London——Laura Spence has excellent grades, a place at Harvard University and a US $25,000 a year scholarship. The British Government says that is scandal(丑闻).
Not because the 13-year-old girl is going to Harvard, but because she was rejected by Oxford University. Her case makes people talk about the long-running problems about elitism(精英主义) in British education.
“I think it’s a scandal if a child has to go to Harvard rather than getting into Oxford, don’t you?” Education Secretary David Blunkett said on May 26th in an interview on BBC radio.
British Treasury chief Gordon Brown said in a speech on May 25th it was “an absolute scandal”, a girl with those grades was turned down by Oxford’s Magdalen College. He noted that Spence comes from Monkseaton in northeastern England, where people sometimes complain they get fewer chances than people living in the richer, more populous south.
Oxford and Cambridge University now take the majority of their students—53 percent—from publicly funded schools. Elite(精英)private schools such as Eton and Harrow account for the other 47 percent, even though they serve only 7 percent of secondary students.
A BBC reporter had seen notes of Spence’s interview at Magdalen. “As with other comprehensive school pupils, she’s low in confidence and difficult to draw out of herself in spite of being able to think on her feet,” the BBC quoted the notes as saying. Still, the notes concluded that Spence “will be an excellent doctor.”
“It appears as if some of our institutions have admissions procedures which may be because of absurd prejudices against children from comprehensive schools…are not giving these children a fair crack of the whip”, Education Minister Wicks told the BBC.
5.Laura Spence was rejected by Oxford University because.
A.she was a girl of 13 years old B.she lacked confidence and she couldn’t think by herself
C.she didn’t win excellent grades
D.she was a shy girl from a comprehensive school in the poorer, less populous north
6.If Laura Spence was from such a school as Eton,.
A.she would be admitted to Oxford B.she would be accepted by Harvard
C.she could cause longrunning problems about elitism in British education
D.she wouldn’t be an excellent doctor
7.What’s the meaning of “a fair crack of the whip”in the last paragraph?
A.A good chance. B.Warning. C.Rejection. D.Admission
8.According to Education Minister Wick’s words, we know he .
A.thought there was something wrong with procedures of admissions to their institutes
B.took the side of Oxford University
C.considered giving up children from comprehensive schools D.didn’t tell the truth to the BBC
