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上期划线句答案
“REM sleep is highly affected by light and darkness, so when during the winter months we have less light, the body is going to basically overcompensateby giving more REM sleep,” said Dr. Joshua Tal.
“光线和黑暗对快速眼动睡眠有着强烈的影响，因此在冬季白天光照较少时，身体会通过增加快速眼动睡眠来进行过度补偿，”专门研究睡眠问题的纽约市临床心理学家约书亚·塔尔博士说。
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本期内容
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双语阅读
Para.1
“The number-one reason people get these degrees is insecurity,” reckons Bob Shireman of the Century Foundation, a left-leaning think-tank in New York. “The feeling that if they are going to get a job—or keep their job—they need a master’s degree.” Yet on average these provide a much smaller bump to wages than an undergraduate degree does. And a new body of data and analysis suggests that a shockingly high share of master’s courses leave graduates worse off.
Para.2
In America close to 40% of workers with a bachelor’s also boast a postgraduate credential of some sort. In the decade to 2021 the number of postgraduate students there increased by 9% even as undergraduates fell by 15%. PhDs required by academics and long professional degrees of the sort needed by doctors and lawyers are becoming more popular. But master’s courses still account for most of the growth. In part this has been driven by employers demanding higher qualifications as jobs in science and technology, in particular, grow more complex. But universities are also keen. Enrolling more postgraduates—who may be charged whatever the market will bear—is one way to cope. America’s university-age population will soon start declining. College presidents there hope that repeat customers can keep their institutions afloat.
Para.3
Since 2000 the cost of postgraduate study in America has more than tripled in real terms, according to the Centre on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University. Students have put up with these fees in part because they assume that lofty credentials will usually increase their earnings. “Gaining a financial return is not the only reason to pursue education,” acknowledges Beth Akers of the American Enterprise Institute, a right-leaning think-tank. But “for the vast majority of students...that is the ambition.” At first glance they are making a reasonable bet. In America full-time workers with a bachelor’s earn about 70% more than high-school graduates. And those who tack on a master’s can expect an additional 18%.
Para.4
Yet earnings vary enormously by subject and institution. Moreover, postgraduates are usually from richer families and got better grades as undergraduates than did their peers. They would tend to do well in life, regardless of additional credentials. Working out the real returns requires comparing the outcomes of this brainy cohort with those of similarly impressive people who decided against further study. More recently the institute has investigated returns from master’s courses—with even more striking results. It has found that by the age of 35, master’s graduates earn no more than those with just a bachelor’s (after accounting for their better-off backgrounds and higher previous attainment).
Para.5
Women have a higher chance than men of getting a boost to earnings from doing a master’s. The British study finds that these qualifications increase earnings for women in 14 out of 31 subject areas; for men that is true in only six of them. This seems surprising: men’s hourly earnings are higher than women’s and the gap widens further with education. But women with higher qualifications do better than women without them because they also tend to work longer hours, particularly when they become parents and are put under pressure to go part-time or stop working.
本文节选自：The Economist（经济学人）
发布时间：2024.11.21
作者：International
原文标题：Is your master’s degree useless?
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写作句总结
原句：Yet on average these provide a much smaller bump to wages than an undergraduate degree does.
结构：Yet on average, [X] provide a much smaller [result/impact] than [Y] does.
例句：Yet on average, practicing mindfulness provides a much smaller reduction in stress than regular exercise does.
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阅读理解题
Which of the following is NOT a factor contributing to the increasing demand for master's degrees?
A. Job insecurity and the perception that a master's degree will improve job prospects.
B. Universities seeking to offset declining undergraduate enrollment by increasing postgraduate enrollment.
C. A decreasing demand for PhDs and professional degrees like those required for lawyers and doctors. D. Employers demanding higher qualifications, particularly in STEM fields.
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全文概括
While a master's degree is often perceived as boosting earnings, studies reveal mixed results. Although initially showing an 18% earnings increase, more comprehensive analyses, controlling for pre-existing factors like family background, indicate that master's graduates earn no more than bachelor's degree holders by age 35. Furthermore, the financial benefit varies significantly by field of study and gender, with women seeing more positive returns than men. Therefore, the decision to pursue a master's degree should be carefully considered based on individual circumstances and career goals.
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