If you were to come up with a list of organizations whose failures had done the most damage to the American economy in recent years，you would probably have to start with the Wall Street firms that brought us the financial．From there，you might move on to the automakers in Detroit．

　But I would suggest that the list should also include a less obvious nominee：public education．

　At its top level，the American system of higher education may be the best in the world．Yet in terms of its core mission-turning teenagers into educated college graduates—much of the system is failing．

　The United States does a good job enrolling(招生)teenagers in college，but only half of the students who enroll end up with a bachelor’s degree.

So identifying the causes of the college dropout crisis m the world's largest economy matters enormously, and a new book called Crossing the Finish Line tries to do precisely that．Its authors are economists William Bowen and Michael．McPherson，and a doctoral candidate Matthew Chigoes．The first problem they diagnose is something they call tender-matching。It refers to students who choose not to attend the best college they can get into．They instead go to a less selective one，perhaps one that is closer to home or less expensive．About half of the low—income students with a grade-point average of at least3．5 in high school and an SAT score of at least 1,200 do not attend the best college they could have。 “I was really astonished by the degree to which well—qualified students from poor families under-matched，” said Mr．Bowen．

In fact，well-off students attend the colleges that do the best job of producing graduates．Meanwhile，lower-income students-even when they are better qualified--often go to colleges that excel(擅长)in producing drop-outs．”It's really a waste，”Mr．Bowen said，”and a big problem for the country．”As the authors point out, the only way to lift the college graduation rate significantly is to lift it among poor and working—class students. Instead，it appears to have fallen。

What can be done? Money is clearly part of the answer.

61．Which of the following would people first think of as a factor responsible for the American financial crisis according to the passage?

A．The government　 　　　B．Public education

C．The Detroit automakers． D．The Wall Street firms

62．What is a big problem with American higher education?

A．It is hard to enroll enough students into college．

B．Many colleges are experiencing low rate of graduation.

C．Many college students stay away from classes.

D．It is nard for many colleges to get financial and from the government.

63．The title of the Book Crossing the Finish Line probably means　　　 .

A．running to the end of the line　 B．going to college

C．finishing college education　　 D．working hard in college

64．Why do some students under-match?

A．Because they have financial difficulty．

B．Because they face ambition crisis．

C．Because they lack confidence．

D．Because they can’t get guidance。

65．The passage is mainly about　　 ．

A．problems with secondary American education and possible solutions

B．America’s financial crisis, its cause and influence

C．low rate of American college graduation, its cause and its influence

D．relationship between American education and its economy

If you were to come up with a list of organizations whose failures had done the most damage to the American economy in recent years, you would probably have to start with the Wall Street firms that brought us the financial crisis. From there, you might move on to the automakers in Detroit.

But I would suggest that the list should also include a less obvious nominee: public education.

At its top level, the American system of higher education may be the best in the world. Yet in terms of its core mission---turning teenagers into educated college graduates--- much of the system is failing.

The United States does a good job enrolling (招生) teenagers in college, but only half of the students who enroll end up with a bachelor’s degree.

So identifying the causes of the college dropout crisis in the world’s largest economy matters enormously, and a new book called “Crossing the Finish Line” tries to do precisely that. Its authors are economists William Bowen and Michael McPherson, and a doctoral candidate Matthew Chingos. The first problem they diagnose is something they call under-matching. It refers to students who choose not to attend the best college they can get into. They instead go to a less selective one, perhaps one that is closer to home or less expensive. About half of the low-income students with a grade-point average of at least 3.5 in high school and an SAT score of at least 1,200 do not attend the best college they could have. “I was really astonished by the degree to which well-qualified students from poor families under-matched,” said Mr. Bowen.

In fact, well-off students attend the colleges that do the best job of producing graduates. Meanwhile, lower-income students -–even when they are better qualified—often go to colleges that excel（擅长）in producing drop-outs. “It’s really a waste,” Mr. Bowen said, “and a big problem for the country.” As the authors point out, the only way to lift the college graduation rate significantly is to lift it among poor and working-class students. Instead, it appears to have fallen.

What can be done? Money is clearly part of the answer.

71. Which of the following would people first think of as a factor responsible for the American financial crisis according to this passage?

A. The government.                           B. Public education

C. The Detroit automakers.                   D. The Wall Street firms.

72. What is a big problem with American higher education?

A. It is hard to enroll enough students into college.

B. Many colleges are experiencing low rate of graduation.

C. Many college students stay away from classes.

D. It is hard for many colleges to get financial aid from the government.  

73. The title of the book Crossing the Finish Line probably means______.

A. running to the end of the line              B. going to college

C. finishing college education               D. working hard in college

74. Why do some students under--match ?

A. Because they have financial difficulty.        B. Because they face ambition crisis.

C. Because they lack confidence.                D. Because they can’t get guidance.

75. The passage is mainly about _______.

A. problems with secondary American education and possible solutions

B. America’s financial crisis, its cause and influence

C. low rate of American college graduation, its cause and its influence

D. relationship between American education and its economy

I have been teaching in the United States for three semesters. During this time, I have been very impressed with the hardworking American students. Tuition fee (学费) in American universities are pretty expensive. Most American students receive little, if any, financial support. As a result, they have to work hard to pay for their tuition and other basic expenses. Tertiary (高等) education is a necessity in today’s workforce. Young people with higher education are rewarded with a good career and better salary. So how do American students support themselves?
All my American students have to work to pay for their tuition. For this reason, most universities provide limited jobs for students who need economic help. They also help students search for jobs in the community. I have been touched to see some students are so worn out from their jobs that they doze in my classroom. In addition to taking part-time jobs, students are also expected to take part in various social and sporting activities and, in fact, those who do not take part in are often looked down upon by their peers.
A number of American university students are married with families, or are single parents. These students are faced with the additional burden of raising a family. They have to spend much time, money and energy caring for their children and family. Most American university professors are strict. They test students on every unit in their course, in addition to mid-term and final exams in each semester. A lack of preparation by students may result in their failure. This means the loss of a lot of money and possibly future employment opportunities for these students. For this reason, many American students will study or stay up all night before an exam, in an effort to pass.
In contrast, Chinese students have a much easier time, because most Chinese parents pay for their kids’ tertiary education. Moreover, Chinese students do not need to worry about raising children or maintaining a family. So, Chinese students have no reason for not studying hard and achieving good marks.
【小题1】Which of the following is not the difficulty American students have to face?