单选题We may conclude from the passage that ______.Auniversities’ grants has risen less than 13%Buniversities are facing serious pension deficitsCuniversities in the UK are predicting an average surplus of 1. 6% for the end of the financial year, so no need to worry for the momentDmany universities have cut the number of research projects
单选题
We may conclude from the passage that ______.
A
universities’ grants has risen less than 13%
B
universities are facing serious pension deficits
C
universities in the UK are predicting an average surplus of 1. 6% for the end of the financial year, so no need to worry for the moment
D
many universities have cut the number of research projects
参考解析
解析：
题目问的是：我们可以从文中得出什么？倒数第13段提到“The report also noted that staffing costs, following the 13％three-year pay deal agreed in 2006, had risen at a faster rate than universities’ grants.”说明人事费增长13％，比大学津贴涨幅快，也就是说大学津贴涨幅少于13％。故选A。
题目问的是：我们可以从文中得出什么？倒数第13段提到“The report also noted that staffing costs, following the 13％three-year pay deal agreed in 2006, had risen at a faster rate than universities’ grants.”说明人事费增长13％，比大学津贴涨幅快，也就是说大学津贴涨幅少于13％。故选A。
相关考题：
Any discussion of the American educational system would be less than complete if it did not mention the emphasis that many colleges and universities place upon the nonacademic, social,“extracurricular”aspect of education, often defined as personal growth.
From this selection we may conclude that the king's crown______.A. moved less water than pure gold of the same sizeB. moved more water than pure gold of the same weightC. moved more water than pure gold of the same sizeD. moved less water than pure gold of the same weight
Text 2For more than two decades, U.S. courts have been limiting affirmative-action programs in universities and other areas. The legal rationale is that racial preferences are unconstitutional, even those intended to compensate for racism or intolerance. For many colleges, this means students can be admitted only on merit, not on their race or ethnicity. It has been a divisive issue across the U.S., as educators blame the prolonged reaction to affirmative-action for declines in minority admissions. Meanwhile, activists continue to battle race preferences in courts from Michigan to North Carolina.Now, chief executives of about two dozen companies have decided to plunge headfirst into this politically unsettled debate. They, together with 36 universities and 7 nonprofitable organizations, formed a forum that set forth an action plan essentially designed to help colleges circumvent court-imposed restrictions on affirmative action. The CEOs’ motive: “Our audience is growing more diverse, so the communities we serve benefit if our employees are racially and ethnically diverse as well”, says one CEO of a compang that owns nine television stations.Among the steps the forum is pushing: finding creative yet legal ways to boost minority enrollment through new admissions policies; promoting admissions decisions that look at more than test scores; and encouraging universities to step up their minority outreach and financial aid. And to counter accusations by critics to challenge these tactics in court, the group says it will give legal assistance to colleges sued for trying them. “Diversity diminished by the court must be made up for in other legitimate, legal ways,” says, a forum member.One of the more controversial methods advocated is the so-called 10% rule. The idea is for public universities—which educate three-quarters of all U.S. undergraduates—to admit students who are in the top 10% of their high school graduating class. Doing so allows colleges to take minorities who excel in average urban schools, even if they wouldn’t have made the cut under the current statewide ranking many universities use.第26题：U.S. court restrictions on affirmative action signifies that______.［A］minorities no longer hold the once favored status［B］the quality of American colleges has improved［C］racial preferences has replaced racial prejudice［D］the minority is on an equal footing with the majority
In the college-admissions wars, we parents are the true fighters． We're pushing our kids to get good grades, take SAT preparatory courses and build resumes so they can get into the college of our first choice． I've twice been to the wars, and as I survey the battlefield, something different is happening． We see our kids' college background as a prize demonstrating how well we've raised them． But we can't acknowledge that our obsession is more about us than them． So we've contrivedvarious justifications that turn out to be half-truths, prejudices or myths． It actually doesn't matter much whether Aaron and Nicole go to Stanford．We have a full-blown prestige panic; we worry that there won't be enough prizes to go around． Fearful parents urge their children to apply to more schools than ever． Underlying the hysteria is the belief that scarce elite degrees must be highly valuable． Their graduates must enjoy more success because they get a better education and develop better contacts． All that is plausible--and mostly wrong． We haven't found any convincing evidence that selectivity or prestige matters． Selective schools don't systematically employ better instructional approaches than less selective schools． On two measures--professor's feedback and the number of essay exams--selective schools do slightly worse．By some studies, selective schools do enhance their graduates' lifetime earnings． The gain is reckoned at 2-4% for every 100-point increase in a school's average SAT scores． But even this advantage is probably a statistical fluke． A well-known study examined students who got into highly selective schools and then went elsewhere． They earned just as such as graduates from higher-status schools．Kids count more than their colleges． Getting into Yale may signify intelligence, talent and ambition． But it's not the only indicator and, paradoxically, its significance is declining． The reason:so many similar people go elsewhere． Getting into college isn't life's only competition． In the next competition--the job market and graduate school--the results may change． Old-boy networks are breaking down． Princeton economist Alan Krueger studied admissions to one top Ph．D． program． High scores on the GRE helped explain who got in; degrees of prestigious universities didn' t．So, parents, lighten up． The stakes have been vastly exaggerated． Up to a point, we can rationalize our pushiness． America is a competitive society; our kids need to adjust to that． But too much pushiness can be destructive． The very ambition we impose on our children may get some into Harvard but may also set them up for disappointment． One study found that, other things being equal, graduates of highly selective schools experienced more job dissatisfaction． They may have been so conditioned to being on top that anything less disappoints．What does Krueger's study tell us?A. Getting into Ph．D． programs may be more competitive than getting into college．B.Degrees of prestigious universities do not guarantee entry to graduate programs,C.Graduates from prestigious universities do not care much ahout their GRE scores．D.Connections built in prestigious universities may he sustained long after graduation,
共用题干Unpopular Subjects?Is there a place in today's society for the study of useless subjects in our universities? Just over 100 years ago Fitzgerald argued in a well-written letter_______(1)Nature that"Universities must be allowed to study useless subjects一_______(2)they don't, who will?" He went on to use the_______(3) of Maxwell's electrodynamics（电动力学）as one case where a"useless subject"has been transformed to a useful subject.Nowadays this argument is again very much_______(4)in many universities. Indeed one suspects that it is one of those arguments that must be_______(5)anew （重新）by each generation. But now there is an added twist（歪曲）一subjects must not only be useful,they must also be_______(6)enough that students will flock（蜂拥） to do them,and even flock to pay to do them.As universities become commercial operations,the pressure to_______(7)subjects or departments that are less popular will become stronger and stronger. Perhapsthis is most strongly_______(8)at the moment by physics.There has been much_______(9)in the press of universities that are closing down physics departments and incorporate them with mathematics or engineering departments.Many scientists think otherwise.They see physics as a_______(10)science, which must be kept alive if only to_______(11)a base for other sciences and engineering.It is of their great personal concern that physics teaching and research is under _________(12)in many universities.How can it be preserved in the rush towards commercial competition? A major turnaround（转变）in student popularity may have to ________(13)until the industrial world discovers that it needs physicists and starts paying them well.Physics is now not only unpopular;it is also"hard".We can do more about the latterby_______（14) teaching in our schools and universities. We can also_______(15)cooperative arrangements to ensure that physicists keep their research and teaching up to date._________(15)A:fix B:modify C:review D:develop
共用题干Unpopular Subjects?Is there a place in today's society for the study of useless subjects in our universities? Just over 100 years ago Fitzgerald argued in a well-written letter_______(1)Nature that"Universities must be allowed to study useless subjects一_______(2)they don't, who will?" He went on to use the_______(3) of Maxwell's electrodynamics（电动力学）as one case where a"useless subject"has been transformed to a useful subject.Nowadays this argument is again very much_______(4)in many universities. Indeed one suspects that it is one of those arguments that must be_______(5)anew （重新）by each generation. But now there is an added twist（歪曲）一subjects must not only be useful,they must also be_______(6)enough that students will flock（蜂拥） to do them,and even flock to pay to do them.As universities become commercial operations,the pressure to_______(7)subjects or departments that are less popular will become stronger and stronger. Perhapsthis is most strongly_______(8)at the moment by physics.There has been much_______(9)in the press of universities that are closing down physics departments and incorporate them with mathematics or engineering departments.Many scientists think otherwise.They see physics as a_______(10)science, which must be kept alive if only to_______(11)a base for other sciences and engineering.It is of their great personal concern that physics teaching and research is under _________(12)in many universities.How can it be preserved in the rush towards commercial competition? A major turnaround（转变）in student popularity may have to ________(13)until the industrial world discovers that it needs physicists and starts paying them well.Physics is now not only unpopular;it is also"hard".We can do more about the latterby_______（14) teaching in our schools and universities. We can also_______(15)cooperative arrangements to ensure that physicists keep their research and teaching up to date._________(13)A:wait B:move C:progress D:increase
共用题干Unpopular Subjects?Is there a place in today's society for the study of useless subjects in our universities? Just over 100 years ago Fitzgerald argued in a well-written letter_______(1)Nature that"Universities must be allowed to study useless subjects一_______(2)they don't, who will?" He went on to use the_______(3) of Maxwell's electrodynamics（电动力学）as one case where a"useless subject"has been transformed to a useful subject.Nowadays this argument is again very much_______(4)in many universities. Indeed one suspects that it is one of those arguments that must be_______(5)anew （重新）by each generation. But now there is an added twist（歪曲）一subjects must not only be useful,they must also be_______(6)enough that students will flock（蜂拥） to do them,and even flock to pay to do them.As universities become commercial operations,the pressure to_______(7)subjects or departments that are less popular will become stronger and stronger. Perhapsthis is most strongly_______(8)at the moment by physics.There has been much_______(9)in the press of universities that are closing down physics departments and incorporate them with mathematics or engineering departments.Many scientists think otherwise.They see physics as a_______(10)science, which must be kept alive if only to_______(11)a base for other sciences and engineering.It is of their great personal concern that physics teaching and research is under _________(12)in many universities.How can it be preserved in the rush towards commercial competition? A major turnaround（转变）in student popularity may have to ________(13)until the industrial world discovers that it needs physicists and starts paying them well.Physics is now not only unpopular;it is also"hard".We can do more about the latterby_______（14) teaching in our schools and universities. We can also_______(15)cooperative arrangements to ensure that physicists keep their research and teaching up to date._________(11)A:instal! B:provide C:reach D:cover
共用题干Unpopular Subjects?Is there a place in today's society for the study of useless subjects in our universities? Just over 100 years ago Fitzgerald argued in a well-written letter_______(1)Nature that"Universities must be allowed to study useless subjects一_______(2)they don't, who will?" He went on to use the_______(3) of Maxwell's electrodynamics（电动力学）as one case where a"useless subject"has been transformed to a useful subject.Nowadays this argument is again very much_______(4)in many universities. Indeed one suspects that it is one of those arguments that must be_______(5)anew （重新）by each generation. But now there is an added twist（歪曲）一subjects must not only be useful,they must also be_______(6)enough that students will flock（蜂拥） to do them,and even flock to pay to do them.As universities become commercial operations,the pressure to_______(7)subjects or departments that are less popular will become stronger and stronger. Perhapsthis is most strongly_______(8)at the moment by physics.There has been much_______(9)in the press of universities that are closing down physics departments and incorporate them with mathematics or engineering departments.Many scientists think otherwise.They see physics as a_______(10)science, which must be kept alive if only to_______(11)a base for other sciences and engineering.It is of their great personal concern that physics teaching and research is under _________(12)in many universities.How can it be preserved in the rush towards commercial competition? A major turnaround（转变）in student popularity may have to ________(13)until the industrial world discovers that it needs physicists and starts paying them well.Physics is now not only unpopular;it is also"hard".We can do more about the latterby_______（14) teaching in our schools and universities. We can also_______(15)cooperative arrangements to ensure that physicists keep their research and teaching up to date._________(6)A:clear B:popular C:indefinite D:available
Universities are threatening to punish staff who fail to make up for lectures and seminars cancelled during strikes,a move that union leaders say could prolong the industrial action In one case the University of Kent has told staff that any failure to reschedule lectures or classes lost because of the strike would see them lose 50%to 100%of their pay"for every day where an individual continues to refuse to perform their full contract of employment".Kent's headline stance extends to deducting a high proportion of pay from low-paid graduate teaching assistants,with some liable to lose more than a month's pay for taking part in the strikes that have so far lasted five days.The strike by academics,librarians and administrators over proposals to radically restructure their pensions,which the University and College Union claims it will cost staff f 10,000 a year after retirement are scheduled to restart next week at about 60 universities.Liverpool University,headed by Janet Beer,the president of the Universities UK group backing the pension changes,told staff they would be"expected to provide learning materials"for events missed through strikes or they could have their pay docked.Sheffield University had initially threatened to further dock pay but the university backed down after staff protests.Keith Burnett,Sheffields vice-chan cellor,issued a statement saying the university would not take a punitive approach".Sally Hunt,the UCU general secretary,said universities such as Kent risked prolonging the strikesy adopting a confrontational approach."Universities are trying a wide range of tactics to break striking staff in this dispute.The one thing they have in common is that none of them are working,Hunt said Leon Schoonderwoerd,a Ph.D student in theoretical physics who is a graduate teaching assistant at Kent,said the university was taking about$200-$250 from his$300 monthly pay for taking part in the strike."The university has taken the harshest route in the way it has decided to deduct pay,"Schoon-derwoerd said.Staff at Oxford and Cambridge universities are using institutional protests to change their universities positions on the pension changes.In Oxford,academics have petitioned for an emergency debate at the,university's congregation next week but Oxfords leadership wowed to block any debate using procedural rules.Cambridges vice-chancellor,Stephen Toope,announced that the university was prepared to pay higher contributions in order to retain the current pension scheme and end the dispute It should be noted,however,that this approach would likely require trade-offs and cuts in other parts of the university,Toope said.According to the passage,"docked"（Line 3,Para.4）meansA.canceledB.restructuredC.deductedD.distributed
Universities are threatening to punish staff who fail to make up for lectures and seminars cancelled during strikes,a move that union leaders say could prolong the industrial action In one case the University of Kent has told staff that any failure to reschedule lectures or classes lost because of the strike would see them lose 50%to 100%of their pay"for every day where an individual continues to refuse to perform their full contract of employment".Kent's headline stance extends to deducting a high proportion of pay from low-paid graduate teaching assistants,with some liable to lose more than a month's pay for taking part in the strikes that have so far lasted five days.The strike by academics,librarians and administrators over proposals to radically restructure their pensions,which the University and College Union claims it will cost staff f 10,000 a year after retirement are scheduled to restart next week at about 60 universities.Liverpool University,headed by Janet Beer,the president of the Universities UK group backing the pension changes,told staff they would be"expected to provide learning materials"for events missed through strikes or they could have their pay docked.Sheffield University had initially threatened to further dock pay but the university backed down after staff protests.Keith Burnett,Sheffields vice-chan cellor,issued a statement saying the university would not take a punitive approach".Sally Hunt,the UCU general secretary,said universities such as Kent risked prolonging the strikesy adopting a confrontational approach."Universities are trying a wide range of tactics to break striking staff in this dispute.The one thing they have in common is that none of them are working,Hunt said Leon Schoonderwoerd,a Ph.D student in theoretical physics who is a graduate teaching assistant at Kent,said the university was taking about$200-$250 from his$300 monthly pay for taking part in the strike."The university has taken the harshest route in the way it has decided to deduct pay,"Schoon-derwoerd said.Staff at Oxford and Cambridge universities are using institutional protests to change their universities positions on the pension changes.In Oxford,academics have petitioned for an emergency debate at the,university's congregation next week but Oxfords leadership wowed to block any debate using procedural rules.Cambridges vice-chancellor,Stephen Toope,announced that the university was prepared to pay higher contributions in order to retain the current pension scheme and end the dispute It should be noted,however,that this approach would likely require trade-offs and cuts in other parts of the university,Toope said.What was the leaders'reaction to the staffs protest in Oxford University?A.They arranged a debate to discuss this matter.B.They held an indifferent attitude towardsC.They would pay higher pension to solve the disputeD.They would try to halt the debate
Universities are threatening to punish staff who fail to make up for lectures and seminars cancelled during strikes,a move that union leaders say could prolong the industrial action In one case the University of Kent has told staff that any failure to reschedule lectures or classes lost because of the strike would see them lose 50%to 100%of their pay"for every day where an individual continues to refuse to perform their full contract of employment".Kent's headline stance extends to deducting a high proportion of pay from low-paid graduate teaching assistants,with some liable to lose more than a month's pay for taking part in the strikes that have so far lasted five days.The strike by academics,librarians and administrators over proposals to radically restructure their pensions,which the University and College Union claims it will cost staff f 10,000 a year after retirement are scheduled to restart next week at about 60 universities.Liverpool University,headed by Janet Beer,the president of the Universities UK group backing the pension changes,told staff they would be"expected to provide learning materials"for events missed through strikes or they could have their pay docked.Sheffield University had initially threatened to further dock pay but the university backed down after staff protests.Keith Burnett,Sheffields vice-chan cellor,issued a statement saying the university would not take a punitive approach".Sally Hunt,the UCU general secretary,said universities such as Kent risked prolonging the strikesy adopting a confrontational approach."Universities are trying a wide range of tactics to break striking staff in this dispute.The one thing they have in common is that none of them are working,Hunt said Leon Schoonderwoerd,a Ph.D student in theoretical physics who is a graduate teaching assistant at Kent,said the university was taking about$200-$250 from his$300 monthly pay for taking part in the strike."The university has taken the harshest route in the way it has decided to deduct pay,"Schoon-derwoerd said.Staff at Oxford and Cambridge universities are using institutional protests to change their universities positions on the pension changes.In Oxford,academics have petitioned for an emergency debate at the,university's congregation next week but Oxfords leadership wowed to block any debate using procedural rules.Cambridges vice-chancellor,Stephen Toope,announced that the university was prepared to pay higher contributions in order to retain the current pension scheme and end the dispute It should be noted,however,that this approach would likely require trade-offs and cuts in other parts of the university,Toope said.According to Sally Hunt,the tactics used by Kent UniversitiesA.failed to prevent the strikes successfullyB.aroused the anger of the teaching staffC.have made strikes more difficult to stopD.were effective to decrease the staffs wages
Universities are threatening to punish staff who fail to make up for lectures and seminars cancelled during strikes,a move that union leaders say could prolong the industrial action In one case the University of Kent has told staff that any failure to reschedule lectures or classes lost because of the strike would see them lose 50%to 100%of their pay"for every day where an individual continues to refuse to perform their full contract of employment".Kent's headline stance extends to deducting a high proportion of pay from low-paid graduate teaching assistants,with some liable to lose more than a month's pay for taking part in the strikes that have so far lasted five days.The strike by academics,librarians and administrators over proposals to radically restructure their pensions,which the University and College Union claims it will cost staff f 10,000 a year after retirement are scheduled to restart next week at about 60 universities.Liverpool University,headed by Janet Beer,the president of the Universities UK group backing the pension changes,told staff they would be"expected to provide learning materials"for events missed through strikes or they could have their pay docked.Sheffield University had initially threatened to further dock pay but the university backed down after staff protests.Keith Burnett,Sheffields vice-chan cellor,issued a statement saying the university would not take a punitive approach".Sally Hunt,the UCU general secretary,said universities such as Kent risked prolonging the strikesy adopting a confrontational approach."Universities are trying a wide range of tactics to break striking staff in this dispute.The one thing they have in common is that none of them are working,Hunt said Leon Schoonderwoerd,a Ph.D student in theoretical physics who is a graduate teaching assistant at Kent,said the university was taking about$200-$250 from his$300 monthly pay for taking part in the strike."The university has taken the harshest route in the way it has decided to deduct pay,"Schoon-derwoerd said.Staff at Oxford and Cambridge universities are using institutional protests to change their universities positions on the pension changes.In Oxford,academics have petitioned for an emergency debate at the,university's congregation next week but Oxfords leadership wowed to block any debate using procedural rules.Cambridges vice-chancellor,Stephen Toope,announced that the university was prepared to pay higher contributions in order to retain the current pension scheme and end the dispute It should be noted,however,that this approach would likely require trade-offs and cuts in other parts of the university,Toope said.What is the passage mainly about?A.Universities claimed to punish the striking staff over missed lecturesB.University academics were facing the risk of losing their jobs?C.The university staff participated in the strikes for pension changesD.University leadership turned a blind eye to their staffs benefits.
__________ in universities around the nation has more than tripled compared to this time last year.A. Enroll B. EnrollsC. Enrolling D. Enrollment
Since 1999, the number of foreign students at German universities（ ） from 113,000 to almost 200,000. A. has increasedB. have increasedC. are increasedD. was increased
An adviser said in China（）course should be developed in some Universities, one year at work, one year college.A、a sandwichB、a saladC、a macaroniD、a dinner
单选题The teacher-student _____ in China’s universities is much lower than that in the U.S.ArateBrankCratioDrange
单选题Which of the following is true?AAmong the 2 000 universities, only a few private ones are outstanding in their reputation.BAmong all the universities, a few private institutions and several greatest state universities enjoy a high reputation both at home and abroad.CAmong all the universities, only several of the greatest state universities enjoy a high reputation.DAmong the universities, only the private institutions are well known internationally.
单选题Which of the following can be concluded from the passage?AThere were no cultural activities on campus before the period of growth mentioned in the passage.BThe opening of the John F. Kennedy Center was unwelcome.CIt was through the influence of universities that many cities tried to revive their cultural institutions in the inner city areas.DGovernment’s aid and private donations to universities were reduced because of their political involvement.
单选题What is the controversy revealed in the passage?ASome colleges change into university, and the opposite is also true.BSome universities advertise their collegelike atmosphere, while some colleges tell potential applicants that they are just like universities.CSome colleges change into university, and some universities into institute.DSome private colleges change into universities and schools at the same time.
单选题This report ______.Awas commissioned by the governmentBagrees new ways of workingCaims to find out how much the universities in the UK have been affected by the economy crisisDrepresents universities aiming to get more government funds on education
问答题A number of colleges and universities have announced steeptuition increases for next year--much steeper than the current, verylow, rate of inflation. They say the increases are needed because ofa loss in value of university endowments heavily investing in common 1．______stock. I am skeptical. A business firm chooses the price thatmaximizes its net revenues, irrespective fluctuations in income; and 2．______increasingly the outlook of universities in the United States isindistinguishable from those of business firms. The rise in tuitions 3．______may reflect the fact that economic uncertainty increases the demand for 4．______education. The biggest cost of being in the school is foregoing 5．______income from a job (this is primarily a factor in graduate andprofessional-school tuition) ; the poor one’s job prospects, the 6．______more sense it makes to reallocate time from the job market to education,in order to make oneself more marketable. The ways which universities make themselves attractive to 7．______students include soft majors, student evaluations of teachers, givingstudents a governance role, and eliminate required courses. 8．______Sky-high tuitions have caused universities to regard their students ascustomers. Just as business firms sometimes collude to shorten 9．______the rigors of competition, universities collude to minimize the cost tothem of the athletes whom they recruit in order to stimulate alumnidonations, so the best athletes now often bypass higher education in order toobtain salaries earlier from professional teams. And until they were stoppedby the antitrust authorities, the Ivy League schools colluded to limitcompetition for the best students, by agreeing not to award scholarshipson the basis of merit rather than purely of need--just like businessfirms agreeing not to give discounts on their best customer. 10．______
单选题An adviser said in China（）course should be developed in some Universities, one year at work, one year college.Aa sandwichBa saladCa macaroniDa dinner
问答题Practice 3 In-state tuition. For decades, it was the one advantage big state schools had that even the Ivy League couldn’t match, in terms of recruiting the best and the brightest to their campuses. But these days, that’s no longer necessarily the case. Starting this September, some students will find a Harvard degree cheaper than one from many public universities. Harvard officials sent shock waves through academia last December by detailing a new financial-aid policy that will charge families making up to $180,000 just 10 % of their household income per year, substantially subsidizing the annual cost of more than $ 45,600 for all but its wealthiest students. The move was just the latest in what has amounted to a financial-aid bidding war in recent years among the U. S.’s élite universities. Though Harvard’s is the most generous to date, Princeton, Yale and Stanford have all launched similar plans to cap tuition contributions for students from low-and middle-income families. Indeed, students on financial aid at nearly every Ivy stand a good chance of graduating debt-free, thanks to loan-elimination programs introduced over the past five years. And other exclusive schools have followed their lead by replacing loans with grants and work-study aid. And several more schools are joining the no-loan club this fall. Even more schools have taken steps to reduce debt among their neediest students.
单选题According to the passage, we may infer that in the future______.Aless and less students will go to university to avoid confronting mental-health problems.Bmore and more students will go to university to find ways to make universities less tough.Cundergraduates will have no choice but to continue to suffer from mental-health problems in silence.Dundergraduates are supposed to find ways to let mental suffering out with psychological counselors’ help.
问答题Passage 5 This summer sees a significant change to the process of applying to university. It is called “the adjustment period”. Despite the rather anodyne name, this is intended as a big step towards a system in which students apply to universities after they have received the results of their A-levels or equivalent qualifications. This aim, eventually, is to replace the current system of applications based on predicted grades. Three years ago the government said it wanted to introduce “a full post-qualifications application system by 2012”. This is seen as fairer since official figures show that 55% of predicted grades are inaccurate. Moreover, according to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), predicted grades are more likely to be inaccurate for students from the lowest socio-economic groups. There is also evidence that many bright students from poorer homes are put off applying to top universities like Oxford and Cambridge because they think their grades will not be good enough. By the time they receive their better-than-expected results it is too late. So, that is why this year there is a significant change. The “adjustment period” will apply to university applicants who, in August, find they have done better than expected in their exams. If their grades are better than required for the university offers they are holding, they will now get a further opportunity to apply elsewhere to see if they can, in effect, “upgrade”. They will have five days after the results come out to achieve this upgrade. This change means, in theory, an intense period of “speed dating” between top universities and those students who have exceeded exam expectations. So far, so good. But here is the rub. Expectations have been raised. A student who, for example, gets three A grades may decide that they could have been more ambitious than the offer they already hold and, buoyed by their success, may then seek a place at a more prestigious university. They will get on the phone to a top university, explain their improved grades, and will, quite reasonably, expect to be considered for a place. But the reality is that there will rarely be any places left. And this is the flaw in the system. Popular universities are heavily oversubscribed. They do not keep back spare places for last-minute applicants. Nor have they been required to do so for this new “adjustment period”. As one senior person at UCAS acknowledged recently, the chance of places remaining available on the most popular courses is “quite remote”. Senior vice-chancellors agree with that assessment. Indeed, this time round there is even less prospect than in previous years of there being any places spare on popular courses. That is because universities have been busy making offers since the end of last year, but at the start of this year, the government suddenly announced that the planned expansion of places is to be cut back. There will now be 5, 000 fewer university places than were envisaged just a few months ago. Since universities face financial penalties if they over-recruit, some will now be wishing to reduce the number of offers they had been planning to make. They will not be able to retract offers already made, but they will certainly not be offering additional places for the “adjustment period” in August. The result is that students are being hoodwinked. The “adjustment period” looks like a small oasis for those who have done better than expected in their exams. They will expect a reward for their achievement. But they will find it is a mirage. So why has this been allowed to happen? The truth is that, despite the government’s enthusiasm for a post-qualifications application system, the universities are reluctant to change the status quo. It would mean changes to the school examinations timetable or to university term dates, or a combination of the two. The adjustments need not be that great, particularly as technology has speeded up the pace of exam marking. But, for now, there has not been enough political will to force through the change and caution has won the day. If, as seems likely, this year’s “adjustment period” results in hardly any applicants managing to upgrade their offers, then the whole issue must be looked at again. Either the government should set out a clear timetable towards full post qualification applications or it should admit it does not have the stomach for the change. This halfway house looks like a cruel hoax on students. 1. Who will benefit from the adjustment period and how? 2. Describe the reason why top universities now have fewer places left than previous years on popular courses. 3. What can be done to generate a better result from the adjustment period this year? What will be its future?
单选题Even though most universities retain the royalties from faculty members’ inventions, the faculty members retain the royalties from books and articles they write. Therefore, faculty members should retain the royalties from the educational computer software they develop. The conclusion above would be more reasonably drawn if which of the following were inserted into the argument as an additional premise?ARoyalties from inventions are higher than royalties from educational software programs.BFaculty members are more likely to produce educational software programs than inventions.CInventions bring more prestige to universities than do books and articles.DIn the experience of most universities, educational software programs are more marketable than are books and articles.EIn terms of the criteria used to award royalties, educational, software programs are more nearly comparable to books and articles than to inventions.
单选题Which of the following statements can not be used to describe universities in Britain?AAll universities are private institutions.BAll students have got high marks in “A” Level.CThey have their own governing councilsDThey now derive nearly all of their funds from state grants.