Colleges taking another look at value of merit-based aid Good grades and high tests scores still matter--a lot--to many colleges as they award financial aid. But with low-income students projected to make up an ever-larger share of the college-bound population in coming years, some schools are re-examining whether that aid, typically known as "merit aid", is the most effective use of precious institutional dollars. George Washington University in Washington, D.C., for example, said last week that it would cut the value of its average merit scholarships by about one-third and reduce the number of recipients , pouring the savings, about $2.5 million, into need-based aid. Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa., made a similar decision three years ago. Now, Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., says it will phase out merit scholarships altogether. No current merit-aid recipients will lose their scholarships, but need-based aid alone will be awarded beginning with students entering in fall 2008. Not all colleges offer merit aid; generally, the more selective a school, the less likely it is to do so. Harvard and Princeton, for example, offer generous need-based packages, but many families who don't meet need eligibility have been willing to pay whatever they must for a big-name school. For small regional colleges that struggle just to fill seats, merit aid can be an important revenue-builder because many recipients still pay enough tuition dollars over and above the scholarship amount to keep the institution running. But for rankings-conscious schools in between, merit aid has served primarily as a tool to recruit top students and to improve their academic profits. "They're trying to buy students," says Skidmore College economist Sandy Baum. Studies show merit aid also tends to benefit disproportionately students who could afford to enroll without it. "As we look to the future, we see a more pressing need to invest in need-based aid," says Monica Inzer, dean of admission and financial aid at Hamilton, which has offered... In recent years, merit-based aid has increased much faster than need-based aid due to   _  . A) more government funding to colleges B) fierce competition among institutions C) the increasing number of top students D) schools' improved financial situations
B


(Question)
Welcome to one of the largest collections of footwear in the world that will make you green with envy. Here at the Footwear Museum you can see exhibits from all over the world. You can find out about shoes worn by everyone from the Ancient Egyptians to pop stars. Room 1 The celebrity footwear section is probably the most popular in the entire museum. Started in the 1950s there is a wide variety of shoes and boots belonging to everyone from queens and presidents to pop stars and actors! Most visitors find the celebrities' choice of footwear extremely interesting. Room 2 Most of our visitors are amazed--and shocked--by the collection of "special purpose" shoes on exhibition here at the Museum of Footwear. For example, there are Chinese shoes made of silk that were worn by women to tie their feet firmly to prevent them from growing too much! Room 3 As well as shoes and boots, the museum also exhibits shoeshaped objects. The variety is unbelievable. For example, there is a metal lamp that resembles a pair of shoes, and Greek wine bottles that look like legs! The Footwear Library People come from all over the world to study in our excellent footwear library. Designers and researchers come here to look up information on anything and everything related to the subject of footwear. Which of the following is true according to the text? A) The oldest exhibits in Room 1 were made in the 1950s. B) Room 2 is the most visited place in the museum. C) Room 3 has a richer variety of exhibits than the other two. D) Researchers come to the Footwear Library for data.
(Answer)
D


Ques: Space tourism might be the dream of many people on the planet, but a journey to space is not is not as easy as simply buying some tickets at a travel search engine;it is only reserved for the privileged few that can afford the cost.. One of the options that impressed me most is the one offered by a company called Space Adventures.   What they have in place is a space tourism program that slows you to travel with the Soyuz to the International Space Station (ISS).The trip starts a few months in advance with intensive training dealing mainly with gravity operations, fight control and survival activities. When all tins training is over, your space trip begins. The trip can be planned exactly according to your needs, whether you're going for scientific research , or simply for an adventure. I doubt whether you will find any other kind of trip that has such a thorough preparation period beforehand.    One of the great things to do, even if it makes your space trip a bit more expensive, is that you could go on a space walk during your trip. _ would definitely be a good opportunity to dance outside with your loved one to a slow waltz...Sorry, I forget there's no sound in space! Whatever option you choose, the only obstacle you might face is the cost. All the other requirements seem to be less than those for getting a visa to a foreign country. Generally your height should be between 160 and 185 cm, your weight between 50and 95 kg and be in good health.    Finally ,in answer to the question you've been wondering about .Granted, space tourism is expensive, but exactly how expensive would a normal scheduled flight to the ISS cost? Would you believe it costs between $30 and $40 million? A Russian language course is included! What's the author's tone in writing this passage? A) Disapproving. B) Humorous. C) Positive. D) Indifferent.
Ans: B


Dear Sir, I am interested in your advertisement in the "Arkadia Morning Mail" for hostesses to be in charge of the welfare ,entertainment and guiding of British guests in your holiday centre in Ruusulinna. I am now a third-year student of English and History in the University of Gardenia but I am free from early June till late September.I have spent one year in London working in an English family and attending courses in English so I can speak this language fluently . My father has been a guide and I have often followed him and also myself acted as a guide to English-speaking groups.My studies and experience have made me familiar with many interesting places in my country.I am sociable,really interested in people and,at the same time,I am the one with common sense on whom people can depend. I put the address of the Manager of the local Tourist Information Office with the letter inside,who is ready to supply further information about me. If you are interested in my application ,I should be pleased with further information about these jobs,including the salary and general condition of employment. Yours faithfully, Polly Cosmos What do you think the "Arkadia Morning Mail" is? A) It's a TV station. B) It's a radio station. C) It's a newspaper. D) It's a company.

C