考研热 The Craze for Grad School Exams

每年měinián到dào了le十二月shí'èr yuè，很多hěn duō大学dàxué的de图书馆túshūguǎn都dōu会huì变得biànde座位zuòwèi难找nán zhǎo，因为yīnwèi考研kǎoyán的de日子rìzi快kuài到dào了le。

Every year when December arrives, seats become hard to find in many university libraries, because the day of the grad school entrance exam is approaching.

据jù统计tǒngjì，现在xiànzài每年měinián有yǒu几百万jǐ bǎiwàn大学生dàxuéshēng报名bàomíng参加cānjiā研究生yánjiūshēng考试kǎoshì，人数rénshù一yī年nián比bǐ一yì年nián多duō。

According to statistics, several million college students now register for the graduate entrance exam every year, and the number keeps rising year after year.

一部分yíbùfen学生xuésheng是shì真的zhēn de对duì学术xuéshù感兴趣gǎn xìngqù，希望xīwàng通过tōngguò读研dú yán继续jìxù深入shēnrù研究yánjiū。

Some students are genuinely interested in academics and hope to continue in-depth research through graduate study.

然而rán'ér，也yě有yǒu不少bùshǎo人rén是shì因为yīnwèi找工作zhǎo gōngzuò太tài难nán，才cái把bǎ考研kǎoyán当成dàngchéng了le“暂时zànshí的de出路chūlù”。

However, quite a few others are only treating the grad exam as a "temporary way out" because finding a job is too hard.

既然jìrán本科běnkē学历xuélì已经yǐjīng不够用bú gòu yòng了le，很多hěn duō人rén觉得juéde只有zhǐyǒu读研dú yán才cái能néng让ràng自己zìjǐ更gèng有yǒu竞争力jìngzhēnglì。

Since an undergraduate degree is no longer enough, many people feel that only by pursuing graduate study can they become more competitive.

可是kěshì，考研kǎoyán并不bìng bù容易róngyì，需要xūyào每天měi tiān花huā十几shí jǐ个ge小时xiǎoshí背书bèishū、做题zuò tí，压力yālì非常fēicháng大dà。

But the grad exam is not at all easy — it requires spending more than ten hours a day memorizing texts and doing practice questions, which brings huge stress.

有人yǒurén甚至shènzhì因为yīnwèi压力yālì太tài大dà而ér放弃fàngqì了le原来yuánlái的de兴趣xìngqù，这zhè让ràng人rén不禁bùjīn思考sīkǎo：读研dú yán到底dàodǐ是shì为了wèile什么shénme？

Some people have even given up their original interests because of too much stress, which makes people wonder: what is graduate study really for?

我wǒ觉得juéde，无论wúlùn是shì为了wèile理想lǐxiǎng还是háishi为了wèile找工作zhǎo gōngzuò，重要zhòngyào的是de shì清楚qīngchu自己zìjǐ真正zhēnzhèng想要xiǎngyào什么shénme。

I think, whether for an ideal or for finding a job, what matters is being clear about what you truly want.

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Key words 生词

考研kǎoyánto take the grad school entrance exam

学历xuélìeducational qualification

竞争力jìngzhēnglìcompetitiveness

压力yālìpressure

兴趣xìngqùinterest

出路chūlùway out

Grammar note 语法点

只有……才……

"Only if A, then B" states a necessary condition for a result: 只有读研才能让自己更有竞争力。

只有努力学习，才能取得好成绩。— Only by studying hard can you achieve good grades.

既然……

"Since (a fact already holds)..." draws a conclusion from an accepted premise: 既然本科学历已经不够用了，很多人觉得只有读研才能让自己更有竞争力。

既然你已经来了，就留下来吃饭吧。— Since you're already here, stay for dinner.

Check yourself 小测验

1. Why do libraries at many universities become crowded around December, according to the text?

2. Besides genuine academic interest, what other reason does the text give for students taking the grad exam?

3. What does the author believe matters most in the end?

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考研热Kǎoyán rèThe Craze for Grad School Exams

Key words 生词

Grammar note 语法点

Check yourself 小测验

Reading is the easy part. Speaking is where you get stuck.

More HSK 4 reading practice