媒體英語
Plug pulled on 5,000 post-GCSE qualifications 英教育部停止資助5000門 GCSE 考試后學習的資質課程
注：原文發表于2020年2月。
在英格蘭，5000多門很少或根本無人就讀的資質課程被取消。在12000門可供16歲以上學生選擇的資質課程當中，英國教育部停止資助約40%的課程，并計劃在9月份推出新的 T-level 課程（英國學生在完成 GCSE 考試后可選擇的職業技術類課程）。
This will reduce by half the number of qualifications on offer for 16 to 19-year-olds. Some courses, due to lose their funding, have fallen out of use, others attract small numbers. They include some BTecs, City & Guilds, NVQs, and diplomas.
精簡課程的這一舉措將減少16至19歲學生可選擇的資質課程數量的一半。一些將失去資助的課程已無人就讀，還有的課程只吸引少數人學習。這包含英國商業與技術教育委員會提供的資格證書（BTecs）、英國倫敦城市行業協會發放的職業證書（City & Guilds）、英國國家職業資格證書（NVQs）及其它文憑。
Ministers want to shift gradually to three main options for 16-year-olds to choose from - apprenticeships, A-levels, and the new T-levels. Each T-level will be equivalent to three A-levels and will include work-based learning.
英國教育部大臣們希望把目前的考試制度逐步精簡為三個主要課程種類，供16歲學生選擇：學徒制、A-level 課程（相當于英國大學入學考試）和新 T-level 課程。每門 T-level 課程將等同于三門 A-level 課程，而且會包含以工作為基礎的學習。
The first students will enrol on three new T-levels this autumn, with fewer than 2,000 places available. Tom Bewick from the Federation of Awarding Bodies said care needed to be taken with pruning away qualifications before the new system is fully established.
首批學習新 T-level 課程的學生將于今年秋季注冊修讀，總名額不足2000個。英國頒證機構聯會的湯姆·比伊克表示，在新制度完全建立前，需謹慎地縮減資格認證課程。
詞匯
qualifications 資格認證課程
on offer 可供……選擇
apprenticeships 學徒課程
equivalent 相當于，等同于
work-based 以工作為主的
enrol on 注冊（課程）
places 就讀名額
pruning away 削減，精簡
閱讀理解：請在讀完上文后，回答下列問題 。
1. True or false? Half of the total qualifications on offer to 16 to 19-year-olds will be removed.
2. Which are the three main options of the new system of qualifications?
3. How many A-levels will each T-level be equivalent to?
4. When will the first students register for three new T-levels?
答案
1. True or false? Half of the total qualifications on offer to 16 to 19-year-olds will be removed.
True. Pulling the funding will reduce by half the number of qualifications on offer for 16 to 19-year-olds.
2. Which are the three main options of the new system of qualifications?
The three main options are apprenticeships, A-levels, and the new T-levels.
3. How many A-levels will each T-level be equivalent to?
Three. Each T-level will be equivalent to three A-levels.
4. When will the first students register for three new T-levels?
The first students will register for three new T-levels this autumn.
