Hockerill’s Suggestion
    Caught between the rising cost of university tuition in England and the falling percentage of applicants offered places, one British school is giving its students some surprising advice.
    By any measure HockerilI is one of the most successful schools in Britain. Named last month as one of the government’s flagship academies, its students regularly come at or near the top of exam results for the entire country, outperforming such famous names as Eton or Harrow. But unlike those private schools, where fees can exceed ￡28, 000 or ￡45, 000 a year, Hockerill, in the Hertfordshire town, is a state comprehensive, which charges no tuition fees and is forbidden from selecting its students on the basis of academic ability. And while a third of Hockerill’s 830 students are boarders, they are chosen on the basis of need rather than ability to pay.
    So when the school’s principal heard of government plans to raise university tuition fees in England to ￡9, 000 a year, he decided to make use of the school’s international focus. urging his students to apply to universities abroad and hiring a counselor（顾问）to help the students who want to apply to universities in countries whose fees are cheaper. “If you can get into a university in France and pay about ￡180 a year for an education at one of the best institutions in the world, why would you pay ￡9, 000 a year in Britain?” the principal asked.
    Pupils at Hockerill are offered a choice of seven foreign languages：French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese or Mandarin. History and geography classes are taught exclusively in French or German. But with English rapidly becoming the international language of education, even less linguistically flexible students soon find that going abroad can save them money while enhancing the quality of their education.
    “Our students can get to Maastricht in Holland by train more quickly than they can get to Lees from London,” the principal said. Just over the border from Germany and Belgium, Maastricht University offers a highly regarded undergraduate program taught in English. Tuition fees are about ￡1, 430, a year. Germany and France offer even greater savings.
24. What is Hockerill’s suggestion to its students?
   A. Learning foreign languages.
   B. Picking courses on their basic needs.
   C. Applying for less famous universities.
   D. Receiving further education outside of UK.
25. We can learn from the passage that Hockerill __________.
   A. admits students based on their academic performance
   B. provides dormitories to the students in need
   C. collects less money than private schools
   D. hires counselors for every student
26. What’s Hockerill’s principle’s attitude towards government’s tuition plan?
   A. Neutral.     B. Supportive.     C. Indifferent.        D. Negative.
27. Students choosing Maastricht in Holland will benefit from the followings EXCEPT      
   A. education quality         B. convenient location
   C. flexible program plans     D. lessons taught in English

24. D    25. B      26. D       27.C