大学英语四级考试真题系列大学英语四级考试真题PartⅡReadingComprehension(SkimmingandScanning)(15minutes)Directions:Forquestions1-7,choosethebestanswerfromthefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).Forquestion8-10,completethesentenceswiththeinformationgiveninthepassage.Collegestakinganotherlookatvalueofmerit-basedaidGoodgradesandhightestsscoresstillmatter—alot—tomanycollegesastheyawardfinancialaid.Butwithlow-incomestudentsprojectedtomakeupanever-largershareofthecollege-boundpopulationincomingyears,someschoolsarere-examiningwhetherthataid,typicallyknownas“meritaid”,isthemosteffectiveuseofpreciousinstitutionaldollars.GeorgeWashingtonUniversityinWashington,D.C.,forexample,saidlastweekthatitwouldcutthevalueofitsaveragemeritscholarshipsbyaboutone-thirdandreducethenumberofrecipients(接受者),pouringthesavings,about$2.5million,intoneed-basedaid.AlleghenyCollegeinMeadville,Pa.,madeasimilardecisionthreeyearsago.Now,HamiltonCollegeinClinton,N.Y.,saysitwillphaseoutmeritscholarshipsaltogether.Nocurrentmerit-aidrecipientswilllosetheirscholarships,butneed-basedaidalonewillbeawardedbeginningwithstudentsenteringinfall2008.Notallcollegesoffermeritaid;generally,themoreselectiveaschool,thelesslikelyitistodoso.HarvardandPrinceton,forexample,offergenerousneed-basedpackages,butmanyfamilieswhodon’tmeetneedeligibility(资格)havebeenwillingtopaywhatevertheymustforabig-nameschool.Forsmallregionalcollegesthatstrugglejusttofillseats,meritaidcanbeanimportantrevenue-builderbecausemanyrecipientsstillpayenoughtuitiondollarsoverandabovethescholarshipamounttokeeptheinstitutionrunning.Butforrankings-consciousschoolsinbetween,meritaidhasservedprimarilyasatooltorecruittopstudentsandtoimprovetheiracademicprofits.“They’retryingtobuystudents,”saysSkidmoreCollegeeconomistSandyBaum.Studiesshowmeritaidalsotendstobenefitdisproportionatelystudentswhocouldaffordtoenrollwithoutit.“Aswelooktothefuture,weseeamorepressingneedtoinvestinneed-basedaid,”saysMonicaInzer,deanofadmissionandfinancialaidatHamilton,whichhasofferedmeritscholarshipsfor10years.Duringthattime,itroseinUSNews&WorldReport’srankingofthebestliberalartscolleges,from25to17.Meritaid,whichbenefitedabout75studentsayear,orabout4%ofitsstudentbody,atacostofabout$1millionayear,“serveduswell,”Inzersays,but“tobediscountingthepriceforfamiliesthatdon’tneedfinancialaiddoesn’tfeelrightanymore.”Need-basedaidremainsbyfarthelargestshareofallstudentaid,whichincludesstate,federalandinstitutionalgrants.Butmeritaid,offeredprimarilybyschoolsandstates,isgrowingfaster,bothoverallandattheinstitutionallevel.Between1995-96and2003-04,institutionalmeritaidaloneincreased212%,comparedwith47%forneed-basedgrants.Atleast15statesalsooffermeritaid,typicallyinabidtoenrolltopstudentsinthestate’spublicinstitutions.Butinrecentyears,agrowingchorus(异口同声)ofcriticshasbegunpressuringschoolsto1/10大学英语四级考试真题系列dropthepractice.RecentdecisionsbyHamiltonandothersmaybe“asignthatpeoplearestartingtorealizethatthere’sthisdestructivecompetitiongoingon,”saysBaum,co-authorofarecentCollegeReportthatraisesconcernsabouttheroleofinstitutionalaidnotbasedonneed.DavidLaird,presidentoftheMinnesotaPrivateCollegeCouncil,saysmanyofhisschoolswouldliketoreducetheirmeritaidbutfearthatindoingso,theywouldlosetopstudentstotheircompetitors.“Noonecantakeone-sidedaction,”saysLaird,whoisexploringwhethertosee...
