Question

Passage 2

Many private institutions of higher education around the country are in danger. Not all will be saved, and perhaps not all deserve to be saved. There are low-quality schools just as there are low-quality businesses. We have no obligation to save them simply because they exist. But many thriving institutions that deserve to continue are threatened. They are doing a fine job educationally, but they are caught in a financial difficulty, with no way to reduce rising costs or increase revenues significantly. Raising tuition doesn’t bring in more revenue, for each time tuition goes up, the enrollment goes down, or the amount that must be given away in student aid goes up. Schools are bad businesses, whether public or private, not usually because of bad management but because of the nature of the enterprise. They lose money on every customer, and they can go bankrupt either from too few students or too many students. Even a very good college is a very bad business.

It is such colleges, thriving but threatened, that I worry about. Low enrollment is not their chief problem. Even with full enrollments, they may go under. Efforts to save them, and preferably to keep them private, are a national necessity. There is no basis for arguing that private schools are bound to be better than public schools. There are abundant examples to the contrary. Anyone can name state universities and colleges that rank as the finest in the nation and the world. It is now inevitable that public institutions will be dominant, and therefore diversity is a national necessity. Diversity in the way we support schools tends to give us a healthy diversity in the forms of education. In an imperfect society such as ours, uniformity of education throughout the nation could be dangerous. In an imperfect society, diversity is a positive good. Eager supporters of public higher education know the importance of sustaining private higher education.

Questions 6-10 are based on passage 2

6.           In the passage, the author appeals to the public to support      .

A. private higher education in general

B. public higher education in general

C. high-quality private universities and colleges

7.           According to the passage, schools are bad businesses because of      .

A. the nature of school     B. poor teachers     C. bad management

8. What does the phrase “go under” (Par. 2, sentence 3) probably mean?

A. have low tuition    B. get into difficulties    C. do a bad job educationally

9. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. There are many cases to indicate that private schools are superior to public schools.

B. The author thinks diversity of education is preferable to uniformity of education.

C. Each time tuition is raised, the enrollment goes up.

10.         In the author’s opinion, the way that can save private schools lies in      .

A. full enrollment            B. raising tuition     C. national support

Answer 1

1. In the passage, the author appeals to the public to support - A)high-quality private universities and colleges

2. According to the passage, schools are bad businesses because of - B)the nature of school

3. What does the phrase “go under” (Par. 2, sentence 3) probably mean? - B) get into difficulties

4. Which of the following statements is TRUE? - B) The author thinks diversity of education is preferable to uniformity of education

5.In the author’s opinion, the way that can save private schools lies in - C) National support