“快速” 兩年制本科學(xué)位有望成為英格蘭地區(qū)學(xué)生未來的一大選擇。與三年制課程相比，兩年制課程總共可省下 20% 的學(xué)費(fèi)。負(fù)責(zé)英國大學(xué)事務(wù)的大臣山姆·吉馬（ Sam Gyimah ）已證實(shí)，政府有計劃允許英國大學(xué)對較短、較密集的課程收取更高的學(xué)費(fèi)。

文字稿

Instead of studying for three years, at 30 weeks a year, the government wants more universities to provide fast-track courses with degrees taught in two years with 45 weeks of studying.

比起每年三十周、共計三年的學(xué)制，英國政府希望更多的大學(xué)能提供快速課程，兩年教授本科學(xué)位，每年學(xué)習(xí)四十五周。

These shorter, more intensive courses would mean savings of about ￡5,500 in tuition fees and a year's worth of accommodation and living costs. The Universities Minister Sam Gyimah thinks it’ll particularly help to reverse the decline in the number of mature students.

這些耗時更短、更密集的課程意味著每個學(xué)生能省下約5500鎊的學(xué)費(fèi)以及一年的住宿費(fèi)和生活費(fèi)。英國大學(xué)事務(wù)大臣山姆·吉馬認(rèn)為這一做法尤其有利于扭轉(zhuǎn)成人學(xué)生人數(shù)下降的趨勢。

Even though the overall cost would be lower than studying for three years, each year would have tuition fees equivalent to about ￡11,000 per year - above the current maximum limit of 9,250. Such a change of the fee system would have to be approved by Parliament and that could prove a significant stumbling block.

盡管兩年制本科學(xué)位的總花費(fèi)要低于三年制的學(xué)費(fèi)，但每年的學(xué)費(fèi)相當(dāng)于1.1萬英鎊，高于目前每年9250英鎊的上限。這種收費(fèi)體系的改革需要獲得議會的批準(zhǔn)，而這也許會成為兩年制本科學(xué)位課程是否能成功推行最大的阻礙。

1. 詞匯

fast-track 快速的
intensive 密集的
tuition fees 學(xué)費(fèi)
accommodation 住宿
living costs 生活費(fèi)
mature students 成人學(xué)生
equivalent to 相當(dāng)于…
maximum limit 最高限額
approved 被批準(zhǔn)
stumbling block 障礙物、絆腳石

2. 閱讀理解：請在讀完上文后，回答下列問題 。

1. Apart from tuition fees, what other costs would these shorter, more intensive courses save?

2. What is the cap on the current tuition fees per year?

3. True or false? The government wants more universities to provide longer courses.  

4. Which word in the text means ‘to change a trend to the opposite of what it was’?

3. 答案

1. Apart from tuition fees, what other costs would these shorter, more intensive courses save?
Apart from tuition fees, these shorter, more intensive courses would save a year's worth of accommodation and living costs.

2. What is the cap on the current tuition fees per year?
The cap on the current tuition fees is ￡9,250 per year.

3. True or false? The government wants more universities to provide longer courses.  
False. The government wants more universities to provide fast-track courses with degrees taught in two years instead of studying for three years.

4. Which word in the text means ‘to change a trend to the opposite of what it was’?
Reverse.