问答题
Graduates from under-privileged backgrounds are to
challenge the elitism of the barristers' profession, under plans outlined today.
Reforms aimed at challenging the dominance of the rich and privileged classes
which are disproportionately represented among the membership of the Bar will
tackle the decline in students from poorer backgrounds joining the profession.
They include financial assistance as well as measures to end the "intimidating
environment" of the barristers' chambers which young lawyers must join if they
want to train as advocates. The increasing cost of the Bar and
a perception that it is run by a social elite has halted progress in the greater
inclusion of barristers from different backgrounds. A number of high-profile
barristers, including the prime minister's wife, Cherie Booth QC, have warned
that without changes, the Bar will continue to be dominated by white,
middle-class male lawyers. In a speech to the Social Mobility
Foundation think tank in London this afternoon, Geoffrey Vos QC, Bar Council
chairman, will say: "The Bar is a professional elite, by which I mean that the
Bar's membership includes the best-quality lawyers practicing advocacy and
offering specialist legal advice in many specialist areas. That kind of elitism
is meritocratic, and hence desirable." "Unfortunately, however,
the elitism which fosters the high-quality services that the Bar stands for has
also encouraged another form of elitism. That is elitism in the sense of
exclusivity, exclusion, and in the creation of a profession which is barely
accessible to equally talented people from less privileged
backgrounds." Last month, Mr. Vos warned that the future of the
barristers' profession was threatened by an overemphasis on posh accents and
public school education. Mr. Vos said then that people from ordinary backgrounds
were often overlooked in favour of those who were from a "snobby" background.
People from a privileged background were sometimes recruited even though they
were not up to the job intellectually, he added. In his speech today, Mr. Vos
will outline the "barriers to entry", to a career at the Bar and some of the
ways in which these may be overcome. The Bar Council has asked
the law lord, Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, to examine how these barriers can be
overcome, and he will publish his interim report and consultation paper before
Easter. He is expected to propose a placement programme to enable gifted
children from state schools to learn about the Bar, the courts and barristers at
first hand. The Bar Council is also working towards putting
together a new package of bank loans on favourable terms to allow young,
aspiring barristers from poorer backgrounds to finance the Bar vocational course
year and then have the financial ability to establish themselves in practice
before they need to repay. These loans would be available
alongside the Inns of Court's scholarship and awards programmes. Mr. Vos will
say today: "I passionately believe that the professions in general, and the Bar
in particular, must be accessible to the most able candidates from any
background, whatever their race, gender, or socioeconomic group. The Bar has
done well in attracting good proportions of women and racial minorities and we
must be as positive in attracting people from all socioeconomic
backgrounds."
问答题
What is the "elitism of the barristers' profession" in the United Kingdom?
【正确答案】According to the passage, in England, the barristers' profession is dominated by people from the rich and privileged classes. People from poorer families are often intimidated and discouraged to join the profession, and as a result students from less privileged families joining the profession are declining.
问答题
What are the barriers for graduates from under-privileged families to become barristers?
【正确答案】Such barriers include the unfriendly "intimidating" environment, the increasing cost of the Bar, the overemphasis on education background, the perception that the Bar is run by a social elite, a sense of "exclusivity, exclusion" and that the profession is becoming "barely accessible to talented people from poorer backgrounds".
问答题
Give a brief summary of Bar Council chairman Geoffrey Vos's view on elitism of the barrister's profession.
【正确答案】According to Geoffrey Vos, the elitism which stresses meritocracy, that is, talent and best-quality of professionals is desirable and acceptable, however the elitism which focuses on exclusivity and exclusion of the profession will threat the future of the profession, and the inequality in the enrollment of people from ordinary backgrounds and poorer families should be overcome.
问答题
What are the measures of reform to help poorer graduates become barristers?
【正确答案】The measures include the proposal of a "placement programme" to help children from state schools to learn about the barristers' profession, a new package of bank loans on favourable terms to help students from poorer families to attend the Bar vocational course study and join the profession, and provision of loans together with scholarship and awards programme which are "accessible" to talented candidates from any background.
【答案解析】[解析] 对文章的基本内容的理解和总结能力。该文第一段即介绍拟改进的措施，在最后两段又具体介绍了the Bar Council提议采取的几项做法，以帮助出身贫困家庭的优秀生进入律师行业。