2021年英语四级美文赏析：University Life under Strain思维导图

Thequalityofuniversitylifeisunderstrainfromtherelentlessexpansionofhighereducation,leadingindependentschoolsinBritaincomplained.Thewarningfollowedsurveyoftheimpressionsofcampuslifegainedbyformerpupilsoftheschools.Infrequentcontactwithtutors,worriesoverstudentsafety,andevengrumblesoverthefoodwereallseenassymptomsofthepressureonuniversities.

Headteacherssaidthatstandardscouldwelldropifthesqueezeonuniversitybudgetscontinued.Asurveywascarriedoutbecauseoffearsthatthelevelofpastoralcareinuniversitieshasdeclined.Anumberofstudents’suicideshadraisedconcernsamongheadteachers.Althoughmostofthe6,000studentssurveyedwereenjoyinguniversitylife,almostathirdwerelesssatisfiedwiththeircourse.Aboutoneintenhadseriousfinancialproblemsandsomegavealarmingaccountsofconditionsaroundtheirhallsofresidence.

Incidentsquotedincludedafatalstabbingandshootingoutsideahallofresidence,thepetrol-bombingofcarsnearanotherresidence,andtworacistattacks.Ninepercentofwomenandsevenpercentofmenratedsecurityasunsatisfactoryintheareawheretheylived.Thesurveyconfirmedheadteachers’fearsaboutcontactbetweenstudentsandtutorsslipping,withaquarterofthestudentsseeingtheirtutoronlyeverythreeweeks.

Newstudents,usedtoregularcontactwiththeirteachers,foundithardtoadapttothechange.Interviewtechniqueswereacauseforconcern,iththeschoolcallingformoretrainingoftheuniversitystaffinvolvedinadmissions.Someheadmasterscomplainedthatinterviewereincreasingly“eccentric”.Onegreetedanapplicantbythrowinghimanapple.

Anotherinterviewlastedonlythreeminutes.Aboutaquarterofthestudentsfoundtheworkloadatuniversityheavierthantheyhadexpected.Thereweredifferencesbetweensubjects,witharchitecture,engineering,veterinaryscience,medicineandsomesciencesubjectsdemandingthemostwork.Thesurveyalsoconfirmedpreviousconcernsaboutpossibleracialbiasinadmissionstomedicalcourses.Applicantswithnamessuggestinganethnicminoritybackgroundhadbeenrejectedbywhitecandidateswiththesamequalifications.