1、Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)Colleges taking another look at value of merit-based aidGood grades and high test scores still matter-a lot-to many colleges as they award financial aid.But with low-income students projected to make up an ever-larger share of the col
2、lege-bound population in coming years, some schools are re-examining whether that aid, typically known as “merit aid”, is the most effective use of precious institutional dollars.George Washington University in Washington, D.C., for example, said last week that it would cut the value of its average
3、merit scholarships by about one-third and reduce the number of recipients(接受者),pouring the savings, about $2.5 million, into need-based aid. Allegheny College in Meadville, pa. made a similar decision three years ago.Now, Hamilton College in Clinton, N,Y., says it will phase out merit scholarships a
4、ltogether. No current merit-aid recipients will lose their scholarships, but need-based aid alone will be awarded beginning with students entering in fall 2008.Not all colleges offer merit aid; generally, the more selective a school, the less likely it is to do so. Harvard and Princeton, for example
5、, offer generous need-based packages, but many families who dont meet need eligibility(资格)have been willing to pay whatever they must for a big-name school.For small regional colleges that struggle just to fill seats, merit aid can be an important revenue-builder because many recipients still pay en
6、ough tuition dollars over and above the scholarship amount to keep the institution running.But for rankings-conscious schools in between, merit aid has served primarily as a tool to recruit top students and to improve their academic profiles. “Theyre trying to buy students.” Says Skidmore Colege eco
7、nomist Sandy Baum.Studies show merit aid also tends to benefit disproportionately students who could afford to enroll without it.“As we look to the future, we see a more pressing need to invest in need-based aid.” Says Monica Inzer, dean of admission and financial aid at Hamilton, which has offered
8、merit scholarships for 10 years. During that time, it rose in US News & World Reports ranking of the best liberal arts colleges, from 25 to 17.Merit aid, which benefited about 75 students a year, or about 4% of its student body, at a cost of about $1 million a year, “served us well,” lnzer says, but
9、 “to be discounting the Price for families that dont need financial aid doesnt feel right any more.”Need-based aid remains by far the largest share of all student aid, which includes state, federal and institutional grants. But merit aid, offered primarily by schools and states, is growing faster, b
10、oth overall and at the institutional level.Between 1995-96 and 2003-04, institutional merit aid alone increased 212%. Compared with 47% for need-based grants, At least 15 states also offer merit aid, typically in a bid to enroll top students in the states public institutions.But in recent years, a g
11、rowing chorus(异口同声)of critics has begun pressuring schools to drop the practice. Recent decisions by Hamilton and others may be “a sign that people are starting to realize that theres this destructive competition going on.” Says Baum, co-author of a recent College Report that raises concerns about t
12、he role of institutional aid not based on need.David Laird, president of the Minnesota Private College Council, says many of his schools would like to reduce their merit aid but fear that in doing so, they would lose top students to their competitors.“No one can take one-sided action,” says Laird, w
13、ho is exploring whether to seek an exemption(豁免)from federal anti-trust laws so member colleges can discuss how they could jointly reduce merit aid. “This is a merry-go-round thats going very fast, and none of the institutions believe they can sustain the risks of trying to break away by themselves.
14、”A complicating factor is that merit aid has become so popular with middle-income families. Who dont qualify for need-based aid, that many have come to depend on it. And, as tuitions continue to increase, the line between merit and need blurs.That is one reason Allegheny College doesnt plan to drop
15、merit aid entirely.“We still believe in rewarding superior achievements and know that these top students truly value the scholarship,” says Scott Friedhoff, Alleghenys vice president for enrollment.Emory University in Atlanta, which boasts a $4.7 billion endowment(捐赠),meanwhile, is taking another ap
16、proach. This year, it announced it would eliminate loans for needy students and cap them for middle-income families. At the same time, it would expand its 28-year-old merit program.“Yeah, were playing the merit game,” acknowledges Tom Lancaster, associate dean for undergraduate education. But it has
17、 its strong points, too, he says. “The fact of the matter is, its not just about the lowest-income people. Its the average American middle-class family whos being priced out of market.”A few words about merit-based aid:Merit-based aid is aid offered to students who achieve excellence in a given area
18、, and is generally known as academic, athletic and artistic merit scholarships.Academic merit scholarships are based on students grades, GPA and overall academic performance during high school. They are typically meant for students going straight to college right after high school. However, there ar
19、e scholarships for current college students with exceptional grades as well. These merit scholarships usually help students pay tuition bills, and they can be renewed each year as long as the recipients continue to qualify. In some cases, students may need to be recommended by their school or a teac
20、her as part of the qualification process.Athletic merit scholarships are meant for students that excel in sports of any kind, from foot ball to track and field events. Recommendation for these scholarships is required, since exceptional athletic performance has to be recognized by a coach or a refer
21、ee(裁判)。Applicants need to send in a table containing their best performance.Artistic merit scholarships require that applicants excel in a given artistic area. This generally includes any creative field such as art, design, fashion, music, dance or writing. Applying for artistic merit scholarships u
22、sually requires that students submit a portfolio(选辑)of some sort, whether that includes a collection of artwork, a recording of a musical performance of a video of them dancing.1. With more and more low-income students pursuing higher education, a number of colleges are _.A) offering students more m
23、erit-based aid B) revising their financial aid policiesC) increasing the amount of financial aid D) changing their admission processes2. What did Allegheny College in Meadville do three years ago?A) It tried to implement a novel financial aid program B) It added $2.5 million to its need-based aid pr
24、ogram.C) It phased out its merit-based scholarships altogether. D) It cut its merit-based aid to help the needy students.3. The chief purpose of rankings-conscious colleges in offering merit aid to _.A) improve teaching quality B) boost their enrollments C) attract good students D) increase their re
25、venues4. Monica Inzer, dean of admission and financial aid at Hamilton, believes_.A) it doesnt pay to spend $1 million a year to raise its ranking,B) it gives students motivation to award academic achievements.C) its illogical to use so much money on only 4% of its students.D) its not right to give
26、aid to those who can afford the tuition5. In recent years, merit-based aid had increased much faster the need-based aid due to _.A) more government funding to colleges B) fierce competition among institutionsC) the increasing number of top students D) schools improved financial situations6. What is
27、the attitude of many private colleges toward merit aid, according to David Laird?A) They would like to see it reduced B) They regard it as a necessary evilC) They think it does more harm than good D) They consider it unfair to middle-class families7. Why doesnt Allegheny College plan to drop merit a
28、id entirely?A) Rising tuitions have made college unaffordable for middle-class familiesB) With rising incomes, fewer students are applying for need-based aidC) Many students from middle-income families have come to rely on itD) Rising incomes have disqualified many students for need-based aid8. Annu
29、al renewal of academic merit scholarships depends on whether the recipients remain _.9. Applicants for athletic merit scholarships need a recommendation from a coach or a referee who _their exceptional athletic performance.10. Applicants for artistic merit scholarships must produce evidence to show
30、their _ in a particular artistic field.Part III Listening Comprehension (35 minutes)11. A) Get some small change B) Find a shopping centerC) Cash a check at a bank D) Find a parking meter12. A) Shopping with his son B) Buying a gift for a childC) Promoting a new product D) Bargaining with a salesgir
31、l13. A) Taking photographs B) Enhancing images C) Mending cameras D) Painting Pictures14. A) He moved to Baltimore when he was young B) He can provide little useful informationC) He will show the woman around Baltimore D) He will ask someone else to help the woman15. A) He is rather disappointed B) He is highly ambitiousC) He cant face up to the situation D) He knows his own limitations16. A) She must have paid a lot for the gym B) She is known to have a terrific figureC) Her gym exercise has yielded good results D) H
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