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Background

1. The Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan American "fact tank", which is based in Washington, D.C. It provides information on social issues, public opinion, and demographic trends shaping the United States and the world. It also conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis, and other empirical social science research. The Pew Research Center does not take explicit policy positions, and is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts.

2. Ewha Womans University (Hangul: ; Hanja: 梨花女子大學校) is a private women's university in Seoul, South Korea founded in 1886 by the AmericanMethodist Episcopal Church. It is the world's largest female educational institute and has been one of the most prestigious universities in the country since its founding in 1886.

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For the first reading

P1: by quoting a Korean girl’s online opinion, the author reveals the topic of the passage: education.

P2: The author may retrospect the once-glorious education system in South Korea serving as a foil to reflect the embarrassing status quo.

P3: Apparently, we can deduce that many of the rich are not only investing heavily on education, but also pulling the strings of education system in the dark.

P4: The author explicitly points out the source of the deteriorating education inequality originates form the fierce competition in the job market.

P5-P6: Students as well as government have realized the ponderance of the issue. They are all taking actions now.

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day5-day6

For the second reading

Degrees of disenchantment

Inequality in South Korea

Seoul

Young people are losing faith in an elitist education system

1. elitist /eɪˈliːtɪst, ɪ-/ adj  an elitist system, government etc is one in which a small group of people have more power and advantages than other people

P1: Word&Phrase:

1. prestigious /presˈtɪdʒ.əs/ adjective  greatly respected and admired, usually because of being important

2.Turn out 证明是，结果是；关掉；驱逐；生产

3.Go to great lengths to do 竭尽全力做...

4.secure (OBTAIN) /sɪˈkjʊəʳ/ US /-ˈkjʊr/ verb [T] FORMAL

   to get something, sometimes with difficulty

5.Tailor-made 特制的；裁缝缝制的

6.alter (CHANGE) /ˈɒl.təʳ/ US /ˈɑːl.ţɚ/ verb [I or T] to change something, usually slightly, or to cause the characteristics of something to change                                                          

7.subterfuge /ˈsʌb.tə.fjuːdʒ/ US /-tɚ-/ noun [C or U]  a trick or a dishonest way of achieving something

Sentence:

1. Last month a court ruled that the nine people involved in this subterfuge had fundamentally shaken the “values of fairness that prop up our society”.

P2: Word&Phrase:

1.coaching /ˈkəutʃɪŋ US ˈkou-/ n [U]

   1) a process in which you teach a person or team the skills they need for a sport

   2) the process of helping someone prepare for an important test or prepare what they should say or do in a particular situation

2.tuition /tjuːˈɪʃ.ən/ US /ˈtuː-/ noun [U]

  1) MAINLY UK teaching, especially when given to a small group or one person, such as in a college or university

  2) MAINLY US the money paid for this type of teaching

3.spawn (START) /spɔːn/ US /spɑːn/ verb [T] to cause something new, or many new things, to grow or start suddenly

4.stamina /ˈstæm.ɪ.nə/ noun [U]  the physical and/or mental strength to do something which might be difficult and which will take a long time:

Sentence:

1. By 2007 over three-quarters of students were receiving some form of private tuition, spawning a maxim about the three necessities to win a place at a good university: “father’s wealth, mother’s information, child’s stamina”.

2. But so important is the right degree to a student’s prospects in life that rich families began spending heavily on coaching to improve their children’s chances, leaving poorer families behind.

P3: Word&Phrase:

1.manipulate (INFLUENCE) /məˈnɪp.jʊ.leɪt/ verb [T] MAINLY DISAPPROVING

   to control something or someone to your advantage, often unfairly or dishonestly

2.spectacularly /spekˈtæk.jʊ.lə.li/ US /-lɚ-/ adverb extremely

3.Think-tank 智囊团

4.Attest to 证明，证实

5.perception (SIGHT) /pəˈsep.ʃən/ US /pɚ-/ noun [U]

  1) an awareness of things through the physical senses, especially sight:

  2) someone's ability to notice and understand things that are not obvious to other people:

6.slang (INFORMAL LANGUAGE) /slæŋ/  noun [U]  very informal language that is usually spoken rather than written, used especially by particular groups of people

P4: Word&Phrase:

1.galling  /ˈgɔːlɪŋ US ˈgɔː-/ adj

making you feel upset and angry because of something that is unfair

2. fierce /fɪəs/ US /fɪrs/ adjective  physically violent and frightening

P5: Word&Phrase:

1.speak out 畅所欲言；大胆地说；大声地说

2.boycott /ˈbɔɪ.kɒt/ US /-kɑːt/ verb [T] to refuse to buy a product or take part in an activity as a way of expressing strong disapproval

3.Hand out 分发；施舍；把...拿出来

4.Take a stand 表态；采取立场；表明立场

5.spurn /spɜːn/ US /spɝːn/ verb [T] SLIGHTLY FORMAL to refuse to accept something or someone because you feel that they are not worth having:

Sentence：

1. By spurning the rat race, they hope to raise “fundamental questions” about prevailing values.

P6: Word&Phrase:

1.legislation /ˌledʒ.ɪˈsleɪ.ʃən/ noun [U]  a law or set of laws suggested by a government and made official by a parliament

2.thick (CLOSE TOGETHER) /θɪk/ adjective  growing close together and in large amounts

3.amendment  /əˈmendmənt/ n  [U and C] a small change, improvement, or addition that is made to a law or document, or the process of doing this

   amendment to  an amendment to the resolution

Sentence：

1. she scored badly in her written exam, but was given full marks for the interview.

2. The amendment would require all university interviews to be recorded or minuted for transparency.

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day7

复习 word, phrase and sentence