Question

    Universities have finally promised to end grade inflation(膨胀)after a growing number of first-class degrees led to accusations of dumbing down.The percentage of firsts handed out has doubled in the last decade,with 24 percent of graduates now awarded the top grade,compared with 12 percent in 2008.

Universities UK(UUK)is today promising for the first time to handle the problem and check the endless rise in the number of firsts dealt out.

Education Secretary Damian Hinds welcomed the move and warned any university producing an unreasonable rise in top degrees will face intervention(介入)from the regulator Office for Students.He said artificial grade inflation ust be stopped and warned quality must not be cast aside to build up an institution's reputation.

As part of a package of measures,universities have agreed to follow a new framework specifying what a student must demonstrate(展示）to achieve a certain grade.They have promised to ensure the standards will stretch and challenge all students,and protect the value of qualifications.

It comes after UUK admitted for the first time in November that tutors may be under pressure from both students and their bosses to inflate degree results.Staff may be tempted(诱惑)to hand out more top marks because they fear bad reviews in student feedback surveys,it said,while institutions could be motivated to do so to improve their position in national rankings.

Critics have long warned the trend weakens employers confidence in the system,as they cannot pick out outstanding candidates to hire.

A UUK investigation discovered 43 percent of first-class degrees last year were likely to have been awarded due to factors such as grade inflation.

Professor Dame Janet Beer,president of UUK,said,"The UK higher education sector has a world- leading reputation,so it is critical to protect the value of a university degree." UUK's promise will be in place for the 2019-2020 academic year.

1.What does the underlined phrase"dumbing down"in Paragraph 1 mean?

A.Less reputable.

B.More difficult.

C.Less challenging.

D.More accessible.

2.Why do universities plan to end grade inflation?

A.To toughen students up.

B.To rebuild their reputation.

C.To restore employers' confidence.

D.To maintain their competitiveness.

3.What does the president of UUK think of the move?

A.Complicated.

B.Valuable.

C.Controversial.

D.Challenging.

4.What can be a suitable title for the text?

A.Universities promise to stop grade inflation

B.Universities take measures to win a reputation

C.Why does grade inflation appear in universities?

D.How does grade inflation in universities affect graduates?

Answer

1.C

2.D

3.B

4.A

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文。英国多数大学决定在新学期停止“分数膨胀”现象，让大学教育真正拥有竞争力。

1.词义猜测题。根据第一段中“The percentage of firsts handed out has doubled in the last decade, with 24 percent of graduates now awarded the top grade, compared with 12 percent in 2008.”可知，在过去的十年里，大学颁发的顶级文凭数量翻了一倍，这导致了一些谴责大学教育低能化的声音出现。所以可知上文，随着越来越多的人指责一流学位没有挑战性，所以大学终于承诺结束分数的通胀。可以猜测出画线部分意为“没有挑战性的”，因为文凭数量翻倍了。故选C。

2.推理判断题。根据第六段“Critics have long warned the trend weakens employers' confidence in the system, as they cannot pick out outstanding candidates to hire.”可知，批评者早就警告说，这一趋势削弱了雇主对该系统的信心，因为他们无法挑选优秀的候选人来雇用。再根据最后一段中的“The UK higher education sector has a world-leading reputation，so it is critical to protect the value of a university degree.”可知，英国高等教育部门有着世界领先的声誉，因此保护大学学位的价值至关重要。所以为了让雇主对大学有信心，让大学保持原有的声誉，大学必须要结束这种文凭的膨胀。从而可以推断出其目的是为了保持大学的竞争力。故选D。

3.推理判断题。根据最后一段中的“The UK higher education sector has a world-leading reputation, so it is critical to protect the value of a university degree.”可知，英国高等教育行业享有世界领先的声誉，因此保护大学学位的价值至关重要。可以推断，UUK校长认为保护大学学位的价值是非常有价值的。故选B。

4.标题判断题。英国多数大学决定在新学期停止“分数膨胀”现象，让大学教育真正拥有竞争力。所以最佳标题是“大学承诺停止分数膨胀”。本文在开篇“Universities have finally promised to end grade inflation(膨胀)after a growing number of first-class degrees led to accusations of dumbing down.”就点题了。故选A。