2011年6月6级真题(阅读)

PartIIReadingComprehension(SkimmingandScanning)(15minutes)MinorityReportAmericanuniversitiesareacceptingmoreminoritiesthanever.Graduatingthemisanothermatter.BarryMills,thepresidentofBowdoinCollege,wasjustifiablyproudofBowdoin'seffortstorecruitminoritystudents.Since2003thesmall,eliteliberalartsschoolinBrunswick,Maine,hasboostedtheproportionofso-calledunder-representedminoritystudentsinenteringfreshmanclassesfrom8%to13%.Itisourresponsibilitytoreachoutandattractstudentstocometoourkindsofplaces,hetoldaNEWSWEEKreporter.ButBowdoinhasnotdonequiteaswellwhenitcomestoactuallygraduatingminorities.While9outof10whitestudentsroutinelygettheirdiplomaswithinsixyears,only7outof10blackstudentsmadeittograduationdayinseveralrecentclasses.Ifyoulookatwhoenterscollege,itnowlookslikeAmerica,saysHilaryPennington,directorofpostsecondaryprogramsfortheBill&MelindaGatesFoundation,whichhascloselystudiedenrollmentpatternsinhighereducation.Butifyoulookatwhowalksacrossthestageforadiploma,it'sstilllargelythewhite,upper-incomepopulation.TheUnitedStatesoncehadthehighestgraduationrateofanynation.Nowitstands10th.ForthefirsttimeinAmericanhistory,thereistheriskthattherisinggenerationwillbelesswelleducatedthanthepreviousone.Thegraduationrateamong25-to34-year-oldsisnobetterthantherateforthe55-to64-year-oldswhoweregoingtocollegemorethan30yearsago.Studiesshowthatmoreandmorepoorandnon-whitestudentswanttograduatefromcollege–buttheirgraduationratesfallfarshortoftheirdreams.Thegraduationratesforblacks,Latinos,andNativeAmericanslagfarbehindthegraduationratesforwhitesandAsians.AstheminoritypopulationgrowsintheUnitedStates,lowcollegegraduationratesbecomeathreattonationalprosperity.Theproblemispronouncedatpublicuniversities.In2007theUniversityofWisconsin-Madison–oneofthetopfiveorsoprestigiouspublicuniversities–graduated81%ofitswhitestudentswithinsixyears,butonly56%ofitsblacks.Atless-selectivestateschools,thenumbersgetworse.Duringthesametimeframe,theUniversityofNorthernIowagraduated67%ofitswhitestudents,butonly39%ofitsblacks.Communitycollegeshavelowgraduationratesgenerally–butrock-bottomratesforminorities.ArecentreviewofCaliforniacommunitycollegesfoundthatwhileathirdoftheAsianstudentspickeduptheirdegrees,only15%ofAfrican-Americansdidsoaswell.Privatecollegesanduniversitiesgenerallydobetter,partlybecausetheyoffersmallerclassesandmorepersonalattention.Butwhenitcomestoasignificantgraduationgap,Bowdoinhascompany.NearbyColbyCollegeloggedan18-pointdifferencebetweenwhiteandblackgraduatesin2007and25pointsin2006.MiddleburyCollegeinVermont,anothertopschool,hada19-pointgapin2007anda22-pointgapin2006.Themostselectiveprivateschools–Harvard,Yale,andPrinceton–showalmostnogapbetweenblackandwhitegraduationrates.Butthatmayhavemoretodowiththeirabilitytoselectthebeststudents.AccordingtodatagatheredbyHarvardLawSchoolprofessorLaniGuinier,themostselectiveschoolsaremorelikelytochooseblackswhohaveatleastoneimmigrantparentfromAfricaortheCaribbeanthanblackstudentswhoaredescendantsofAmericanslaves.Highereducationhasbeenabletoduckthisissueforyears,particularlythemoreselectiveschools,bysayingtheresponsibilityisontheindividualstudent,saysPenningtonoftheGatesFoundation.Iftheyfail,it'stheirfault.Somecriticsblameaffirmativeaction–studentsadmittedwithlowertestscoresandgradesfromshakyhighschoolsoftenstruggleateliteschools.Butabiggerproblemmaybethatpoorhighschoolsoftensendtheirstudentstocollegesforwhichtheyareundermatched:theycouldgetintomoreelite,richerschools,butinsteadgotocommunitycollegesandlow-ratedstateschoolsthatlacktheresourcestohelpthem.Someschoolsoutforprofitcynicallyincreasetuitionsandcountonstudentloansandfederalaidtofootthebill–knowingfullwellthatthestudentswon'tmakeit.Theschoolkeepsthemoney,butthekidleaveswithloadsofdebtandnodegreeandnoabilitytogetabetterjob.Collegesarenotholdinguptheirend,saysAmyWilkinsoftheEducationTrust.Acollegeeducationisgettingevermoreexpensive.Since1982tuitionshavebeenrisingatroughlytwicetherateofinflation.In2008thenetcostofattendingafour-yearpublicuniversity–afterfinancialaid–equaled28%ofmedian(中间的)familyincome,whileafour-yearprivateuniversitycost76%ofmedianfamilyincome.Moreandmorescholarshipsarebasedonmerit,notneed.Poorerstudentsarenotalwaysthebest-informedconsumers.Oftentheywindupdeeplyindebtorsimplyunabletopayafterayearortwoandmustdropout.Thereoncewasatimewhenuniversitiestookprideintheirdropoutrates.Professorswouldbegintheyearbysaying,Looktotherightandlooktotheleft.Oneofyouisnotgoingtobeherebytheendoftheyear.ButsuchaDarwinianspiritisbeginningtogivewayasatleastafewcollegesfaceuptothegraduationgap.AttheUniversityofWisconsin-Madison,thegaphasbeenroughlyhalvedoverthelastthreeyears.Theuniversityhaspouredresourcesintopeercounselingtohelpstudentsfrominner-cityschoolsadjusttotherigor(严格要求)andfasterpaceofauniversityclassroom–andalsotohelpminoritystudentsovercomethestereotypethattheyarelessqualified.Wisconsinhasalaserlikefocusonbuildingupstudentskillsinthefirstthreemonths,accordingtoviceprovost(教务长)DamonWilliams.Stateandfederalgovernmentscouldsharpenthatfocuseverywh