【英语时差8,16】University or Not 上大学值得吗

 Given the current economic climate, is it still worthwhile to go to university or not? Does this mean a degree is no longer as valuable as it used to be? Higher education used to be free, but not any more. It’s been estimated¹ that when a graduate finishes his degree, he will be over ￡20,000 in debt. Let’s hear from Keith Dougdale, Director of Global Recruitment for KPMG. We’ve got a recession², times are tough and it’s difficult for graduates. But long-term, the prospects³ are actually great and they’re going to get better, because of the demographic time bomb, which means we need more and more people with more and more skills to enter the work force as graduates. They’re looking for graduates who are employable, just having a degree doesn’t make someone employable. They’re looking for people who have supportive evidence of how they can apply their knowledge into the workplace. So getting descent⁴ work experience at university, and actually having an understanding of what that work experience will give them. We have another expert advice from Wendy Piatt. She’s the Director General at the Russell Group of Universities. Choosing whether to go to university or not is not an easy decision. But if you do decide to go, then there are other factors to consider too. So I would say please think very carefully about this decision, and think very carefully about the course that you’re going to take, and the institution that you’ll attend, because the benefits do vary⁵, according to course and institution and it’s important to say that as well.

1 estimated   

adj．根据估计的

参考例句：

• She estimated the breadth of the lake to be 500 metres. 她估计湖面大约有500米宽。
• The man estimated for the repair of the car. 那人估算了修理汽车的费用。

2 recession   

n.（工商业的）衷退（期），萧条（期）

参考例句：

• Manufacturing fell sharply under the impact of the recession.受到经济萧条的影响，制造业急剧衰退。
• A rise in interest rates plunged Britain deeper into recession.利率的提高导致英国经济更加萧条。

3 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

4 descent   

n.下降，下倾，斜坡，坡道，血统，世系

参考例句：

• We watched anxiously during her descent from the tree.我们焦急地看着她从树上爬下来。
• Many Americans are of English descent.许多美国人的祖籍是英国。

5 vary   

vi.变化，有不同；vt.改变，使不同

参考例句：

• Cherries vary in colour from almost black to yellow.樱桃的颜色由近乎黑到黄各不相同。
• Old people don't like to vary their habits.老年人不喜欢改变他们的习惯。