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Passage One:
On
August
18
th
US
News
&
W
orld
Report
released
its
2007
rankings of
American
’
s top college. The
survey began in 1983 as an
unofficial
opinion
poll
，
when
the
magazine
asked
662
college
presidents
to
identify
the
country
’
s
best
places
of
learning.
It
has
since changed into an annually
frightening experience for reputable
universities. A strong showing in the
rankings spurs student interest
and
alumni
giving
while
a
slip
has
grave
consequences
for
public
relations.
University administrators deeply
dislike the survey. Many reject
the
idea that schools can be stacked
up
against one
another in any
meaningful
way.
And
the
survey
’
s
methodology
is
suspect.
The
rankings are still based partly on peer
evaluations. The compare rates
of
alumni
giving,
which
has
little
to
do
with
the
transmission
of
knowledge.
Besides
，
the
magazine
’
s data are supplied
by the schools
and unproved.
But
whether
the
rankings
are
fair
is
beside
the
point,
because
they
are
wildly
influential.
In
the
1983
survey
barely
half
of
the
presidents
approached
bothered
to
respond.
Today,
only
a
handful
dare refuse.
Most,
in
fact,
do
more
than
simply
fill
out
the
survey.
Competition between colleges for top
students is increasing, partly
because
of
the
very
popularity
of
rankings.
Colin
Diver,
the
president of Reed College in Oregon,
considers that
“
rankings
create
powerful
incentives
to
manipulate
data
and
distort
institutional
behavior.
”
A
school
may
game
the
system
by
luring
applications
from students
who stand no chance of
admission
，
or by leaning on
alumni
to
arrange
jobs
for
graduates.
Reed
is
one
of
the
few
prominent
college that dares to despise taking part in the
US News
survey.
In
some
ways
，
the
cramble
to
attract
applicants
has
helped
students.
Universities
such
as
Duke
in
North
Carolina
and
Rice
in
House
are
devoting
more
money
to
scholarships.
That
seems
a
reasonable response to the challenge of
the rankings, as the National
Centre
for
Education
Statistic
reckons
that
roughly
two-
thirds
of
undergraduates
rely on financial aid.
Other
college,
though,
are
trying
to
drum
up
excitement
by
offering privileges that would have bee
unheard of a generation ago.
Students
at the University of
California
，
Los Angeles
(UCLA) now
appreciate
weekly
maid
service
in
the
dorms.
“
The
elevators
”
,
replied an enthusiastic respondent to
an online survey,
“
smell
lemon
fresh.
”
Students at Pennsylvania State
University enjoy
free access
to
Napster
，
the
music-sharing
service.
Multi-million
dollar
gyms
have
become so common that are unremarkable.
University
officials,
defending
this
strategy,
often
imply
that
they
are only responding to student demand.
Discouraging words for
those who
believe that a college
’
s job
is to educate, not indulge.
1.
What do the
top universities take the annual rankings as?
A)
A sever test.
B)
A routine schedule.
C)
A chance to
distinguish themselves.
D)
An official public-opinion poll.
2.
The
university
administrators
most
probably
agree
that
the
rankings should______.
A)
count
completely on peer evaluations
B)
count out the
rates of alumni giving
C)
be done by a more convincing magazine
D)
be based on
date supplied by the presidents
3.
What does
Colin Diver think of the purpose of a
school
’
s leaning
on alumni to arrange jobs for
graduates
？
A)
To attract
more top applicants.
B)
To make the rankings reliable.
C)
To take
advantage of its public relations.
D)
To become more
popular in the rankings.
4.
The
author
tends
to
think
that
the
weekly
maid
service
of
the
UCLA is meant to be ______.
A)
beneficial
B)
innovative
C)
appealing
D)
indulgent
5.
The passage is
intended to tell most clearly about ______.
A)
the result of
the competition for top students
B)
the defects in
the American educational system
C)
the influence
of the rankings of top universities
D)
the ways to
increase the number of top applicants
Passage Two:
Google
must be the
most ambitious
company in the world. Its
stated
goal,
organize
the
world's
information
and
make
it
universally
accessible
and
useful,
deliberately
omits
the
world
to
indicate
that
the
company
is
reaching
for
absolutely
all
information
everywhere
and
in
every
form.
From
books
to
health
records
and videos, from your friendships to your click
patterns and
physical
location,
Google
wants
to
know.
To
some
people
this
sounds uplifting, with
promises of free access to knowledge and help
in
managing our daily lives.
To others, it is somewhat like another
Big Brother, no less frightening than
its totalitarian
（极权主义的）
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