Majored Finance An increase in students （11）to study economics at university is being attributed to （归因于）the global economic crisis awakening a public thirst for knowledge about how the（12）system works. Applications for degree courses beginning this autumn were up by 15% this January， according to UCAS， the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. A（13）for the Royal Economic Society said applications to do economics at A-level were also up. Professor John Beath， the president of the society and a leading lecturer at St Andrews University， said his first-year lectures—which are open to students from all departments—were （14）crowds of 400， rather than the usual 250. "There are a large number of students who are not （15）majors， who would like to learn something about it. One of the things I have done this year is to relate my teaching to contemporary （16）in a way that one hasn't traditionally done，" he added. University applications rose 7% last year. But there were rises above average in several subjects. Nursing saw a 15% jump， with people's renewed interest in （17）in the public sector （部门） ，which are seen as more secure in economic crisis. A recent study showed almost two thirds of parents （18）schools should do more to teach pupils about financial matters， and almost half said their children had asked them what was going on， although a （19）of parents felt they did not understand it themselves well enough to explain. Zack Hocking， the head of child trust funds， said： "It's possible that one good thing to（20）from the downturn will be a generation that's financially wiser and better equipped to manage their money through times of economic uncertainty." 20.（）