首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
On August 18th US News & World Report released its 2007 rankings of America’s top colleges. The survey began in 1983 as an unoff
On August 18th US News & World Report released its 2007 rankings of America’s top colleges. The survey began in 1983 as an unoff
admin
2010-11-02
74
问题
On August 18th US News & World Report released its 2007 rankings of America’s top colleges. 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. They compare rates of alumni giving, which has little to do with the transmission of knowledge. Besides, the magazine’s data are sup plied 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 behaviour." 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 colleges that dares to despise taking part in the US News survey.
In some ways, the scramble to attract applicants has helped students. Universities such as Duke in North Carolina and Rice in Houston are devoting more money to scholarships. That seems a reasonable response to the challenge of the rankings, as the National Centre for Education Statistics reckons that roughly two-thirds of undergraduates rely on financial aid.
Other colleges, though, are trying to drum up excitement by offering privileges that would have been 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 they 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.
What do the top universities take the annual rankings as?
选项
A、A severe test.
B、A routine schedule.
C、A chance to distinguish themselves.
D、An official public-opinion poll.
答案
A
解析
原文该句中的frightening experience意为“严酷的考验”,可见本题应选A。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/JNs7777K
0
大学英语六级
相关试题推荐
Peopletendtobuyprivatecarstoday.Formanypeople,especiallyyoungpeople,owningaprivatecarhassomanyadvantagestha
Directions:Forthispart,youareallowed30minutestowriteacompositiononthetopicKnowledgeandMaster’sDegree?Yousho
A、Togiveanexamplethatbothhumanbeingsandanimalscanrecognizefaces.B、Totellhowaskilledwritercoulddescribeallt
JobsApersonplanningforacareertodaymustlookcarefullyattheexpectedoccupationaltrendsandchangesinthejobmar
A、Thewomanisafraidofthunderstorms.B、Themanworksforaroofingcompany.C、Theroofofthewoman’shouseneedsrepairing.
A、Ballet.B、PekingOpera.C、Drama.D、Exhibition.C选项和主题有关。从男士的询问iftherewillbeanyballetperformances?...isthereanyshowo
Itisamazinghowmanypeoplestillsay,"Ineverdream,"foritisnowdecadessinceitwasestablishedthateveryonehasover
Francemightbedescribedasan’all-round’country,onethathasachievedresultsofequalimportanceinmanydiversebranches
PreparingforWeightLossSurgeryForthosewhoconsiderweightlosssurgery,theyareattheendoftheirropes.Traditiona
A、Becausetheconversationwassointeresting,B、Becausetheytalkedloudlyenough.C、Becausetheystoodsocloselytothewoman
随机试题
我们生活的世界充满希望,也充满挑战。中国人民历来富有正义感和同情心,历来把自己的前途命运同各国人民的前途命运紧密联系在一起,始终密切关注和无私帮助仍然生活在战火、动荡、饥饿、贫困中的有关国家的人民,始终愿意尽最大努力为人类和平与发展做出贡献。中国人民这个愿
城市文学
IntheUS,peoplepreferwaitingforatabletosittingwithpeopletheydon’tknow.Thismeansahostessmaynotseatasmall
口腔流行病学的研究方法可分为如下三大类
女,5岁,来院进行口腔健康检查并咨询有关口腔保健知识,家长向医生了解幼儿刷牙能否用含氟牙膏时,医生的回答是
现浇钢筋混凝土结构可采用的工业化模板体系包括()。
填方路基碾压按“先轻后重”原则进行,最后碾压应采用不小于()级的压路机。
基金管理公司应当在()中披露本公司基金从业人员持有基金份额的总量及所占比例。
关于CDs与CDs市场,下列说法正确的是()。
Whatdoesthemando?
最新回复
(
0
)