Online plagiarism is on the rise in the UK.

　　It has been fifteen years since pioneering British computer programmer，Sir Tim Berners-Lee，created the protocols which power the World Wide Web. But could he have ever imagined how much the web would transform our lives？

　　And would he approve of how some British students are taking advantage of his invention？

　　Universities and exam boards around the UK are becoming increasingly concerned with the rising number of cases of plagiarism，many of which are facilitated by internet access.

　　In the UK most school and university students complete coursework throughout the academic year which contributes towards their final mark. In many cases coursework makes up the bulk of the qualification. Since coursework is completed in the student's own time it cannot be monitored by teachers in the same way as an exam.

　　Derec Stockley，director of examinations in the UK，explains，“Plagiarism affects coursework more than external exam conditions，and in the cases that come to our attention，more and more are linked to the internet.

　　At a university level recent reports suggest that plagiarism has evolved from isolated cases of individual cheating to a systematic and even commercial operation. Students can now pay for bespoke essays to be written for them by experts.

　　It is estimated that the market in online plagiarism is now worth ￡200 million a year. Every month more and more websites offering to write students'essays for them appear on the internet.

　　Barclay Littlewood，owner of Degree Essays UK employs 3，500 specialist writers and charges between ￡120 and ￡4，000 per essay. However，Mr Littlewood refutes the accusation that he is helping students to cheat.

　　He says that although students receive an essay that answers their exact question，“They then have to go and do their research outside our piece，formulate their own opinions，look at their own reference and write the creative and original piece which is distant from ours.”

　　GLOSSARY 词汇表

　　pioneering 开垦

　　protocols 草案，协议

　　approve 赞成，批准

　　taking advantage 利用…之便； 利用…优势

　　exam boards 考试委员会

　　plagiarism 剽窃，剽窃物

　　facilitated 使容易，使便利

　　coursework 功课，作业

　　contributes 捐助，贡献

　　makes up the bulk 占大多数的

　　monitored 监控

　　director of examinations 考试委员会委员长

　　evolved （使）发展，（使）进化

　　isolated cases 孤立事件

　　commercial operation 商业运作

　　bespoke essays“定做”的论文

　　charges 收费

　　research 研究，调查

　　refutes the accusation 反驳指控

　　formulate their own opinions 阐述自己的观点

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