For more than two decades, U.S. courts have been limiting affirmative-action programs in universities and other areas. The legal rationale is that racial preferences are unconstitutional, even those intended to compensate for racism or intolerance. For many colleges, this means students can be admitted only on merit, not on their race or ethnicity. It has been a divisive issue across the U.S., as educators blame the prolonged reaction to affirmative-action for declines in minority admissions. Meanwhile, activists continue to battle race preferences in courts from Michigan to North Carolina.
Now, chief executives of about two dozen companies have decided to plunge headfirst into this politically unsettled debate. They, together with 36 universities and 7 nonprofitable organizations, formed a forum that set forth an action plan essentially designed to help colleges circumvent court-imposed restrictions on affirmative action. The CEOs’ motive: “Our audience is growing more diverse, so the communities we serve benefit if our employees are racially and ethnically diverse as well”, says one CEO of a compang that owns nine television stations.
Among the steps the forum is pushing: finding creative yet legal ways to boost minority enrollment through new admissions policies; promoting admissions decisions that look at more than test scores; and encouraging universities to step up their minority outreach and financial aid. And to counter accusations by critics to challenge these tactics in court, the group says it will give legal assistance to colleges sued for trying them. “Diversity diminished by the court must be made up for in other legitimate, legal ways,” says, a forum member.
One of the more controversial methods advocated is the so-called 10% rule. The idea is for public universities — which educate three-quarters of all U.S. undergraduates — to admit students who are in the top 10% of their high school graduating class. Doing so allows colleges to take minorities who excel in average urban schools, even if they wouldn’t have made the cut under the current statewide ranking many universities use.
46. U.S. court restrictions on affirmative action signifies that ___.
47. What has been a divisive issue across the United States?
48. CEOs of big companies decided to help colleges enroll more minority students because they ___.
49. The major tactic the forum uses is to ___.
50. If the 10% rule is applied, ___.
问题1选项
A.minorities no longer hold the once favored status
B.the quality of American colleges has improved
C.racial preferences has replaced racial prejudice
D.the minority is on an equal footing with the majority
问题2选项
A.Whether affirmative action should continue to exist.
B.Whether this law is helping minorities or the white majority.
C.Whether racism exists in American college admission.
D.Whether racial intolerance should be punished.
问题3选项
A.think it wrong to deprive the minorities of their rights to receive education
B.want to conserve the fine characteristics of American nation
C.want a workforce that reflects the diversity of their customers
D.think it their duty to help develop education of the country
问题4选项
A.battle the racial preferences in court
B.support colleges involved in lawsuits of racism
C.strive to settle this political debate nationwide
D.find legally viable ways to ensure minority admissions
问题5选项
A.the best white high school students can get into colleges
B.public universities can get excellent students
C.students from poor rural families can go to colleges
D.good minority students can get into public universities
第1题:A
第2题:B
第3题:C
第4题:D
第5题:D
46. 【试题答案】A
【试题解析】推理判断题。根据题干定位到原文第一段For more than two decades, U.S. courts have been limiting affirmative-action programs in universities and other areas. The legal rationale is that racial preferences are unconstitutional, even those intended to compensate for racism or intolerance. For many colleges, this means students can be admitted only on merit, not on their race or ethnicity.(二十多年来,美国法院一直在限制大学和其他领域的平权行动项目。法律依据是,种族优待是违宪的,即使是那些旨在补偿种族主义或不容忍的优待。对于许多大学来说,这意味着学生只能被录取,而不是根据他们的种族或民族)可知少数民族之前能因为自己的种族在录取方面受到优待,但是平权行动被限制之后少数民族的优待减少,选A选项“少数民族不再拥有曾经受到优待的地位”;B选项“美国大学的质量已经提高了”和D选项“少数民族与多数民族地位平等”原文未提及,排除;第一段末尾Meanwhile, activists continue to battle race preferences in courts from Michigan to North Carolina.(与此同时,从密歇根州到北卡罗来纳州,活动人士继续在法庭上反对种族偏好)可知种族偏好被反对,但是无法判断出种族偏好取代了种族偏见,C选项“种族偏好取代了种族偏见”不符合原文。因此A选项正确。
47. 【试题答案】B
【试题解析】推理判断题。根据题干定位到第一段It has been a divisive issue across the U.S.(这在美国各地一直是一个引起分歧的问题),根据本段可知这里的it指代的是前文所提到的For more than two decades, U.S. courts have been limiting affirmative-action programs in universities and other areas.(二十多年来,美国法院一直在限制大学和其他领域的平权行动项目)这一个限制平权行动,可知存在的争议问题是是否应该限制平权行动,而不是平权行动是否应该存在,A选项“平权行动是否应该继续存在”不符合原文;根据原文It has been a divisive issue across the U.S., as educators blame the prolonged reaction to affirmative-action for declines in minority admissions.(这在美国一直是一个引起分歧的问题,因为教育工作者将少数族裔入学率下降归咎于对平权行动的长期反应)可知as引导的是原因状语从句解释说明为什么会产生争议,是因为限制平权活动的这一做法会影响白人和少数族裔,B选项“这项法律是在帮助少数民族还是白人多数民族”符合,虽然B选项没有直接在原文出现,但是原文隐藏的逻辑关系为限制平权活动到底是在帮助少数民族还是白人多数民族,对双方产生的究竟是积极的影响还是消极的影响;C选项“美国大学录取是否存在种族歧视”和D选项“种族不容忍是否应该受到惩罚”原文未涉及,排除。因此B选项正确。
48. 【试题答案】C
【试题解析】推理判断题。根据题干关键词“CEOs of big companies”定位到原文第二段末尾The CEOs’ motive: “Our audience is growing more diverse, so the communities we serve benefit if our employees are racially and ethnically diverse as well”, says one CEO of a compang that owns nine television stations.(首席执行官们的动机是:“我们的受众越来越多样化,因此,如果我们的员工在种族和种族上也多样化,我们服务的社区就会受益”,一家拥有9家电视台的公司的首席执行官说)可知大公司的员工在种族上多样化就能反映出其公司的受众越来越多样化,给公司服务的社区带来更多的受益,选C选项“想要其劳动群体能够反映客户的多元化”;A选项“认为剥夺少数民族接受教育的权利是错误的”,B选项“想要保存美国民族的优良品质”和D选项“认为帮助发展国家的教育是他们的职责”原文未提及,排除。因此C选项正确。
49. 【试题答案】D
【试题解析】事实细节题。根据题干定位到原文第三段开头Among the steps the forum is pushing: finding creative yet legal ways to boost minority enrollment through new admissions policies; promoting admissions decisions that look at more than test scores; and encouraging universities to step up their minority outreach and financial aid.(该论坛正在推动的步骤包括:通过新的招生政策找到有创意但合法的方式来提高少数族裔的入学人数;推动录取决定不仅仅看考试成绩;并鼓励大学加强对少数族裔的宣传和财政援助)可知D选项“找到合法可行的方法来确保少数族裔录取”符合原文;根据第二段第二句They, together with 36 universities and 7 nonprofitable organizations, formed a forum that set forth an action plan essentially designed to help colleges circumvent court-imposed restrictions on affirmative action.(他们与36所大学和7家非营利组织组成了一个论坛,制定了一项行动计划,其本质上是为了帮助大学规避法院对平权行动施加的限制)可知该论坛是为了维护平权行动和少数民族的权利所建立的,所以A选项“在法庭上对抗种族偏好”和原文相反;根据第三段And to counter accusations by critics to challenge these tactics in court, the group says it will give legal assistance to colleges sued for trying them.(为了反驳批评人士在法庭上挑战这些策略的指控,该组织表示将为因尝试这些策略而被起诉的大学提供法律援助)可知这个论坛并不是一定支持涉及种族主义诉讼的大学,而是为了反驳批评人士的指控,会去为因尝试这些策略而被起诉的大学提供法律援助,B选项“支持涉及种族主义诉讼的大学”和原文是与区别的;C选项“努力解决这个全国性的政治辩论”原文未涉及,排除。因此D选项正确。
50. 【试题答案】D
【试题解析】事实细节题。根据题干关键字“the 10% rule”定位到原文最后一段The idea is for public universities…to admit students who are in the top 10% of their high school graduating class. Doing so allows colleges to take minorities who excel in average urban schools, even if they wouldn’t have made the cut under the current statewide ranking many universities use.(这项计划的目的是让公立大学录取高中毕业班排名前10%的学生。这样做可以让大学录取在普通城市学校中表现优异的少数族裔,即使他们没有按照目前许多大学使用的全州排名进行排名)可知如果适用10%规则,表现优异的少数族裔也可以被公立大学录取,选D选项“好的少数民族学生可以进入公立大学”;A选项“最好的白人高中学生可以进入大学”没有明确“公立大学”这一范围,B选项“公立大学可以得到优秀的学生”没有明确“少数族裔”这一范围,二者的范围过大,比较空泛,排除;C选项“农村贫困家庭的学生可以上大学”原文未提及,排除。因此D选项正确。