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7. Sculpture Courses to Be Discontinued

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Reading (45 seconds)

Sculpture Courses to Be Discontinued
University administrators announced yesterday that the sculpture program, a division of the art department, will be eliminated. “The main reason is a lack of student interest,” reported one administrator. Although the number of art students has increased, fewer and fewer art majors are taking sculpture classes. Furthermore, the department’s only sculpture professor is retiring this year. “Given the art department’s limited budget,’” the administrator explained, “it just doesn’t make sense to hire a new full-time professor to teach sculpture for only a handful of students.”

 

Listening



 

Preparation time: 30 seconds
speaking time: 1 minute

 

Texts

M: Everything all right?
W: Yeah, I’m just upset about that article I showed you this morning
M: Why? What’s the big deal?
W: Well, as an art major, I think it’s a big loss for the department. The university’s got it all wrong
M: What do you mean?
W: Well, the low enrollment isn’t because art majors don’t want to take these classes. Problem is who has time to take them when there are so many other requirements.
M: I don’t understand.
W: See. The classes they are eliminating are all optional. The required courses are mostly painting and drawing. And they take up all our time. What we really need are different requirements. Then our majors could take a better variety of classes. All the things we’re interested in.
M: That makes sense. But the thing about the professor.
W: Well, that’s true. But still they’re being drastic. If money is the problem, they could hire a part-time professor. Or most of the professors in the department have secondary fields.
M: Really?
W: Yeh, At least a few painting teachers are also great sculptors. I’m sure one of them could teach a class.

 

Explanation


Reading part summary
The announcement in the reading passage: The sculpture program will be discontinued.
The first reason: The decision to discontinue the sculpture program is due to a lack of student interest.
The second reason: Given the constraints of our limited budget, the prospect of hiring a new full-time professor appears impractical.

Listening part summary
The female student’s opposition: the woman thinks that it is not a good idea.
The first reason: The low enrollment in sculpture classes is not attributed to a lack of interest but rather to the overwhelming number of required classes. Since sculpture classes are optional, many students find themselves unable to allocate time for them amidst their mandatory coursework.
The second reason: With regard to budgetary constraints, there are feasible solutions available. One approach is to hire a part-time professor rather than a full-time one. Additionally, leveraging professors who possess secondary degrees or expertise in sculpting could obviate the need for hiring new faculty.

<Sample answer>
The reading passage introduces an announcement proposing the elimination of the sculpture program. However, in the ensuing conversation, the woman expresses disagreement with this decision, providing two compelling reasons.
Firstly, she contests the notion that low enrollment in sculpture classes reflects a lack of student interest. Instead, she attributes this phenomenon to the overwhelming demands of mandatory courses, leaving students with limited time to pursue elective options like sculpture. This suggests that the issue lies not with student enthusiasm, but rather with the structure of the curriculum.
Secondly, the woman posits that budgetary concerns should not be insurmountable obstacles to preserving the sculpture program. She proposes practical solutions, such as hiring part-time faculty members or tapping into the expertise of existing professors with relevant backgrounds. By leveraging these resources creatively, the department could continue offering sculpture courses without the need for extensive financial investment.