雅思阅读练习：令人满意的教育

　　The need for a satisfactory education is moreimportant than ever before. Nowadays, without aqualification from a reputable school or university,the odds of landing that plum job advertised in thepaper are considerably shortened. Moreover, one'spresent level of education could fall well short offuture career requirements.

　　It is no secret that competition is the driving force behind the need to obtain increasinglyhigher qualifications. In the majority of cases, the urge to upgrade is no longer the result ofan insatiable thirst for knowledge. The pressure is coming from within the workplace tocompete with ever more qualified job applicants, and in many occupations one must nowbattle with colleagues in the reshuffle for the position one already holds.

　　Striving to become better educated is hardly a new concept. Wealthy parents have alwaysbeen willing to spend the vast amounts of extra money necessary to send their children toschools with a perceived educational edge. Working adults have long attended night schoolsand refresher courses. Competition for employment has been around since the curse ofworking for a living began. Is the present situation so very different to that of the past?

　　The difference now is that the push is universal and from without as well as within. Astudent at secondary school receiving low grades is no longer as easily accepted by his or herpeers as was once the case. Similarly, in the workplace, unless employees are engaged in part-time study, they may be frowned upon by their employers and peers and have difficulty evenstanding still. In fact, in these cases, the expectation is for careers to go backwards andearning capacity to take an appreciable nosedive.

　　At first glance, the situation would seem to be laudable; a positive response to theexhortation by a former Prime Minister, Bob Hawke, for australia to become the "clever country".Yet there are serious ramifications according to at least one educational psychologist. DrBrendan Gatsby has caused some controversy in academic circles by suggesting that a biastowards what he terms paper'excellence might cause more problems than it is supposed tosolve. Gatsby raises a number of issues that affect the individual as well as society in general.

　　Firstly, he believes the extra workload involved is resulting in abnormally high stress levelsin both students at secondary school and adults studying after working hours. Secondly, skillswhich might be more relevant to the undertaking of a sought-after job are being overlooked byemployers interviewing candidates without qualifications on paper. These two areas of concernfor the individual are causing physical and emotional stress respectively.

　　Gatsby also argues that there are attitudinal changes within society to the exalted roleeducation now plays in determining how the spoils of working life are distributed. Individuals ofall ages are being driven by social pressures to achieve academic success solely formonetary considerations instead of for the joy of enlightenment. There is the danger thatsome universities are becoming degree factories with an attendant drop in standards.Furthermore, our education system may be rewarding doggedness above creativity; the verything Australians have been encouraged to avoid.But the most undesirable effect of thisacademic paper chase, Gatsby says,is the disadvantage that user pays'higher educationconfers on the poor, who invariably lose out to the more financially favoured?

　　Naturally, although there is agreement that learning can cause stress, Gatsby's commentsregarding university standards have been roundly criticised as alarmist by most educationistswho point out that, by any standard of measurement, Australia's education system overall, atboth secondary and tertiary levels, is equal to that of any in the world.

　　TRUE/FALSE/NOT GIVEN

　　1.It is impossible these days to get a good jobwithout a qualification from a respectedinstitution.

　　2.Most people who upgrade their qualificationsdo so for the joy of learning.

　　3.In some jobs, the position you hold must bereapplied for.

　　4.Some parents spend extra on their children'seducation because of the prestige attached tocertain schools

　　5.According to the text, students who performed bally at school used to be accepted bytheir classmates.

　　6.Employees who do not undertake extra study may find their salary decreased byemployers.

　　7.Australians appear to have responded to the call by a former Prime Minister to becomebetter qualified.

　　8.Australia's education system is equal to any in the world in the opinion of mosteducationists.

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