British Aerospace is planning to set up its own university because it cannot recruit the skilled graduates it needs from existing institutions.

BAe has a team drafting a range of options for the university, which would award its own degrees. Work on the scheme is expected to start in the next few months.
Sir Richard Evans, chief executive of British Aerospace, has already launched a recruiting drive for engineers on the Continent because of a shortage of high-calibre domestic candidates. Advertising campaigns in France, Germany and other European countries will seek to attract students expecting to graduate in the summer.

Other engineering employers are expected to follow suit. The move to take on overseas graduates comes after BAe left one in five of its graduate places unfilled last year, blaming shortcomings in the education system.

If the scheme is approved, BAe will either build a full university or incorporate sites at its main research and manufacturing centres at Famborough, Surrey, and Warton, Lancashire. The company would have to convince the education authorities that the university had sufficient teaching capacity and autonomy for it to be allowed to award degrees. BAe said it was setting up its own education system and recruiting staff abroad because "there is a shortage of engineering graduates, both in terms of quantity and quality".

The Engineering Employers' Federation said that skill shortages were an urgent problem. Rolls- Royce, another large engineering employer, said there was a general skill shortage, although it had filled its graduate quota. Rolls will soon recruit internationally to reflect its expanding international operations.

Engineering's failure to attract students has been attributed to poor pay and long-term prospects, given the decline in British manufacturing. BAe would not reveal how much it pays graduates, but Lucas Variety, a large engineering employer, paid a starting salary of ~ 14,200 last year. That compares with an average graduate starting salary of ~ 15, 300, according to Income Data Services.
British universities have found it increasingly difficult to recruit well-qualified undergraduates. Even Oxford and Cambridge fail to meet their quotas in many engineering subjects.

Alan Smithers, whose Centre for Education and Employment Research, at Bmnel University, produced a report on the supply of science and engineering graduates early this year, said that the discipline had been over expanded. "There is now a lack of quality to withstand competition in an increasingly international sphere. Companies go where they can find the best candidates."

Engineering docs not enjoy the high status in Britain that it occupies in other parts of the world. Courses in other parts of Europe and the Far East command among the highest entry requirements of all degree subjects and take five years, rather than the norm of three in Britain.

1. British Aerospace is recruiting engineers on the Continent __
( A ) as the pay for them can be much lower
( B ) as there are not enough well, qualified candidates at home
( C ) to compete with France, Germany and other European countries
( D ) to set up a university of its own

2. In the passage, the expression "to follow suit" in the sentence "Other engineering employers are expected to follow suit" (para. 4) can best be paraphrased as __
( A ) to join BAe in its recruiting scheme
( B ) to take the unanimous action
( C ) to recruit graduates overseas
( D ) to establish universities

3. Which of the following is NOT the reason that engineering courses fail to attract British students?
( A ) The decline of British manufacturing industry.
( B ) The recruitment of engineers abroad.
( C ) The lower pay for engineering graduates.
( D ) The long and slow process of success and promotion after graduation.

4. "Oxford" and "Cambridge" are mentioned in the passage to show that __
( A ) they are the world famous universities
( B ) they are not cooperating with British Aerospace
( C ) they are reforming the engineering education
( D ) they can not fulfil their recruitment quotas in engineering

5. Which of the following best summarizes the main idea of the passage?
( A ) There should be further cooperation between British Aerospace and Higher Institutions.
( B ) Shortage of engineers leads BAe to plan its own university.
( C ) British Higher Education has recently been reevaluated.
( D ) British Engineering education is severely criticized for its lack of quality.

精析：

1．原题所问的是英国航空航天局正在欧洲大陆招工程师是因为什么?从原文中有关部分"Sir Richard Evans，chief executive of British Aerospace，has already launched a recruiting drive for engineers on the Continent because of a shortage of high-calibre domestic candidates．”，可以看出，是因为国内缺乏有资格的人员。(A)项是说对他们所付的工资可以更低，©项为可以同法国、德国以及其他欧洲国家竞争，(D)项为设立自己的大学，这些选项均不符合题意，因此只有B因为国内没有足够的具有资格的候选人”是正确的。正确答案为( B )。

2．该句为具体短语和句子理解题。要求考生理解“to follow suit'’这一短语在句子“Other engineering employers are expected to follow suit"中的含意；但要理解这一含意，又必须根据上文和下句(para．4)的含意才能作出判断。上文是说由于英国国内缺乏具有资格的工程师，因此要在海外(欧洲大陆)招聘毕业生，下旬又说“The move to take on overseas graduates comes after BAe left one in five of its graduate places unfilled last year，blaming shortcomings in the education system．”，所以"to follow suit'’意为“to recruit graduates overseas,”。( C )项为正确答案。

3．英国工程学课程不能吸引英国学生有各种各样的原因。题目所问为否定项，哪一个不是这一原因。其中，(A)项为英国制造业的衰落，©项为工程毕业生薪水更低，(D)为毕业后加官晋级、获得成功是一个漫长的过程，这些都符合篇章中提到的原因，而只有(B)项从国外招收工程师是由此产生的结果。所以，只有(B)项正确。

4．该题所问的是：篇章中提到牛津和剑桥两所大学是想表明什么?从篇章中的 para．8，“British universities have found it increasingly difficult to recruit well-qualified undergraduates．Even Oxford and Cambridge failt on meet their quotas in many engineering subjects．”，便可知选项(D)they can not fulfil their recruitment quotas in engineering．即：它们不能完成招收工程学学生的数额，符合题意。正确答案为(D)。

5．该题属于概括题。要求考生能选择出概括篇章的最佳句子。选项(A)There should be further cooperation between British Aerospace and Higher Institutions．英国航空航天局应该与高等教育机构进一步合作，选项（C）British Higher Education has recently been revaluated.近来已对英国高等教育进行了重新评估，选项 (D)British Engineering education is severely criticized for its lack of quality。即：英国工程教育由于质量不佳受到严肃批评，这些概括句子都不符合篇章的主旨，只有（B）Shortage of engineers leads Bae to plan its own university.符合篇章要旨。所以正确答案为（B）。

考生做该部分试题的一般原则是：

略读全文—领会大意—阅读选项—寻读对照—准确判断。
或：
阅读选项—略读全文—领会大意—寻读对照—准确判断。

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