Directions:

For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write an essay commenting on the saying “In today’s world, where college population grows rapidly, a Master’s degree become essential if I wish to compete for a rewarding job.” You can give one example or two to illustrate your point of view. You should write at least 150 words but no more than 200 words.

參考范文:

There are many reasons for my decision to study for postgraduate programs, one of which is the value of a master’s degree. It ensures me a secure future in a society in which college graduates in mounting numbers failed to be employed.

First, there is a recognition that a candidate with a master’s degree will have an competitive advantage over those with only a bachelor’s degree. Five years ago when college population accounted for only 30 percent of the people of the same age, it was easy for a college graduate to get a good job in any field. But now things are quite different. Second, the higher education you have, the higher salary you will receive. Just look at some big companies which compete against each other to recruit skilled personnel.

Briefly speaking, more knowledge means more opportunities. More years of academic studies will help equip you with more knowledge and skills. Then if conditions change, you can slip with comparative ease from one field into another, avoid the pain of waking up to find yourself out of a job.

參考譯文:

我決定攻讀研究生學位的原因有很多，其中一個就是研究生學位的價值。當越來越多的大學生找不到工作時，研究生學位卻能保證我有穩定的將來。

首先，人們普遍公認擁有碩士學位的求職者比只有學士學位的求職者更有競爭優勢。五年前當大學生只占同齡人口的百分之三十的時候，大學畢業生比較容易在各領域找到一份好工作。但現在情況不同了。其次，接受的教育程度越高，就能獲得更高的薪水?？纯茨切┗ハ喔偁巵碚心技夹g人才的大公司就知道了。

簡言之，更多知識意味著更多機會。更長時間的學術生涯將幫助你獲得更多知識和技能。如果條件改變了，你就能相對輕松地從一個領域轉換到另一個領域，避免一覺醒來痛苦的發現自己已經失業了。

亮點詞匯:

postgraduate program 研究生學位;value 價值;master’s degree 研究生學位;ensure 保證;secure future 穩定的將來;in mounting numbers 越來越多的;fail to 沒能;there is a recognition that 普遍認為;candidate 候選人;competitive advantage 競爭優勢;account for 占(比例);skilled personnel 技術人才;compete against each other 互相競爭;recruit 招募;briefly speaking 簡言之;academic study 學術研究;slip 轉換;comparative ease 相對輕松地;wake up to find 一覺醒來發現

句型拓展:

①The number has peaked 65 percent and approached a surplus, and consequently many companies set a much higher standard for new recruits than ever.

當數據達到了百分之65%甚至更多的時候，與以往任何時候相比，很多公司都設定了更高的招聘標準。

②This is inevitable because we live in a society where our income is still determined by the knowledge you possess.

由于我們的社會是以一個人擁有知識的多少來決定其收入，所以這種情況不可避免。

③Tempting salaries and “fringe benefits” are often offered by those executive-search firms to highly skilled persons.

那些獵頭公司經常提供誘人的薪水和“福利待遇”來招募高技術人才。