外刊逐句精读｜《经济学人》：英国的「高考」改革｜CATTI一级译员外刊精读｜MT
Is it time for England to kill off A-levels ?
Its school-leavers are worryingly innumerate
重点词汇：
Kill off : 消灭，除掉
A-level : (英） 普通教育高级程度证书 = GCE Advanced level
School-leaver : n.中学毕业生
Innumerate : adj.不会算数的 numerate : adj.会算数的
Mick Jagger is the best-known alumnus of Dartford Grammar, a secondary school in Kent. Yet the front-man of the Rolling Stones is not its only claim to fame.Dartford is among a tiny bunch of English state schools that decline to enter sixth-form students for A-levels.Instead pupils follow courses set by International Baccalaureate , an exam board headquartered in Switzerland . They study six subjects , when most of their peers usually take only three; these must include maths ,English and a foreign language. “We’re not just preparing students for university,” says Julian Metcalf , the head teacher, “but for another 60 years of life beyond that”.
重点词汇：
Alumnus : n.男校友
Alumna : n.女校友
Grammar school : 文法学校（英国高质量公立学校）
英国学校分级：
Primary school 小学（5-1岁入读）
Secondary / high school 中学（11-18岁入读）
美国学校分级：
Elementary school 小学（6-12岁入读）
Junior high school 初中（12-14岁入读）
High school 高中（14-18岁入读）
Front-man : n.乐队主唱 The Rolling Stones 滚石乐队
Claim to fame 出名的原因
A bunch of 大批，大量（非正式）
State school 公立学校 = public school
Decline to do sth. 拒绝做某事
Enter : v.为……报名参加考试
Example： How many students have been entered for the exam?
Sixth-form : 第六学级（）英国高中的最高年级
International Baccalaureate(IB) 国际文凭课程
Baccalaureate : n.中学毕业会考
Exam board : 考试局
Headquarter : v.将总部设在某地 n.总部（单复数同形）headquarters
Head teacher : n.校长 = principal n.校长
Peer ： v.凝视，盯着看，使于...地位相等 n.贵族，同辈，同龄人，同等地位的人
段落大意：部分英国中心开始抛弃A-level课程，转而学习IB课程
Every few years England’s A-level system comes in for a kicking . Britain’s prime minister is the latest person to give it .Campaigning to lead the Tories in August , Rishi Sunak warned that England was unusual among rich countries in letting youngsters drop maths and their native language at 16 . He proposed swapping the present system for a new “British Baccalaureate” that would require pupils to keep up both of those subjects until they are 18 . There is no chance of this happening in the two years before Britain’s next election . But Mr Sunak may be thinking of writing such a reform into his party’s manifesto .
重点词汇：
Come in for sth. 遭到
The government’s economic policies have come in for a lot of criticism
Kicking : n. （连续）猛踹
Campaign to do sth 开展活动以……
Tory : n.英国保守党党员 The Tories 英国保守党 = The Tory party / the Conservative Party
Youngster : n.年轻人，少年，儿童
Drop : v. 退休，休学
Swap A for B 把A替换成B
The chance of doing sth. 发生某事的可能性
Manifesto : n. 宣言
Election ： n.选举，推选，当选
Election campaign general election national election election process
段落大意：英格兰的A-level长期招致非议，新首相苏纳克也认为不合理，希望改革
难句解析：
Campaigning to lead the Tories in August , Rishi Sunak warned that England was unusual among rich countries in letting youngsters drop maths and their native languages at 16
绿色部分是现在分词短语做伴随状语，交代时间
红色部分是句子主干，后接that引导的宾语从句
蓝色部分是宾语从句，浅蓝色为其状语，表示英格兰在哪方面不同于其他富裕国家
Even critics agree that A-levels are ,in themselves ,rigorous and demanding qualifications , and that they enjoy great prestige abroad .Britain’s universities have traditionally been pickier that those in many other countries. Ambitious sixth-formers have generally been grateful that they are allowed to sweat only the subjects they need for admission .Focused graft in the final years of secondary school helps explain why most students in England can earn bachelor’s degrees in three years , when those in many other countries study for at least four.
重点词汇：
Critics : n.批评者 criticize : v.批评
In themselves 就本身而言 = in and of themselves
Example : The carvings are works of art in themselves , even disregarding their religious significance
描述学历资质的特点：
Rigorous : adj.严格的
Demanding : adj. 要求高的
Enjoy prestige : 享有盛誉
Prestige : n.声望，威望
Picky ： adj.挑剔的（非正式）
Qualification ： n.资格，学历
Sweat : v.努力认真的做某事（熟词僻义）
Admission : n.准许加入，录取
Graft : n.艰苦的工作（非正式） v.嫁接
Their success was the result of years of hard graft
Bachelor’s degree 本科学位
段落大意：A-level也并非一无是处，在国外还是得到了广泛认可，学生也能集中精力学习核心课程，缩短本科学习时间
难句解析：
Focused graft in the final years of secondary school helps (to) explain why most students in England can earn bachelor’s degrees in three years , when those in many other countries study for at least four.
红色部分是句子主干，浅红色部分为主语后置定语
蓝色部分为why引导名词性宾语从句，内嵌浅蓝部分为when引导的状语从句，表示对比
Yet A-levels may not be handing English teenagers the breadth of skills they need. Their performance in literacy and numeracy tests falls behind those in most other rich countries after they turn 16. One-third of 16-to 19-year-olds in England have “low basic skills”, reckon analysts from the OECD, a club of mostly-rich countries. One in ten university students cannot pass basic tests in maths or comprehension.
重点词汇：
Breadth : n.（兴趣，知识的）广泛
Literacy : n.读写能力
Literate ： adj. 有读写能力的
Illiterate : adj.没有读写能力的
Numeracy : n.算术能力的 innumeracy : n.没有算术能力的
Reckon : v.估算
OECD 经济合作与发展组织 = Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Comprehension : n.理解，领会，理解能力，包括，
Reading comprehension aural comprehension reading comprehension selection
段落大意：接受A-level教育的学生基本技能令人堪忧，读写和算数能力落后于其他国家的同龄人
难句解析：
Their performance in literacy and numeracy tests falls behind those in most other rich countries after they turn 16
红色部分为句子主干，浅红色部分为后置定语，先行词分别为performance 和 those
蓝色部分为时间状语
There is enough time in the school day to offer extra maths and English classes without greatly crimping other studies . But it would cost money . For no good reason , England’s schools get less funding for pupils aged 16-19 than they do for younger children . Broadening studies would also require more staff .The number of people who began training to be a secondary-school teacher this September was about one-third lower than hoped , the biggest such shortfall in years . Maths teachers are in particularly short supply.
重点词汇：
School day : n. 学校上课日
Crimp : v. 约束，阻碍（非正式）
His zeal about his career can crimp the rest of his life
Good reason : n.充分理由
Study : n.学科
Shortfall : n.缺口，差额
In short supply : 不充裕紧缺
段落大意：学校有时间设置课程，但缺乏资金和老师
Shaking things up could involve more than academics . Pupils who do the International Baccalaureate(IB) must not only pass exams but also complete some kind of community service . For many of the ib’s boosters , this is a big part of its appeal . Some argue that a “British Baccalaureate” should mix subjects from academic and vocational paths ,which at present are kept far apart . Whatever happens ,it will probably give no one complete satisfaction .
重点词汇：
Shake sth. Up 调整，改组
He presented plans to shake up the legal profession
Academic : n.学术，学习
Booster : n. 提倡者，支持者
Appeal : n.吸引力
Vocational : adj. 职业技术的
段落大意：改革A-level制度可能涉及引入学习之外的活动或内容，但无论怎么改都很难以让人满意。
