商务英语阅读教程Unit 1

Unit 1 Education

Part I Pre-reading Questions

cation is generally defined as the process of learning and acquiring information. Formal learning in a school or university is one of the most common types. It is generally classified into three types: school education, family education and social education.

cation plays an important role in our lives, the function of which includes cultivating high-quality and knowledgeable talents, providing work-force for the development of economy and creating scientific knowledge for our nation.

3.It hasn’t realized the elimination of social inequality. Because of realistic and historical reasons, there still exists unfairness in the area of education. Take China for example, the deficiency of educational investment is a prominent problem. Some children in poor areas can’t be equally educated compared with the children in cities.

Part II Extensive Reading

Text A Getting In Gets Harder

1.主旨归纳：The article begins with the story that the student named Maxine fails to apply to Northwestern University, and then the article indicates the situation where the number of applications is increasing in recent years, so universities become selective. Maxine decides to apply to other universities after being rejected from Northwestern University.

2.结构分析

Part I The introduction: the experience of Maxine Wally who gets rejected from Northwestern University (Para. 1)

Part II The body: the difficult situation where the number of applications begins to increase, which makes universities more selective (Paras. 2-7)

Part III The conclusion: Universities take measures to confront the overflowing applications. (Paras. 8-10)

3. 难句解析

(1) For students like Maxine who are applying to college for next fall, that dream is turning out to be frustratingly unobtainable. (Para. 2)

如今有很多像玛克辛一样正在申请秋季入学的学生，他们感受到这样的梦想遥不可及，希望非常渺茫。

unobtainable: adj. 难以达到的

e.g. I had toyed with the idea of going to college in the past, but it had seemed unnecessary, difficult and somehow unobtainable.

我过去曾经有过不经意的上大学的念头，但在那时看来，上大学并无必要、困难、而且有点无法实现。

(2) To hedge their bets, kids are applying to more schools than ever, too. (Para. 5)

为了提高自己入学的胜算机率，学生们也会同时申请更多的学校。

hedge bets: 下注

e.g. The company tried to hedge its bets by diversifying into other fields.

该公司试图通过兼营其他领域几面下注。

(3) So, despite the fact that some schools are turning away larger and larger numbers of hopeful applicants, colleges are spending big bucks on marketing, about $2,000 per student, to keep applications rolling in. (Para. 7)

因此，尽管一些学校拒绝了越来越多有希望的申请者，但很多大学在市场方面花费大笔开销，生均约2,000美元，以保持申请的大量涌入。

buck: n.钱

e.g. Using celebrities in advertising is guaranteed to pull in big bucks. 请名人做广告保证能赚大钱。

(4) But admissions directors are already worrying about the shrinking pool of future applicants, especially the sliver of those who can afford to foot the $40,000 annual tab. (Para. 9)

但是招生主管已经开始担心未来申请者数量会缩减，尤其是能够负担每年40,000美元的那部分学生。

tab: n.费用

e.g. Taxpayers will pick up the tab for the stadium. 纳税人将承担建造体育馆的费用。

(5) But a few days after her rejection from Northwestern she’d dried her tears and was putting the finishing touches on her applications to Barnard, New York University and Boston University. (Para. 10)

不过她的申请被西北大学拒绝之后，她重整旗鼓，做最后的努力，准备向巴纳德学院、纽约大学和波士顿大学提出申请。

put the finishing touches on: 做最后的尝试

e.g. A Thai artist puts the finishing touches on a decorated ostrich eggshell in Bangkok.

在曼谷，一名泰国艺术家在一颗彩绘鸵鸟蛋壳上做最后的修饰。

4. 词汇解析

(1) odds: [ɒdz] n. 可能性(Para. 2)

(2) collegiate registra r: [kə'li:dʒɪət] ['redʒɪstrɑ:] 大学的教务主任(Para. 2)

(3) glossy: ['glɒsɪ] adj. 用亮光纸印刷的(Para. 7)

(4) billboard: ['bɪlbɔ:d] n.广告牌；告示牌(Para. 7)

(5) committed: [kə'mɪtɪd] adj. 坚定的(Para. 10)

Text B Is It Worth It?

1.主旨归纳：While the tuition of private schools begins to soar, they still play a part in Britain. The article tells us the reasons and advantages that parents send their children to private schools at all costs.