Unit 6
Reading
Activity Book 33
8 Read the text quickly. Use the context to guess the meaning of the underlined words and match them with their meanings. The first one is done for you.
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After school ….... In England, almost 50% of school leavers go on to higher education. The figure has not always been as high as this. Twenty years ago, it was closer to 30%, and thirty years before that, it was only about 5%. Another huge change has been financial. Before 1998 CE, higher education in the UK was completely free for UK citizens. Since then, tuition fees have been introduced. Most students borrow this money from the government. They don't have to repay it immediately. Instead, they pay it back slowly out of future earnings. Despite the high cost, most students choose to study away from home. A recent survey of 17,000 students revealed that only 7% wanted to stay at home while they studied for their degree. Of course for most young people, living away from home means borrowing even more money from the government. So why don’t students choose to avoid debt by staying at home, where they don't have to pay rent? Most of them say that they want to move to the University their Choice, rather than the nearest one. Another strong motive is the desire to live in a new culture. Where do these students live? Many have rooms in halls of residence, especially in their first year; others rent flats or houses. A lucky minority live in property that their parents have bought for them. Most of them need to learn to cook, do their own washing and manage their time and money. |
1 accommodation provided by a university or college: halls of residence
2 reason for doing something: motive
3 not many, the opposite of ‘majority’: minority
4 costs, charges: fees
5 money you owe: debt
6 relating to money: financial
Keywords
| Word | Meaning |
| financial | relating to money |
| motive | reason for doing something |
| minority | Not many, the opposite of 'majority' |
| debt | money you owe |
| fees | costs, charges |
| halls of residence | accommodation provided by a university |
| In England, almost 50% of school leavers go on to higher education. The figure has not always been as high as this. Twenty years ago, it was closer to 30%, and thirty years before that, it was only about 5%. Another huge change has been financial. Before 1998 CE, higher education in the UK was completely free for UK citizens. Since then, tuition fees have been introduced. Most students borrow this money from the government. They don't have to repay it immediately. Instead, they pay it back slowly out of future earnings. |
Two major changes have taken place in England's system of education.
These changes are:
1. The increase in the number of school leavers who go on higher education in the last fifty years to reach 50%.
2. A financial change which means that students have to pay for their fees.
The underlined pronoun 'this' refers to the figure of 50%.
The underlined pronoun(it x2) refers to the figure of school leavers going on higher education.
Before 1998 CE education in the UK was completely free for UK citizens.
The underlined pronoun 'then' refers to 1998 CE.
Students could pay for their fees by:
- Borrowing from the government and repaying it back slowly from future earnings.
The underlined pronoun 'this' refers to tuition fees
The underlined pronoun (They x2) refers to most students.
The underlined pronoun(it x2) refers to the borrowed money from the government.
| Despite the high cost, most students choose to study away from home. A recent survey of 17,000 students revealed that only 7% wanted to stay at home while they(1) studied for their(1) degree. Of course, for most young people, living away from home means borrowing even more money from the government. So why don’t students choose to avoid debt by staying at home, where they(2) don't have to pay rent? Most of them(1) say that they(3) want to move to the University their(2) choice, rather than the nearest one. Another strong motive is the desire to live in a new culture. Where do these students live? Many have rooms in halls of residence, especially in their(3) first year; others rent flats or houses. A lucky minority live in a property that their(5) parents have bought for them(2). Most of them(3)need to learn to cook, do their own washing and manage their time and money. |
Although studying away from home is expensive, most students choose to study away from home.
93% of students surveyed preferred to study abroad.
7% of students surveyed wanted to study at home while they studied for their degree.
The underlined pronoun they (1) refers to the students of the survey.
The underlined pronoun their (1) refers to the students'.
The underlined pronoun they (2) refers to the students
The underlined relative pronoun where refers to home.
The underlined pronoun them (1) refers to students.
The reasons behind choosing to study abroad by students:
1. students want to move to a university of their choice and not the nearest one.
2. the desire to live in a new culture.
The students who study abroad live in:
- rooms in halls of residence
- flats or houses they rent.
- property that their parents bought for them
The underlined pronoun they (3) refers to students.
The underlined pronoun their (2) refers to the students'
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The underlined word 'others' refers to students who choose to study abroad and don't live in halls of residence.
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The underlined pronoun their (3) refers to many students'.
The underlined pronoun their (4) refers to the lucky minority students'.
The underlined pronoun them (2) refers to the lucky minority students.
Most students who study abroad have to hold responsibility for their living. (Most of them need to learn to cook, do their washing and manage time and money)
The underlined pronoun them (3) refers to students who study abroad.