Part A: Reading Comprehension

Directions: Read the following text. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. (40 points)

Text 2

As the latest crop of students pen their undergraduate application form and weigh up their options, it may be worth considering just how the point, purpose and value of a degree has changed and what Generation Z need to consider as they start the third stage of their educational journey.

Millennials were told that if you did well in school, got a decent degree, you would be set up for life. But that promise has been found wanting. As degrees became universal, they became devalued. Education was no longer a secure route of social mobility. Today, 28 per cent of graduates in the UK are in non-graduate roles, a percentage which is double the average among the OECD countries.

This is not to say that there is no point in getting a degree, but rather stress that a degree is not for everyone, that the switch from classroom to lecture hall is not an inevitable one and that other options are available.

Thankfully, there are signs that this is already happening, with Generation Z seeking to learn from their millennial predecessors, even if parents and teachers tend to be still set in the degree mindset. Employers have long seen the advantages of hiring school leavers who often prove themselves to be more committed and loyal employees than graduates. Many too are seeing the advantages of scrapping a degree requirement for certain roles.

For those for whom a degree is the desired route, consider that this may well be the first of many. In this age of generalists, it pays to have specific knowledge or skills. Postgraduates now earn 40 per cent more than graduates. When more and more of us have a degree, it makes sense to have two.

It is unlikely that Generation Z will be done with education at 18 or 21; they will need to be constantly upskilling throughout their career to stay employable. It has been estimated that this generation, due to the pressures of technology, the wish for personal fulfilment and desire for diversity, will work for 17 different employers over the course of their working life and have five different careers. Education, and not just knowledge gained on campus, will be a core part of Generation Z’s career trajectory.

Older generations often talk about their degree in the present and personal tense: ‘I am a geographer’ or ‘I am a classicist’. Their sons or daughters would never say such a thing; it’s as if they already know that their degree won’t define them in the same way.

26. The author suggests that Generation Z should

[A]

be careful in choosing a college. 

[B]

be diligent at each educational stage. 

[C]

reassess the necessity of college education. 

[D]

postpone their undergraduate application. 

27. The percentage of UK graduates in non-graduate roles reflects

[A]

Millennial’s opinion about work. 

[B]

the shrinking value of a degree. 

[C]

public discontent with education. 

[D]

the desired route of social mobility. 

28. The author considers it a good sign that

[A]

Generation Z are seeking to earn a decent degree. 

[B]

school leavers are willing to be skilled workers. 

[C]

employers are taking a realistic attitude to degree. 

[D]

parents are changing their minds about education. 

29. It is advised in Paragraph 5 that those with one degree should

[A]

make an early decision on their career. 

[B]

attend on-the-job training programs. 

[C]

team up with high-paid postgraduates. 

[D]

further their studies in a specific field. 

30. What can be concluded about Generation Z from the last two paragraphs?

[A]

Lifelong learning will define them. 

[B]

They will make qualified educators. 

[C]

Degrees will no longer appeal them. 

[D]

They will have a limited choice of jobs. 

答案与解析 (Answers)

26. [C] reassess the necessity of college education.
解析：第一段指出，Z世代在开始高等教育前，值得去考虑学位的意义、目的和价值是如何发生改变的（how the point, purpose and value of a degree has changed）。第三段进一步强调，学位并不适合每个人，这说明作者建议他们应该“重新评估大学教育的必要性（reassess the necessity of college education）”。

27. [B] the shrinking value of a degree.
解析：第二段讲到，“随着学位变得普遍，它们开始贬值（became devalued）”。紧接着用数据支撑：“今天，英国28%的毕业生从事非毕业生级别的工作”，这正是学位贬值（the shrinking value of a degree）的直接后果和体现。

28. [C] employers are taking a realistic attitude to degree.
解析：第四段开头说“庆幸的是，有迹象表明这已经发生了”，随后说明雇主早已看到雇佣中学毕业生的优势，且“很多雇主看到了取消某些职位学位要求的优势（scrapping a degree requirement）”。这说明雇主不再唯学历论，对学位的态度变得更加务实（taking a realistic attitude to degree）。

29. [D] further their studies in a specific field.
解析：第五段针对那些想要读学位的人提出建议：“在这个通才时代，拥有特定的知识或技能是有好处的（it pays to have specific knowledge or skills）”，并且提到研究生的收入比本科生高，当越来越多人有了一个学位，“拥有两个学位是明智的”。这说明作者建议他们应该在特定领域继续深造（further their studies in a specific field）。

30. [A] Lifelong learning will define them.
解析：第六段指出，Z世代在18或21岁时不可能结束教育，他们需要“在整个职业生涯中不断提升技能（constantly upskilling throughout their career）”，教育将是他们职业轨迹的核心部分。第七段指出学位不再像定义老一辈那样定义他们。结合来看，终身学习（Lifelong learning）将成为他们的显著特征。

核心长难句精解 (Highlighted Sentences)

1. 时间状语从句与宾语从句嵌套：
"As the latest crop of students pen their undergraduate application form and weigh up their options, it may be worth considering just how the point, purpose and value of a degree has changed and what Generation Z need to consider as they start the third stage of their educational journey."
【解析】句首的 As 引导时间状语从句。主句中 it 为形式主语，真正的主语是 considering...。considering 后接了两个并列的宾语从句：how 引导的从句和 what 引导的从句。第二个宾语从句内部又嵌套了一个 as 引导的时间状语从句。
【翻译】随着最新一批学生填下本科申请表并权衡他们的选择，或许值得考虑一下，学位的意义、目的和价值究竟发生了怎样的变化，以及Z世代在开启他们教育旅程的第三阶段时需要考虑些什么。

2. 并列宾语从句的深层强调：
"This is not to say that there is no point in getting a degree, but rather stress that a degree is not for everyone, that the switch from classroom to lecture hall is not an inevitable one and that other options are available."
【解析】使用了 not to say... but rather stress...（不是说...而是强调...）的句型。在 stress 后面，跟了三个由 that 引导的并列宾语从句，层层递进地表达了作者的观点。
【翻译】这并不是说获得学位毫无意义，而是强调学位并不适合所有人，从中小学教室到大学讲堂的转变并非是必然的，而且还有其他选择可供考虑。

3. 主语从句与插入语的复合结构：
"It has been estimated that this generation, due to the pressures of technology, the wish for personal fulfilment and desire for diversity, will work for 17 different employers over the course of their working life and have five different careers."
【解析】It 为形式主语，that 引导真正的主语从句。在主语从句中，主语 this generation 和谓语 will work 之间插入了由 due to 引导的长长的原因状语，解释了他们频繁跳槽的三大原因。
【翻译】据估计，由于技术的压力、对个人成就感的渴望以及对多样性的追求，这一代人在其工作生涯中将为17位不同的雇主工作，并从事5种不同的职业。