独立金融研究机构英国财政研究所（The Institute for Fiscal Studies）通过研究得出了这一结论：当前教育政策的目的是给参加 GCSE、A-Level 考试和上大学的贫困学生及家庭条件困难的学生们提供更多的教育资助。这个结论与上几代富裕家庭的孩子从教育资助中获益更多形成了鲜明对比。

文字稿

Independent researchers say that poorer children taking their GCSEs in 2010 had almost ten thousand pounds more spent on their school years than wealthier children.

独立研究人员们说，在2010年参加普通中等教育证书考试（GCSE）的相对贫困的孩子们上学期间得到的资助要比更富裕的孩子们多出将近一万英镑。

The study says this represents a complete turnaround from previous generations when richer families took the lion's share of education budgets.

这项调查称，这意味着和前几代人相比，情况发生了彻底的变化：此前，相对富裕的家庭得到了大部分的教育预算。

The change is a consequence of policy since the early 2000s targeting money at disadvantaged children, and also because many poorer youngsters are now staying on for A-levels and university and so benefiting longer from education funding.

之所以发生这一转变，是因为自2000年以来，政府实施了针对资助家庭条件困难儿童的的政策，同时还由于有很多贫穷的年轻人现在会留在学校参加 A-level 考试或决定上大学进修，所以他们会从教育资金中获益更久。

The researchers say this has been a remarkable shift in the shape of public-service spending.

这些研究者说，这是影响公共服务开支形势的一个惊人的变化。

1. 词汇表

turnaround 彻底的改变
the lion's share 大部分
education budget 教育预算
disadvantaged 贫困的，生活条件差的
youngster 年轻人
funding 资助，资金
shift 转变
public-service spending 公共服务开支

2. 阅读理解：请在读完上文后，回答下列问题 。

1. True or False? The government has funded both rich and poor students equally.

2. How does the study describe the findings in relation to groups of students that came before?

3. Apart from policy changes, why have many poorer students benefited more from education funding?

4. How much less funding was spent on richer children than poorer children in 2010?

3. 答案

1. True or False? The government has funded both rich and poor students equally.
False. In the past, more money from education funding was spent on children from wealthier families. Now, more money is being spent on poorer children.

2. How does the study describe the findings in relation to groups of students that came before?
The study says the findings represent a complete turnaround from previous generations.

3. Apart from policy changes, why have many poorer students benefited more from education funding?
Apart from policy changes, many poorer youngsters are now staying on for A-levels and university and benefit longer from education funding.

4. How much less funding was spent on richer children's school years than poorer children's in 2010?
Wealthier children in 2010 had almost ten thousand pounds less spent on their school years.