VOA慢速英语2014 大学教育是否真的物有所值?

 

As It Is - Is a College Education Worth the Price? 大学教育是否真的物有所值?

Is a college education worth the price?  This is a question more Americans are asking as college costs continue rising and the job market remains¹ weak.

Attending a four-year college in the United States can cost more than $40,000 a year. That information comes from the College Board, a private company. Many people with a college education are drowning in student debt. They had to borrow money to finance² their education.

A recent study suggests that a college education is worth it, at least in the United States. That information comes from the Hamilton Projectat the Brookings Institution.

The study found that someone with a 4-year college education earns two times as much as a high school graduate over a lifetime. And for nearly all study programs, an individual with a four-year bachelor’s degree earns even more than someone with a two-year degree.

But not all college majors have a guarantee of good wages. For example, a chemical engineer can expect to earn double the earnings³ of a social worker over a lifetime. On average, a finance graduate makes more than a nurse or medical aide, while the nurse makes more than an elementary school teacher.

Generally, college majors that require skill in mathematics have high lifetime earnings. Graduates in computer science, engineering, and physics have the highest wages. Majors that involve teaching children or counseling⁴ have the lowest pay.

Actually, graduates with bachelor’s degrees in some fields earn even less than people with a 2-year associate’s degrees over a lifetime. They include early childhood education, elementary education, and social work.

The study did not explore the earnings of people with master’s degrees or doctorates⁵.

Brad Hershbein helped to direct the study. He said the research includes immigrants who graduated from American and foreign universities. He added that, “we don't try to distinguish⁶ how things would be different based on where the education was completed.”

The Hamilton Project noted⁷ that future earnings should not be the only reason for choosing a college major. It says, “Personal enjoyment⁸, engaging in meaningful work, and filling a social need should also enter into a student’s decision-making.” The numbers are only averages and there are many exceptions.

Most students have little knowledge of what their future earning will be when they choose a major. Study organizers hope the report will help students make better decisions about higher education. In their words, “college degrees may not be a guarantee of higher income, but they come closer than just about any other investment one can make.”

Words in this Story

wage– n. an amount of money that a worker is paid based on the number of hours, days, etc., that are worked

counseling – n. advice and support that is given to people to help them deal with problems, make important decisions, etc.

distinguish – v. to notice or recognize a difference between people or things

master’s degree – n. a degree that is given to a student by a college or university usually after one or two years of additional study following a bachelor's degree

doctorate– n. the highest degree that is given by a university

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 finance   

n.财务管理，财政，金融，财源，资金

参考例句：

• She is an expert in finance.她是一名财政专家。
• A finance house made a bid to buy up the entire company.一家信贷公司出价买下了整个公司。

3 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

4 counseling   

n.咨询服务

参考例句：

• A multimillionaire media magnate has shocked his employees with his candor by telling them all that he's putting his business affairs on hold to enter an alcoholism-counseling program. 一位身份数百万的媒体大亨，坦诚地告诉他全体员工他将暂时搁置他的事业以便参加戒酒班，令员工大为惊愕。
• She will need medical help and counseling to overcome the tragedy. 她将需要医疗帮助和心理咨询来平复这场悲剧。

5 doctorates   

n.博士学位( doctorate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nearly 1,000 specialized personnel with doctorates have settled in Shenzhen. 现已引进博士学位的专门人才近千名。 来自互联网
• John played the field academically, obtaining doctorates from several universities. 约翰的学术广博，他从几所大学拿到了博士学位。 来自互联网

6 distinguish   

vt.区别，辩明，识别，辨认出；vi.区别，辨别，识别

参考例句：

• It is not easy to distinguish cultured pearls from genuine pearls.辨别真正的珍珠与养殖的珍珠不容易。
• Some people find it difficult to distinguish right from wrong.一些人认为很难辨对与错。

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 enjoyment   

n.乐趣；享有；享用

参考例句：

• Your company adds to the enjoyment of our visit. 有您的陪同，我们这次访问更加愉快了。
• After each joke the old man cackled his enjoyment.每逢讲完一个笑话，这老人就呵呵笑着表示他的高兴。