Online degrees are one of the hottest global trends. 線上學位是全球最熱門的趨勢之一。
Have you ever considered pursuing a college degree online? In the not-so-distant past, such degrees were perceived as inferior and commanded little respect from academics and employers alike. Now all that has changed and online education is one of the fastest growing global trends. The online student population is expanding by 30 percent per year, and approximately 86 percent of colleges and universities now offer online degree programs. Included among them are top tier American universities like Duke and NYU. Why has earning a degree primarily through the Internet become so appealing? There are several reasons. College graduates are less likely to be unemployed, even in today's economy, and their earning potential is much higher than that of non-college graduates. Another reason boils down to the flexibility of this approach. For the full-time employed, and those with families to care for, joining the ranks of the highly educated has become much more attainable. However, hard work is essential. Online students have to study and apply themselves the same as conventional classroom students. Course work is assigned online and is usually posted on websites, along with related articles. There are links for lectures and supplementary materials. Student papers are submitted by email and professors typically hold office hours via online chatting programs. The Internet seems the ideal medium for the convergence of all the latest learning tools. Tuition fees for online programs are comparable to classroom-based ones, but being able to keep your day job and reduce transportation and parking costs will add up to real savings. If you're thinking about getting an online degree, be sure to do your homework. Research the institutions you are considering. Online degrees are well accepted as long as the chosen university is known and respected.
1. According to the article, which of the following is NOT a reason for the growth in popularity of online degree programs? (A) Online degrees have become more accepted recently. (B) College graduates everywhere face worse job prospects. (C) Online college degrees offer flexibility. (D) Online college degrees are relatively cheap. 2. How has online study made college education more attainable? (A) People with low incomes can now afford higher education. (B) It is due to increased availability of online degree programs. (C) Explosive economic growth has fueled the online study trend. (D) People lacking computer skills were previously unable to go to college. 3. Which of the following statements is true? (A) Online courses are less demanding than traditional classroom ones. (B) Reading assignments are first mailed to students in paper form. (C) Online classes make full use of available Internet tools. (D) Skype is used exclusively for watching lectures. 4. In comparing online study programs and classroom-based programs, which of the following statements is true? (A) Online study programs are more challenging because they require computer literacy. (B) Classroom-based programs are easier because students can interact with the professor and each other. (C) Classroom-based programs are more difficult because students are held to a higher standard. (D) Both types of programs are equal in terms of the level of difficulty.
not-so-distant 不太久遠的
academic n. 學者
top tier a. 頂尖的
unemployed a. 失業的
flexibility n. 彈性
medium n. 媒介
institution n. 機構
availability n. 易得；可使用性
explosive a. 爆炸性的
fuel vt. 激起
demanding a. 要求很高的
literacy n. 能力；知識
make full use of... 充份利用……
be held to ＋ 名詞 必須達到……
perceive vt. 認為；察覺 perceive A as B 把 A 認為是 B Gossip magazines are often perceived as superficial entertainment. 八卦雜誌通常被認為是膚淺的娛樂。 The mother perceived a subtle change in her daughter's behavior. 這位母親察覺到女兒的行為有了微妙的變化。
command vt. 博得 The singer commanded the admiration of music lovers all over the world. 這位歌手受到世界各地音樂愛好者的推崇。
expand vt. 擴張 We've expanded our business by opening two more restaurants in the city. 我們擴大營業，在城裡多開了兩家餐廳。
appealing a. 有吸引力的 Diamonds in the shape of hearts are very appealing to some women. 心形的鑽石對某些女人來說非常有吸引力。
boil down to... 歸結為…… Starting a business isn't too difficult. It all boils down to money. 創業不是太困難，歸結起來就是資金的問題而已。
approach n. 方法 The best approach to learning English is to read English articles out loud and watch English TV programs. 學習英文的最佳途徑是大聲的朗誦英文文章及看英文電視節目。
join the ranks of... 加入……的行列 After writing for 10 years, Gail finally joined the ranks of published authors. 寫作了 10 年，蓋兒終於加入了出版作家的行列。
attainable a. 可得到的 Internet access is now attainable in some remote areas. 現今在一些偏遠地區的人們可使用網際網路了。
assign vt. 指派 The professor assigned the report four weeks ago, but you're just starting on it now. 教授 4 星期前就指派做這份報告，而你現在才開始動工。
supplementary a. 補充的 Amy generated supplementary income by tutoring on the weekends. 艾咪靠週末當家教來賺取額外收入。
submit vt. 呈遞 All of your documents need to be submitted to the head office for processing. 你所有的文件都必須呈交給總公司辦理。
convergence n. 匯集 converge vi. 聚集，集中 The travelers converged on the dock before departing on the cruise. 遊客先在碼頭集合才出發航行。
be comparable to... 可與……相比擬 comparable a. 比得上的 This chocolate bar is comparable to the ones made in Switzerland. 這巧克力棒的滋味可以和瑞士的巧克力媲美。
add up to... 加起來…… The two sections of highway add up to 500 miles. 這兩段高速公路總計長達 5 百英里。
prospect n. 前景 Prospects in the biochemistry industry are booming. 生化產業的前景日益繁榮。
exclusively adv. 專有地 exclusive a. 獨有的 This perfume is sold exclusively in Paris. 這種香水只在巴黎獨賣。 Writers have exclusive rights to what they have written. 作家們對於自己的著作享有專有權。
interact with... 與……互動 You should try to go out and interact with people rather than stay at home by yourself. 你該試著外出和別人互動，而不要一個人待在家裡。
The online student population is expanding by 30 percent per year, and approximately 86 percent of colleges and universities now offer online degree programs. 注意 表『以……的差距』時，介詞通常用 by，之後接數量詞。 reduce / increase...by + 數字 + percent 減少／增加……若干百分比 win by two / three / four /... points 以 2 分／3 分／4分／……的差距獲勝 We beat that team by two points. 我們以兩分之差贏了那支隊伍。 Mary is older / younger than Helen by two years. 瑪麗比海倫大／小兩歲。 Johnny missed his flight by only a minute. 強尼只差一分鐘而錯過了他的班機。 歷屆考題 （考古題源自歷年考題原句並做部分刪減） According to the World Water Assessment Report, the amount of drinking water available per person on this planet will decrease _______ 30 percent over the next 20 years. 【99 年指考】 (A) with (B) at (C) by (D) on
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