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  3. Distance Learning in Britain In times of inflation, smart investors look for a safe haven. So, with universities complaining

Distance Learning in Britain In times of inflation, smart investors look for a safe haven. So, with universities complaining

admin2013-07-11  83
问题                         Distance Learning in Britain
    In times of inflation, smart investors look for a safe haven. So, with universities complaining about grade inflation and Cambridge warning applicants away from 20 fluffy A-level subjects, it is perhaps not surprising that the fastest-growing A-level by far is "further mathematics", the second, harder exam in what is already seen as one of the hardest subjects of all.
    In the past scientifically-minded boys at selective schools would take A-levels in maths, further maths and physics, and then study yet more maths at university. But recently many comprehensive schools, without enough keen A-level students to justify redirecting a precious maths teacher from teaching the basics to younger students, have dropped further maths entirely. Students, meanwhile, have been lured away by fancy new subjects such as media studies and information technology. Afraid of turning away talented state-school applicants, most universities stopped asking for further maths, even for maths or physics degrees—removing any remaining inclination among state schools to offer the subject.
    The number of students taking A-level further maths fell from around 15,000 in the late 1980s to a low of some 5,000 by the late 1990s. Now, however, it is picking up. Last summer 7,270 students took the exam, up more than a fifth on the previous year. And this autumn, for the first time, every A-level student in England can study further maths, if not at school, then at one of the 46 centres set up by the Further Mathematics Network (FMN). And a clever redesign of the syllabus has made it easier to teach further maths over two years along with standard maths, thus boosting its popularity.
    Universities are delighted to see the return of students who need less hand holding. John Begg, who runs the FMN centre in Manchester, says that more than half of maths undergraduates at the city’s university have done further maths, up from a quarter just a few years ago. The maths department at the University of Warwick, one of the top-ranked in the country, is thinking of requiring further maths again, for the first time in more than a decade. For students, the main attraction of the subject is getting a qualification with hard-currency purchasing power. Maths departments are so keen on candidates with further maths that they often accept them with lower grades in other subjects. And students looking for places on sought-after courses such as medicine and veterinary science see advanced maths as a way to stand out.
    There are signs, too, that the wider availability of further maths will boost the dwindling number of maths teachers. More graduates may be willing to pass up tempting salaries elsewhere for the chance of teaching something really interesting. Language teachers might also take a leaf from the further-maths textbook. Since 2004, when studying a foreign language beyond age 14 became optional in state schools, the number of students taking a language at GCSE has dropped dramatically. Some students have quit with relief, but others have been put off by schools that now schedule languages against other subjects. A distance-learning scheme might help to stem that decline too.
What of the following might account for the revival of further-maths?
选项 A、A syllabus redesign has made it much easier for students.
B、It becomes a requirement for entry to a university.
C、It helps students to be competitive in applying for a major.
D、The number of maths teachers has increased as a result of the FMN’s efforts.
答案C
解析 本题考查因果细节。根据题干关键词the revival of further—maths定位到第三段第二句。该句提到，现在的情形有所好转。紧接着第三句用数据说明参加进阶数学考试的学生人数大幅上升。第三段后半部分分析了这种现象背后的两个原因：一，进阶数学网建立了多个学习中心；二，课程提纲的重新设计使教师教授进阶数学变得更加容易。第四段分别从大学和学生的角度进行介绍：大学很乐意看到学习进阶数学的人数增多，甚至有大学开始考虑重新把它作为入学要求科目；进阶数学对于学生的吸引力在于它成为选择一些专业的有利条件。[C]是从学生角度分析的原因，是正确项。[A]与原文不符，将“教授进阶数学”偷换成“学习进阶数学”。原文中只举了沃里克大学一个例子，而且它也只是考虑重新要求进阶数学，而[B]则将它变为普遍的事实。[D]在第五段首句提到，但它是进阶数学复苏带来的后果，不是原因，因此排除[D]。
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