Pre-reading questions:
- Do/Did you like your school? What do/did you like best about it?
- What do you want to be when you grow up?/ Do you like your job now?
- Do/Did you like your university major?
The University of Oxford made it to the top at this year’s Times Higher Education World Rankings. The said magazine assesses top universities according to a set of criteria that consist of research, teaching method, knowledge transfer and international perspective. The California Institute of Technology occupies the second spot. Based on the magazine, the improvement of research facility and the growing number of international students are the factors that helped Oxford gain the top spot.
Other than Oxford, two more universities from the United Kingdom made it in the top ten. Meanwhile seven of the top 10 universities are American schools. Moreover, Asian universities made an extensive improvement on their rankings as a lot of them made it to the elite 200 list. Experts believe that the improvements are due to the rapid increase in population and demand for higher education.
Vocabulary:
assess – [verb] to fix or estimate the amount of something
criteria – [noun] a rule or principle for evaluating or testing something
perspective – [noun] a visible scene, specially one extending to distance
rapid – [adjective] moving or acting with a great speed
Comprehension Questions:
- What university made it to the top this year?
- What factors were used in ranking the universities?
- What improvements helped Oxford get the top spot?
- What country dominated the top ten ranking?
- What helped improve the ranking of Asian universities this year?
Express Your Opinion:
- Japanese universities are globally competitive.
- My school/university is best when it comes to technology.
- Our government gives top priority to people’s education.