There are few more sobering online activities than entering data into college-tuition calculators and gasping as the Web spits back a six-figure sum. But economists say families about to go into debt to fund four years of partying, as well as studying, can console themselves with the knowledge that college is an investment that, unlike many bank stocks, should yield huge dividends.
A 2008 study by two Harvard economists notes that the “labor-market premium to skill”—or the amount college graduates earned that’s greater than what high-school graduate earned—decreased for much of the 20th century, but has come back with a vengeance since the 1980s. In 2005, The typical full-time year-round U.S. worker with a four-year college degree earned $50,900, 62% more than the $31,500 earned by a worker with only a high-school diploma.
There’s no question that going to college is a smart economic choice. But a look at the strange variations in tuition reveals that the choice about which college to attend doesn’t come down merely to dollars and cents. Does going to Columbia University (tuition, room and board $49,260 in 2007-08) yield a 40% greater return than attending the University of Colorado at Boulder as an out-of-state student ($35,542)? Probably not. Does being an out-of-state student at the University of Colorado at Boulder yield twice the amount of income as being an in-state student ($17,380) there? Not likely.
No, in this consumerist age, most buyers aren’t evaluating college as an investment, but rather as a consumer product—like a car or clothes or a house. And with such purchases, price is only one of many crucial factors to consider.
As with automobiles, consumers in today’s college marketplace have vast choices, and people search for the one that gives them the most comfort and satisfaction in line with their budgets. This accounts for the willingness of people to pay more for different types of experiences (such as attending a private liberal-arts college or going to an out-of-state public school that has a great marine-biology program). And just as two auto purchasers might spend an equal amount of money on very different cars, college students (or, more accurately, their parents) often show a willingness to pay essentially the same price for vastly different products. So which is it? Is college an investment product like a stock or a consumer product like a car? In keeping with the automotive world’s hottest consumer trend, maybe it’s best to characterize it as a hybrid (混合动力汽车); an expensive consumer product that, over time, will pay rich dividends.
1. What’s the opinion of economists about going to college?
2. The two Harvard economists note in their study that, for much of the 20th century, _____.
3. Students who attend an in-state college or university can _____.
4. In this consumerist age, most parents _____.
5. What is the chief consideration when students choose a college today?
问题1选项
A.Huge amounts of money is being wasted on campus socializing.
B.It doesn’t pay to run into debt to receive a college education.
C.College education is rewarding in spite of the startling costs.
D.Going to college doesn’t necessarily bring the expected returns.
问题2选项
A.enrollment kept decreasing in virtually all American colleges and universities
B.the labor market preferred high-school to college graduates
C.competition for university admissions was far more fierce than today
D.the gap between the earnings of college and high-school graduates narrowed
问题3选项
A.save more on tuition
B.receive a better education
C.take more liberal-arts courses
D.avoid traveling long distances
问题4选项
A.regard college education as a wise investment
B.place a premium on the prestige of the College
C.think it crucial to send their children to college
D.consider college education a consumer product
问题5选项
A.Their employment prospects after graduation.
B.A satisfying experience within their budgets.
C.Its facilities and learning environment.
D.Its ranking among similar institutions.
第1题:C
第2题:D
第3题:A
第4题:D
第5题:B
第1题:
【选项释义】
What’s the opinion of economists about going to college? 经济学家们上大学有什么看法？
A. Huge amounts of money is being wasted on campus socializing. A. 大量金钱被浪费在校园社交上。
B. It doesn’t pay to run into debt to receive a college education. B. 为了接受大学教育而负债累累是得不偿失的。
C. College education is rewarding in spite of the startling costs. C. 尽管费用惊人，但大学教育是有价值的。
D. Going to college doesn’t necessarily bring the expected returns. D. 上大学并不一定带来预期的回报。
【考查点】观点态度题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词the opinion of economists about going to college可以确定答案所在区域为第一段。根据第一段关键信息：But economists say families about to go into debt to fund four years of partying, as well as studying, can console themselves with the knowledge that college is an investment that, unlike many bank stocks, should yield huge dividends（但经济学家们表示，那些即将举债为四年的聚会和学习生活提供资金的家庭可以这样安慰自己：大学是一项投资，与许多银行股票不同，它应该产生巨大的红利），可知：经济学家们认为大学是一项投资，应该产生巨大的红利。由此可推断：经济学家们对上大学的看法是“尽管费用惊人，但大学教育是有价值的”，所以正确答案为C选项。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“大量金钱被浪费在校园社交上”，原文没有提及，属于无中生有
B选项“为了接受大学教育而负债累累是得不偿失的”，虽然会负债，但经济学家们认为这是一项投资，会产生巨大红利，该选项属于曲解原文；
D选项“上大学并不一定带来预期的回报”，根据第三段关键信息：Does going to Columbia University (tuition, room and board $49,260 in 2007-08) yield a 40% greater return than attending the University of Colorado at Boulder as an out-of-state student ($35,542)? Probably not（哥伦比亚大学（2007-08学年的学费、住宿费和膳宿费为49,260美元）比科罗拉多大学博尔德分校的州外学生（35,542美元）的回报率高出40%吗？可能不会），可知该选项符合原文，但并非是经济学家们对上大学的看法，属于答非所问。
第2题:
【选项释义】
The two Harvard economists note in their study that, for much of the 20th century, _____. 这两位哈佛大学的经济学家在他们的研究中指出，在20世纪的大部分时间里，_____。
A. enrollment kept decreasing in virtually all American colleges and universities A. 几乎所有美国高校的招生人数都在减少
B. the labor market preferred high-school to college graduates B. 相对于大学毕业生，劳动力市场更青睐高中毕业生
C. competition for university admissions was far more fierce than today C. 大学入学竞争比今天激烈得多
D. the gap between the earnings of college and high-school graduates narrowed D. 大学毕业生和高中毕业生的收入差距缩小了
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词The two Harvard economists可以确定答案所在区域为第二段。根据第二段关键信息：A 2008 study by two Harvard economists notes that the “labor-market premium to skill”—or the amount college graduates earned that’s greater than what high-school graduate earned—decreased for much of the 20th century, but has come back with a vengeance since the 1980s（哈佛大学的两位经济学家在2008年进行的一项研究指出，“劳动力市场对技能的溢价”——即大学毕业生的收入高于高中毕业生的收入——在20世纪的大部分时间里有所下降，但自20世纪80年代以来又开始回升），可知：在20世纪的大部分时间里，“劳动力市场对技能的溢价”有所下降，这表示大学毕业生和高中毕业生的收入差距缩小了，所以正确答案为D选项。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“几乎所有美国高校的招生人数都在减少”，原文没有提及，属于无中生有；
B选项“相对于大学毕业生，劳动力市场更青睐高中毕业生”，尽管大学毕业生和高中毕业生的收入差距缩小了，但原文没有提到劳动力市场更青睐高中毕业生，该选项属于无中生有；
C选项“大学入学竞争比今天激烈得多”，原文没有提及大学入学竞争的相关内容，该选项属于曲解原文。
第3题:
【选项释义】
Students who attend an in-state college or university can _____. 在州内大学就读的学生可以_____。
A. save more on tuition A. 节省更多的学费
B. receive a better education B. 接受更好的教育
C. take more liberal-arts courses C. 学习更多的通识教育课程
D. avoid traveling long distances D. 避免长途旅行
【考查点】判断推理题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词in-state college or university可以确定答案所在区域为第三段。根据第三段关键信息：Does going to Columbia University (tuition, room and board $49,260 in 2007-08) yield a 40% greater return than attending the University of Colorado at Boulder as an out-of-state student ($35,542)? Probably not. Does being an out-of-state student at the University of Colorado at Boulder yield twice the amount of income as being an in-state student ($17,380) there? Not likely（哥伦比亚大学（2007-08学年的学费、住宿费和膳宿费为49,260美元）比科罗拉多大学博尔德分校的州外学生（35,542美元）的回报率高出40%吗？可能不会。在科罗拉多大学博尔德分校就读的州外学生的收入是州内学生（17,380美元）的两倍吗？不太可能），可知该段是在将大学的学费和它可能带来的回报进行对比，由此可推断：就读于州外的学费高于州内，所以在州内大学就读的学生可以“节省更多的学费”，正确答案为A选项。
【干扰项排除】
B、C、D选项在原文均没有提及，属于无中生有。
第4题:
【选项释义】
In this consumerist age, most parents _____. 在这个消费主义时代，大多数家长_____。
A. regard college education as a wise investment A. 视大学教育为明智的投资
B. place a premium on the prestige of the College B. 重视大学的声誉
C. think it crucial to send their children to college C. 认为送子女上大学至关重要
D. consider college education a consumer product D. 认为大学教育是一种消费品
【考查点】事实细节题。
【解题思路】根据题干关键词In this consumerist age可以确定答案所在区域为第四段。根据第四段第一句：No, in this consumerist age, most buyers aren’t evaluating college as an investment, but rather as a consumer product—like a car or clothes or a house（不，在这个消费主义的时代，大多数买家不把大学看作是一项投资，而是一种消费品——就像汽车、衣服或房子一样），可知：在这个消费主义时代，大多数买家，即大多数家长，把大学看作是一种消费品，所以正确答案为D选项。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“视大学教育为明智的投资”，根据第三段第一句：There’s no question that going to college is a smart economic choice（毫无疑问，上大学是一个明智的经济选择），可知该选项属于曲解原文；
B选项“重视大学的声誉”，原文没有提及，属于无中生有；
C选项“认为送子女上大学至关重要”，原文没有提及，属于无中生有。
第5题:
【选项释义】
What is the chief consideration when students choose a college today? 如今，学生选择大学时主要考虑什么？
A. Their employment prospects after graduation. A. 毕业后的就业前景。
B. A satisfying experience within their budgets. B. 预算范围内令人满意的体验。
C. Its facilities and learning environment. C. 学校的设施和学习环境。
D. Its ranking among similar institutions. D. 在同类院校中的排名。
【考查点】判断推理题。
【解题思路】根据最后一段第一句：As with automobiles, consumers in today’s college marketplace have vast choices, and people search for the one that gives them the most comfort and satisfaction in line with their budgets（就像汽车一样，在当今的大学市场上，消费者有大量的选择，人们会根据自己的预算寻找最舒适、最满意的大学），由此可推断：学生选择大学时主要考虑“预算范围内令人满意的体验”，所以B选项为正确答案。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“毕业后的就业前景”，原文没有提到大学毕业后的就业前景，只是提到了毕业后的收入回报，该选项属于无中生有；
C选项“学校的设施和学习环境”，原文没有提及，属于无中生有；
D选项“在同类院校中的排名”，原文没有提及大学排名的相关内容，属于无中生有。
