全通翻譯/翻譯社

　　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 soappealing? There are several reasons. College graduates are less likely to beunemployed, 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 isassigned online and is usually posted on websites, along with related articles. There are links for lectures and supplementary materials. Student papers aresubmitted 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 toclassroom-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 computerliteracy.
(B) Classroom-based programs are easier because students can interact withthe 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.

超熱門的線上學位
線上學位是全球最熱門的趨勢之一。
　　你是否曾想過要攻讀線上大學學位呢？在不久之前，這類的學位還被視為次等學位，且不太受到學者和雇主的重視。現在，一切都改變了，線上教育已是全球成長最快速的趨勢之一。線上學生的人數以每年百分之三十的速度擴張，且大約有百分之八十六的大專院校現正提供線上學位課程。其中包括杜克大學和紐約大學等美國頂尖大學。
　　為什麼主要透過網路來獲得學位的方式會變得如此吸引人呢？有幾個原因。即使是在現今的經濟情況下，大學畢業生也不太可能會失業，他們賺錢的潛力遠比非大學畢業生來得大。另一個原因可歸結於此種方法的彈性。對於全職的上班族以及有家庭需要照顧的人來說，加入高學歷的行列變得更容易達到了。
　　然而，努力是必要的。線上學生和傳統課堂上的學生一樣必須用心學習。課程作業會在線上指定，而且通常會和相關文章一起張貼在網站上。網站上還有連結可以提供授課及補充教材。學生的報告以電子郵件方式繳交，且教授通常會透過線上聊天程式來讓學生進行諮詢。網路對所有最新學習工具的整合來說似乎是一種理想的媒介。線上課程的學費和以課堂授課為主的學費相去不遠，不過那讓你能夠繼續從事白天的工作，並減少交通和停車費用，這些加起來才真正讓你省到錢。
　　如果你正在考慮要攻讀線上學位，那務必要做功課。研究一下你所考慮的學習機構。只要你所選擇的大學是知名且受重視的，線上學位是廣泛被接受的。

1. 根據本文，下列哪一項不是線上學位課程愈來愈受歡迎的理由？
(A) 線上學位近期愈來愈為大眾所接受。
(B) 世界各地的大學畢業生面臨較差的就業前景。
(C) 線上大學學位能提供彈性。
(D) 線上大學學位相對地便宜。
題解：本文第 2 段探討線上學位為何有吸引力，提及大學畢業生也不太可能會失業，他們賺錢的潛力遠比非大學畢業生來得大，僅 (B) 項與文意不符，故應為正選。
2. 線上學習如何讓人們更容易取得受大學教育的機會？
(A) 低收入的人現在能夠負擔得起高等教育。
(B) 這是由於線上學位課程愈來愈容易取得。
(C) 爆炸性的經濟成長激起線上學習的趨勢。
(D) 從前缺乏電腦技能的人不能夠上大學。
題解：根據本文第 2 段，線上學位的彈性對於全職的上班族和有家庭需要照顧的人來說方便許多，故 (B) 項應為正選。
3. 下列哪一項敘述是正確的？
(A) 線上課程的要求比傳統課堂課程來得低。
(B) 閱讀作業會事先以紙本格式寄送給學生。
(C) 線上課程充分利用了網路上可用的工具。
(D) Skype 是專為觀看講座而使用。
題解：根據本文第 3 段，僅有 (C) 項合乎本文，提及網路對所有最新學習工具的整合來說似乎是一種理想的媒介，故應為正選。 
4. 比較線上學習課程和以課堂授課為主的課程，下列哪一項敘述是正確的？
(A) 線上學習課程更加有挑戰性，因為需要操作電腦的能力。
(B) 以課堂授課為主的課程比較容易，因為學生能夠和教授以及同學互動。
(C) 以課堂授課為主的課程比較困難，因為學生必須達到較高的標準。
(D) 就困難度而言，兩種課程都相同。
題解：根據本文第 3 段，提及線上學生和傳統的課堂學生一樣必須用心學習，故 (D) 項應為正選。

答案：1. B　2. B　3. C　4. D