CRI听力: Does Courage and Humor Qualify You For University?

A teenage boy named Xue Xiao got nationwide attention in China last year following the Sichuan earthquake. His claim to fame was simply that his first words after being pulled from the ruins 80 hours after the quake was over were: "I want a Coke, with ice".

Xue's courage and perseverance held many people in awe. So Shanghai University of Finance and Economics admitted him without having to take any exams. An article in Oriental Morning Post covered the boy's latest development in school and reported that he has to study English very hard to keep up with his peers at the university.(www.hXen.com)

The writer says he is surprised by the school's decision and asks if a student's legendary experience could be a reason for the university to enroll a student without exam scores. It is reasonable to reward people who made outstanding contributions to the earthquake relief efforts, but the boy's involvement is inadequate to be considered a contributor, the article supposed. Indeed, at a time when the country needed optimism to boost national morale, Xue Xiao touched people with his "courage and humor", the writer said. But the university's explanation that "Xue's spirit of rousing himself in the earthquake tallies with the school's motto" is really far-fetched, according to the article.

Nowadays, the writer argues, education is getting vulgar and becoming more keen on attracting famous and popular figures. Maybe celebrities increase the intangible assets of colleges and universities, but such unfair enrollment practices could certainly harm the credibility of the country's education system, the writer says.