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  3. University used to be for a privileged few. In some countries it is now almost a rite of passage. Although that is excellent new

University used to be for a privileged few. In some countries it is now almost a rite of passage. Although that is excellent new

admin2022-04-20  161
问题     University used to be for a privileged few. In some countries it is now almost a rite of passage. Although that is excellent news, few countries have worked out how to pay for it. In some of continental Europe, where the state often foots the bill, the result has usually been under investment. In America, where students themselves pay, many have little choice but to take on huge debts.
    English policymakers thought they had struck the right balance, with a mix of student fees and generous state loans. But, nearly two decades after youngsters were first required to contribute to tuition costs, the system has dwindling support at home. Jeremy Corbyn, Labour’s leader, speaks as though it were designed to keep the poor from spoiling the ivory towers. He has called for an end to the "debt burden" on students, and has claimed that "fewer working-class young people are applying to university. " Labour’s showing at the recent election suggests many young voters agree.
    Mr Corbyn’s argument betrays a disregard for the facts and a poor understanding of student finance. Twenty years ago English students could go to university free, with the state covering the cost. The result was many struggling institutions and strict limits on the numbers of students universities were allowed to take. Annual tuition fees allowed an expansion of higher education, from around 30% of 18-year-olds to more than 40%—and the proportion of youngsters going to university from poor parts of the country has grown from one-in-ten to three-in-ten.
    That is because loans for tuition are combined with gentle repayment terms. Graduates only pay back based on their income above ￡21,000 a year, meaning that their debts never become unmanageable. Outstanding loans are written off after 30 years. Critics argue that tuition fees aggravate inequality between generations (rich oldsters attended university free, after all), but the alternative would be greater inequality within generations—as poorer students were once again frozen out when capacity fell, and relatively wealthy graduates were subsidised from general taxation.
    The real problem with the English system is not fairness, but that fees have not driven up standards. Almost all universities charge the maximum, whatever the course—not because they are a "cartel", but because no university wants to suggest that it offers a cut-price, second-rate degree. Nevertheless, surveys indicate that students have seen little improvement in teaching.
    One answer would be to promote competition by giving students better information. The government has relaxed the rules for new institutions in the hope that they will develop new teaching methods and drive down prices. It could also encourage students to hold universities to account, with devices such as learning contracts specifying what undergraduates should expect, and by helping them switch courses if they are dissatisfied. If students think they are not getting value for money, support for a scheme that is fair and progressive will dwindle. And that could lead to the most regressive step of all: scrapping tuition fees.
By "fees have not driven up standards", the author means "high tuition fees________".
选项 A、are beyond students’ affordability
B、contribute little to university rankings
C、fail to satisfy the needs of universities
D、are supposed to meet what students expect
答案D
解析 本题是推断题。根据题干定位至第五段。该段第二句是对首句的具体解释。即“几乎所有高校都按最高学费标准收费，因为没有哪家高校愿意暗示自己学费打折、提供二流学位”。表明，学生缴纳高学费就会享受高质量教学；而随后用Nevertheless表转折，说明实际情况相反，“大学教学水平并未提高”。可知，作者借划线句意在表明高学费本应该帮助学生获取应有的学业价值，但实际却没有，如何提高教学质量、满足学生所需才是大学真正应该关注的问题，故答案选D。A项“超出学生的支付能力”；B项“无益于大学排名”；C项 “未能满足大学的需求”均不符合文意，故排除。
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