As the latest crop of students pen their UCAS form and weigh up their options, it may be worth considering just how the point, purpose and value of a degree has changed and what Gen Z (and their parents) need to consider as they start the third stage of their educational journey. Millennials were told that if you did well in school, got a decent degree, you would be set up for life. But that promise has been found wanting. As degrees became universal, they became devalued (just as governments hiked up the cost of getting one). Education was no longer a secure route of social mobility. Today, 28 per cent of graduates in the UK are in non-graduate roles; a percentage which is double the average amongst the OECD.
 This is not to say that there is no point in getting a degree, but, rather stress that a degree is not for everyone, that the switch from classroom to lecture hall is not an inevitable one and that other options are available.
 Thankfully, there are signs that this is already happening, with Gen Z seeking to learn from their millennial predecessors, even if parents and teachers tend to be still set in the degree mindset. Employers have long seen the advantages of hiring school leavers who often prove themselves to be more committed and loyal employees than graduates. Many too are seeing the advantages of scrapping a degree requirement for certain roles—just as Penguin did in 2016.
 For those for whom a degree is the desired route, consider that this may well be the first of many. In this age of generalists, it pays to have specific knowledge or skills. Postgraduates now earn 40 per cent more than graduates. When more and more of us have a degree, it makes sense (albeit expensive) to have two.
 It is unlikely that Gen Z will be done with education at 18 or 21; they will need to be constantly up-skilling throughout their career to stay agile, relevant and employable. It has been estimated that this generation due to the pressures of technology, the wish for personal fulfilment and desire for diversity will work for 17 different employers over the course of their working life and have five different careers. Education, and not just knowledge gained on campus, will be a core part of Generation Z’s career trajectory.
 I have often heard older generations talk about their degree (even if it was gained decades ago) in the present and personal tense: “I am a geographer or ‘I am a classist’. Their sons or daughters would never say such a thing; it’s as if they already know that their degree won’t define them in the same way.
26. The author suggests that generation Z should________.
[A] Be careful in choosing college
[B] Be diligent at each educational stage
[C] Reassess the necessity of college education
[D] Postpone their undergraduate application
27. The percentage of UK graduates in non-graduate roles reflects_____.
[A] millennials opinions about work
[B] the shrinking value of degree
[C] public discount with education
[D] the desired route of social mobility
28. The author considers it a good sign that______.
[A] Generation Z are seeking to earn a decent degree
[B] school leavers are willing to be skilled workers
[C] employers are taking a realistic attitude to degrees
[D] parents are changing their minds about education
29. It is advised in paragraph 5 that those with one degree should_______.
[A] make an early decision on their career
[B] attend on-the-job training programs
[C] team up with high-paid post graduates
[D] further their studies in the specific field
30. What can be concluded about Generation Z from last two paragraphs?
[A] Lifelong learning will define them.
[B] They will make qualified educators.
[C] Degrees will no longer appeal to them.
[D] They will have a limited choice of jobs.

解答：26、【解题思路】本题为第 1 题，并且结合题干关键词 generation Z 定位至文章第一段 。由第一 段可知 Z世代的人应该意识到大学的价值等是发生了变化的，可以推知作者认为 Z 世代的人需 要去考虑是否有必要去读大学 。这个也是符合这篇文章所讨论的中心主题的 。因此答案为选项 【C】reassess the necessity ofcollege education【干扰排除】选项【A】的意思是在挑选大学的时候要小心仔细，第一段开头说到学生在填大学申请 时，需要意识到现在大学的价值目的等变化， 并不是说挑选学校的时候要小心，故排除 。没有 提及延期申请，故排除选项【D】。在教育的不同阶段都要勤奋属于无中生有，故排除选项【B】
27、【解题思路】根据题干关键词 The percentage of UK graduates 和 non-graduate roles 可定位 到第二段As degrees become universal, they become devalued.所以选【B】the shrinking value of degree【干扰排除】 【A】和【C】在文章中并没有提到； 【D】原文虽然有一句 education was no longer asecure route of social mobility,但与【D】所提的没有关联，容易混淆。
28、【解题思路】本题根据题文同序原则定位于第四段 。因为 26 题位于 1 段，27 题位于 2 和 3 段。段首句的 thankfully 暗示作者正面评价，对应题干的 a good sign，但没有具体说明 good sign 是什么 。第二句说 Z 世代已经从他们的前辈千禧一代身上学到了一些教训 。第三句说雇主们了 解到一些离开学校的人（即没有拿到学历）更加的忠诚，第四句继续补充 。因此第三句对应于 C 选项内容：雇主们对学历采取一种现实的态度。【干扰排除】 【A】选项：Z 世代正在寻求获得一个体面的学历，本段并没有提及，而且和上文逻辑 （学历贬值）相反，故排除。【B】选项：离开学校的人愿意成为熟练工人。本段第 3 句确实说雇主愿意雇佣一些离开学校的人。 但并没有说这些人怎么想，熟练工人也未被提及，故排除。【D】选项：家长正在改变他们关于教育的思维定势 。家长和思维定势（mindset)是第一句中原词， 但是只是提到了家长仍然有思维定式，并没有说他们在改变，故排除。
29、【解题思路】 由题干关键词 Paragraph5 “those with one degree should ...”可以定位至第 5 段末尾句 “When more and more of us have a degree, it makes sense to have two.”意味： 当越来越多的人 开始拥有一个学历，对于我们而言明智的选择是“拥有两个学位”，所以正确选项是 D，”further theirstudies in a specified field” .【干扰排除】 【C】选项 team up with high paid post graduates,而第 3 句中，“post graduatesearn more than 40% than graduates ”，只是提到硕士生收入高于本科毕业生 40%。没有提到，要和硕士生一 起工作。所以错误。【B】选项属于无中生有选项，第 5 段只在第 2 句中提到，“it pays to havespecified knowledge or skills”,毕业生要有专业知识或者技能，并未提到他们应该参加职业培训。【A】选项， “make an early decision on their career”，要毕业生尽早在职业上做决定，也是并未提到 。而第 5段首句“a degree is the desired route, consider that this may well be the first of many”， 意味毕业生依 然会首选获得一个学位，和【A】选项表意不符。
30、【解题思路】 题干中的 last two paragraphs 直接告诉我们本道题的定位在文章最后两段，除 此之外还有一个关键词 Generation Z。但是由于本篇文章讲的全部都是 Generation Z 的内容，所 以这个关键词没有实质的定位作用，那么可以通过观察选项的方式进行反向排除 。A 选项中的 lifelong learning 意为“终身学习”，于文章中倒数第二段第一句分号之后的内容 they will need to be constantly up-skillinghroughout their career to stay employable 是同义替换，都表示要一直学习 来提高自己的技能， 因此答案为选项【A】。【干扰排除】选项【B】中的关键词 educators 在最后两段中没有原词和同义替换，而且“教育工作者” 这个内容和本文的主旨内容也不相关，故排除选项【B】。【C】选项中有一个文章最后一句出现的 原词degree，但是文章此处的 degree 只是说“学历不会以同样的形式来定义他们”， 并不能得出 选项中所说的“学历将不再吸引他们”， 故排除选项【C】。文章倒数第二段最后一句中有个动词 work 和名词 workinglife，可以理解为【D】选项中 job 的同义替换，但是文章中这句话讲的是他们 在职业生涯中会为 17 个不同的雇主工作，与选项中所说的“有限的工作机会”是相反的，故排除 选项【D】。