及关心和迫切需要解决的问题。 思想道德修养与法律基础...自考培训
中国近代史纲要
“中国近现代史纲要”全国高等教育自学考试指定教材，依据中央审定的普通高等学校“中国近现代史纲要”编写大纲以及马克思主义理论研究和建设工程重点教材《中国近现代史纲要》，结合自学考试的特点设计了十章，集中讲述1840年鸦片战争爆发一直到2007年中国共产党第十七次全国代表大会召开的160多年的中国近现代历史。 中国近代史纲要...自考培训
湖北自考动态
自考热门标签
微信公众号
考试交流群
扫一扫关注微信公众号
随时获取湖北省自考政策、通知、公告以及各类学习资料、学习方法、课程。
鄂公网安备 42011102000050号