A、1.96 million. B、19.6 million. C、1.97 million. D、19.7 million. A录音最后提到，根据BBC的描述，在英国上大学的学生人数在近代历史上第一次下降，从2007年的197万下降至去年(2008年)的

Every year, it costs British students more and more to attend university. Students are graduating with larger and larger debts. So is a university degree really worth it? In 2006, the UK government started to allow universities in England and Wales to charge British students tuition fees. As a result, more than 80% of students in England and Wales now take out a student loan in order to go to university. They use the loan to pay for tuition fees, books and living expenses. Although the interest on student loans is quite low, it begins as soon as the student receives the loan.
    The average student in England and Wales now graduates from university with debts of around ￡12,000. It means graduates cannot afford to buy a house for many years. They even struggle to pay rent on a flat, because they have to start paying back the student loan when they reach the April after graduating. If you start to earn over ￡15,000 a year, the government takes repayments directly from your monthly salary.
    You might think that a British person with a degree will find it easy to get a well-paid job. However, most people in "white-collar jobs" seem to have a degree these days, so there is a lot of competition. Also, British companies tend to value work experience over a piece of paper.
    Like everyone else, graduates usually have to start at the bottom and work their way up. That can be very frustrating for them, since they are often over-qualified for the work they are doing. While at university, they had dreams of getting an exciting, challenging job. Therefore, life after university ends up being quite disappointing for a lot of graduates. All of the above is beginning to make British people question whether a university degree is really worth the money. Even before the credit crunch started, the BBC stated, "The number of British students at UK universities has fallen for the first time in recent history, from 1.97 million in 2007 to 1.96 million last year in 2008". It looks like the figures will continue to decline, since loan companies are now telling some students that there are no loans available for them. Forecasts are that between 2009 and 2019 there will be a fall of 6% in the number of 18-25 year-old university applicants across the UK.
20 What do we learn about the interest on student loans?
21 Why is it hard for a British person with a degree to get a well-paid job?
22 What is the number of British students at UK universities in 2008 according to BBC?