Every autumn, as families across the United States get ready to send their kids to college, the economics of higher education receive renewed attention. College is expensive and becoming more so in the U. S. The situation raises two questions: Why does it cost so much, and how can students and their families afford it? Several studies published in the past few weeks reflect on these questions. The findings provide comfort to poor families. First, it appears that only the minority actually pay the "high price". A study by the US Education Department's National Center for Education Statistics found that 55 percent of college students last year received some forms of help--scholarships, loans or jobs. Other factors are also at work. The government has increased the size of its grants to lower-income students. Grants, unlike loans, don't have to he repaid and are awarded only to college students who have not earned a bachelor's or professional degree. At the same time, most colleges are spending more on undergraduate education than they are collecting in tuition fees. A study, which is part of the Williams College Project on the Economics of Higher Education, reaches the conclusion that on average colleges "subsidize " their students. The results of these studies, however, leave unanswered the questions of whether educational costs are higher than they need to be. Some experts argue that much of the college cost results from educational competition for fame, students and facilities. This puts upward pressure on tuition, hut many colleges feel that good fame will enable them to attract students even if they charge them more. Therefore, until something important changes in the marketplace, costs seem likely to continue rising. And American families will continue to beat down the doors of the high price "college in the end. It can be inferred that in America _ . A) famous colleges only accept rich students. B) famous colleges charge their students more money C) the government spends little money on education D) families often break the doors of colleges
B
Painting, the execution of forms and shapes on a surface by means of pigment , has been continuously practiced by humans for some 20,000 years. Together with other activities that may have been ritualistic but have come to be considered as artistic (such as music or dance), painting was one of the earliest ways in which man sought to express his own personality and his emerging understanding of an existence beyond the material world. Unlike music and dance, however, examples of early forms of painting have survived to the present day. And painting, like other arts, exhibits universal qualities that make it easy for viewers of all nations and civilizations to understand and appreciate. The major extant examples of early painting anywhere in the world are found in Western Europe and the Soviet Union. But some 5,000 years ago, the areas in which important paintings were executed shifted to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and neighboring regions. Therefore, Western shared a European cultural tradition ----the Middle East and Mediterranean Basin and, later, the countries of the New World. Western painting is in general distinguished by its concentration on the representation of the human figure, whether in the heroic context of antiquity or the religious context of the early Christian and medieval world. The Renaissance extended this tradition through a close examination of the natural world and an investigation of balance, harmony, and perspective in the visible world, linking painting to the developing sciences of anatomy and optics . The first real break from figurative painting came with the growth of landscape painting in the 17th and 18th centuries. The landscape and figurative traditions developed together in the 19th century in an atmosphere that was increasingly concerned with "painterly" qualities of the interaction of light and color1 and the expressive qualities of paint handling. In the 20th century these interests contributed to the development of a third major tradition in Western... What result in the development of abstract painting? A) The concern about qualities of the interaction of light and color1 and those of the paint handling. B) The growth of landscape painting in the 17th and 18th centuries. C) An examination of the nature and an investigation of balance and harmony, in the visible world. D) Linking painting to the developing sciences of anatomy and optics.
A
Q: Honesty may well be the policy, but it often deserts us when no one is watching, psychologists report today. Experiments with an honesty box to collect payments for hot drinks show that people are better at paying up when under the gaze of a pair of eyes. The surprise was that the eyes were not real, but photographed. Researchers at Newcastle University set up the experiment in secret. They attached a poster to a cupboard of mugs above an-honesty box alongside a kettle ,with tea, coffee and milk. Over 10 weeks, they alternated each week between images of eyes and pictures of flowers. Dr. Bateson, a behavioral biologist and leader of the study, said that even though the eyes were not real they still seemed to make people behave more honestly. They effect may arise from behavioral characteristics that developed as early humans formed social groups that increased their chances of survival. Individuals had to co-operate for the good of the group, rather than act selfishly. "If nobody is watching us, it is in our interests to behave selfishly. But when we think we're being watched,we should behave better, so people see us as co-operative and behave the same way towards us, "Dr. Bateson said. "We thought we'd get a slight effect with eyes, but it was quite striking how much difference they made. Even at a subconscious level, it seems people respond to eyes, and that might be because eyes send a strong biological signal we have evolved to respond to." The finding, which researchers believe _ our evolutionary past, could be turned to practical use. The psychologists say images of eyes could promote ticket sales on public transport and improve monitor systems to prevent antisocial behavior. The reason for doing the experiment secretly is that the researchers _ . A) wanted to get a comparatively more exact result B) had known they wanted to do something illegally C) meant to get the co-operation of their colleagues D) intended to sell the hot drinks at a higher price
A: A
(Question)
Recently, while hiking in the foothills of South Carolina, I happened to notice a small, yet quickly flowing whitewater stream. While relaxing and enjoying the aloneness, I sensed a battle for favorable position between the highly-spirited water and the large rocks resting on the bed along the edges of the stream. At first; the rocks, stubborn, immovable and unbending, seemed to have their way with their adversary . However, the water, determined yet forgiving, seemed merely inconvenienced by the presence of the rocks, as it effortlessly changed its course, running towards its original destination. Soon it became clear that the rocks, although remaining strong and firm, were losing this battle as the water's total indifference began to slowly reform these obstacles into smooth and beautifully polished stones. You see, there seemed to be total lack of struggle associated with the water's journey. Struggle is like bondage forcing harmony and the water would have none of that. On the contrary,the water seemed perfectly content to move around the rocks when necessary, following some route God had originally intended. I paused for thought. Maybe people need to be more determined and less stubborn. Maybe human beings need to always be open to different points of view, not afraid to readjust their direction as life presents all of its new and unforeseen challenges. The water won the battle mainly because it was _ . A) changeable B) brave C) aggressive D) powerful
(Answer)
A