Teens ask for a kinder college admissions process

山東 王新運

1By most measures, 18-year-old Gregory Woodson is a success.He works 20 hours a week as a martial arts instructor in Carson,keeps up his grades and has strong, openminded friendships.Yet as he plans for college,one word often hides in his mind:failure.

2“It's horrifying.It's lots of pressure because I feel like I have to choose now.I have to figure out what I want to do exactly,”Woodson said.Woodson and his fellow classmates have spent their winter months rushing into researching financial aid, creating pros and cons lists for schools they want to attend,and brainstorming scholarship and admissions essays.

3In recent years, that's only gotten harder.The pandemic has increased the stress of college applications because distance learning has affected teens'mental health.“I've spoken with young people across our country who feel weighed down by great pressure that's affecting their mental health and well-being.For many of them,one important source of such stress is the college admissions process,”U.S.Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy said in a statement.

4It's a laborious and distressing experience for many students,especially those whose families never attended higher education or lack the money to pay to improve their children's chances of getting into selective schools.

5“Whether it is the application itself or it is the understanding that we're moving from adolescence truly into young adulthood, where we're going to be much more independent,all of that weighs on mental health,”said Josh Godinez,a high school counselor.

6Godinez said counselors can help provide valuable resources and support for college.It can make a big difference.“We set students up for their post-secondary plans.School counselors are the ones that are uniquely positioned to support students through all of it and we take great pride in making sure that we do,day in and day out for our students.”

Reading Check

1.How does Woodson feel about his future education?

A.Confident.B.Unsure.

C.Concerned.D.Negative.

2.What makes it harder for teens to apply for colleges recently?

A.The declining number of excellent selective schools.

B.The lasting pandemic.

C.The lack of open-minded friendships.

D.The popularity of distance learning.

3.Who may face the severest pressure in college applications?

A.Those whose parents have little education and income.

B.Those who feel difficult to get support from universities.

C.Those who are suffering from mental health in hospital.

D.Those who know much about adulthood.

4.Who can help the seniors in high schools greatly according to paragraph 6?

A.Doctors.

B.Parents.

C.Schoolmates.

D.School advisors.

?語篇解碼

本文是一篇新聞報道，介紹了當前美國青少年在申請大學時的迷惘和已經產生的問題，他們希望錄取過程能更友善一些。

?語言學習

Ⅰ.語料薈萃

語篇單詞financial adj.財政的；財務的；金融的 admission n.（機構、組織等的）準許加入stressful adj.有壓力的 affect vt.影響；（疾病）侵襲；深深打動 source n.來源；出處 process n.過程；進程；步驟vt.處理；加工 lack n.缺乏；短缺vt.沒有；缺乏independent adj.獨立的；有主見的 valuable adj.有價值的 uniquely adv.獨特地重要短語the pros and cons 事物的利與弊；支持與反對 by most measures 從大多數方面來看 figure out 弄懂；弄清楚；計算 make a big difference 有很大影響

Ⅱ.語句分析

1.It's a laborious and distressing experience for many students, especially those whose families never attended higher education or lack the money to pay to improve their children's chances of getting into selective schools.對許多學生來說，這是一段艱難而痛苦的經歷，尤其是那些從未接受過高等教育或者沒有錢提高孩子進入重點學校的機會的家庭的孩子。

【點石成金】本句是一個主從復合句，句中的those 是先行詞，whose 引導定語從句并在句中作定語。

2.School counselors are the ones that are uniquely positioned to support students through all of it and we take great pride in making sure that we do, day in and day out for our students.學校輔導員是特意委派來支持學生度過這一切的人，我們為確保我們每天都在為學生做這件事而感到自豪。

【點石成金】本句由and 連接的兩個并列句構成：第一個并列句中含有一個定語從句，先行詞是the ones，that 引導定語從句并在句中作主語；第二個并列句中的making sure是介詞in的賓語，而we do,day in and day out for our students是賓語從句。

?語言運用

Ⅰ.例句仿寫

1.這個獎項將頒給作品最具想象力的作家。

The prize will go to the writer ________________________.

2.優質大學是指那些具有高質量教育水平，并且能夠充分認識自己的位置和前進的方向，能將學校的潛力不斷轉化為進步和自身能量的學校。

Good schools are ________________________, and a good sense of where it is and where it is going, and those that are constantly ________________________and its own energy.

Ⅱ.寫作實踐

你校英語俱樂部本月主題月活動為“My ideal university”，請你寫一篇演講稿參加活動。內容包括：

1.描述你理想的大學；

2.介紹原因；

3.表達愿望。

注意：

1.詞數80左右；

2.可以適當增加細節，以使行文連貫。

My ideal university

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________