Chinese institutions of higher learning have quickened their pace of reform in recent years. Changing enrollment practices and higher tuition fees constitute and important part of the reform. Schools which once admitted students almost exclusively according to state plans are becoming more accepting of students sent by work groups for further training and those who pay their own fees. Regular universities and colleges plan to enroll about 786 200 students this year, up 158 200 or 25 percent over last year’s figure. Of these, 216 000, or 27.4 percent, will be sent by their work groups or will pay their own way. In the past, the state paid all tuition and school fees for university students, a matter of policy since New China was established in 1949. Although this practice guaranteed the supply of qualified personnel, it brought a heavy burden to the sate, hindering further development of higher education. Since higher education is non—compulsory education in China, to charge appropriate fees will help improve school facilities and expedite the development of education in this stage. As an added benefit, paying their own way will encourage students to study harder. The reform will take effect in two directions. State—financed students will begin paying part of the costs of their education, and more self—paying students will be accepted. In August 1989, under the direction of the State council, the State Education Commission, the Ministry of Finance and the Sate Price Bureau drew up stipulations concerning the amount of charges on tuition, accommodation and other expenses for students of institutions of higher learning. Beginning from that year, freshmen at regular universities and colleges and professional schools (including cadres taking special training courses and students working on a second degree) were charged 100 yuan (about us $17) each for their tuition fee, and this low charge is expected to be raised gradually. The figure was higher in special economic zones and economically developed regions such as Guangdong Province and Shanghai, but was capped at 300 yuan. Students living on campus paid about 20 yuan per year for accommodation and the charge was slightly higher for better furnishing. Normal school students and those admitted on scholarships need only pay for accommodation. Reduced tuitions and fees are available to students in need of financial assistance, but accommodation expenses will remain the same. In June 1992, the State Education Commission, the Ministry of Finance and the State Price Bureau decided to allow regular institutions of higher education to set their own tuition rates and charges for accommodation, short—term training programs, correspondence courses and night school. These should be determined according to the needs of each school, the abilities of students to pay and general conditions in each area. The tuition for students in the sciences and engineering can range from 300 to 500 yuan per academic year. Liberal arts, history and economics students of the fine arts pay 400 to 600 yuan per year, and students of the fine arts 400 to 750 yuan. Statistics for 1992 show students paid an average of 340 yuan in tuition that year, only 5 percent of the real cost. Measures have been taken to limit the possible detrimental affects of rising tuition. Shanghai, for instance, exempts the children of revolutionary martyrs from paying tuition. And these costs may be reduced or waived for students with limited family financial support as their parents are either both dead or are receiving subsidies from their work units. Some colleges have also set up work—study programs to benefit students with financial difficulties Guidelines concerning self—paying students were first set out in 1989. The State Education Commission, the Ministry of Finance and the State Price Bureau stipulated that these students should pay 80 percent of the cost of their education. Such students who live on campus pay the standard rate for accommodation and must cover their own medical expenses. The charge for each self—paying student averaged 2 000 yuan of the cost in 1992, or 30 percent of the cost. Charges for undergraduates and students of special colleges whose education is sponsored by work units, with payment coming either in part or in full from their units, are somewhat higher. Self—paying students are not assigned jobs by the state after graduation, whereas students sent by their units will return to them after graduating. Charges for correspondence courses and night school are equal to or slightly higher than those for full-time students enrolled according to the state plan. With their improvement of their living standards and the deepening of reform, people in general accept the changes in the tuition system. To facilitate the development of higher education, the increases in tuition rates will be more flexible and diversified. Student payments will be augmented by finding from the state, enterprises and funds raised from the public. Laws and regulations will by enacted to ensure steady progress, and overseas organizations and individuals are encouraged to set up and operate schools in China. --21st Century, Apr.20, 1992
Changing enrollment practices and higher tuition fees ____. A.play an important part in the reform B.make up an important part of the reform C.include an important part of the reform D.hold an important part of the reform
ID：9582-11661 Behrend, 45, obtained a doctoral degree in clinical psychology last spring from Walden University, a respected virtual institution. She says the discussions between student and professor, and among peers, were more rigorous than those she experienced in the two on-campus master’s programs she previously attended. “We needed to cite references for everything we said (in E-mail postings),” explains Behrend. “It wasn’t like the usual chatting in the classroom.”
Behrend _________________________. A. criticizes distant-degree programs B. praises distant-degree programs C. praises on-campus education D. thinks highly of face-to-face instruction
ID：9582-11665 With Mr. Bush struggling to hold on to the political advantage his campaign had assumed he would have this year on national security, the rebounding economy has become all the more important to him in his closely fought race with his Democratic rival in the presidential race, Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts.
The phrase “his closely fought race” most probably indicates ____________. A. that Mr. Bush has engaged in a fierce competition with Mr. Kerry B. that Mr. Bush has established a close relationship with Mr. Kerry in the presidential campaign C. that Mr. Bush thinks highly of his men for their work on close relationships D. None of the above
ID：9582-11678（本题为引用材料试题，请根据材料回答以下问题） What does it mean by “game-changer” underlined and in boldface? A. It refers to the protesting movement that can lead people to change their attitude toward making efforts to stop offshore drilling. B. It indicates the time when people becomes more aware of the potential environmental hazards. C. It transmits the message that only by knowing exactly what everyone can contributes can we change the environment in a positive direction. D. It implicates the possible trends that could lead to changes of the current environmental situation.
ID：9582-11727 Endangered Trade (The Asian Wall Street Journal, Mar., 1999) Such is the special relationship between America and its NATO partners that while that alliance cooperates to bomb Serbian forces, the U.S. and the EU are managing a trade war against each other. Fortunately, no lives are at stake in the latter conflict. Yet if it spreads unchecked, the rest of the world is sure to feel the pain of it. It’s hard to decide whether the U.S. or Europe deserves the most contempt for expanding their trade war. The first fight, over bananas, is essentially a struggle between two fruit distributors with strong political connections. Now Washington and Brussels are escalating their battle over beef, with European farmers stooping to phony science in their claims that hormone-treated American beef is unsafe. In his first term in office, President Bill Clinton teamed up with the Republicans to push major free-trade liberalizations. Now, however, he seems bent on pursuing ‘level even if playing fields,’ torpedoing the world economy. The latest salvo was fired this week, with the U.S. announcing it has targeted close to $1 billion of European products for 100% tariffs if the European Union doesn’t drop the hormone nonsense. The move follows an earlier announcement that the U.S. administration will fight Europe’s banana import regime by hitting a range of European goods with prohibitive tariffs. Add to this renewed American threats to raise the drawbridge to Russian, Japanese and Brazilian steel, as well as administration support for a congressional vote to ban Concorde flights from Europe in relation for EU threats to refuse landing rights to old-American planes retrofitted with noise reducing technology. Mr. Clinton sounded the protectionist battle cry in his January State of the Union address, where he vowed to fight for ‘a freer and fairer trading system for 21st century America.’ In the case of agriculture, when the respective lobbies on both sides of the Atlantic enter the fray, that translates into a sticky situation. On the whole, American farmers are major exporters. And U.S. farmers have a good case on beef hormones. But it is nonetheless dangerous for the U.S. to shut off $1 billion in trade. This is not to excuse the EU. The hormone argument is nonsense. The World Trade Organization has acknowledged as much, ordering the EU to allow imports of American meat by May 13. Brussels has responded by saying that it needs more time because European citizens, who supposedly don’t like hormones in their food, would rebel against their governments if American meat suddenly appeared on their store shelves. Were it not for the high stakes involved for both producers and consumers, the argument might be amusing. When governments curtail trade the global economy shrinks and for all the jobs ‘saved’ by protections, there are a lot more lost. The Smoot-Hawley agricultural protections imposed by the U.S. Congress in the late 1920s certainly contributed to the Great Depression. Mr. Clinton may believe he is fighting the good fight. But we’ve never thought much of the kind of war where you pose even when you win.
