2012MBA英语阅读理解：阅读记词Passage42.docVIP

2012MBA英语阅读理解：阅读记词 Passage42 For many years, colleges and universities across the United States have sought to increase the numbers of African American, Hispanic and Native American students who pursue scientific careers. Yet the College Board reported in 1999 that underrepresentation of minority students had become even “more intractable.” 　　African Americans now constitute 12 percent of the U.S. population yet earned only 1 percent of the doctorates in 1997. Hispanics make up 11 percent of the population but earned 0.9 percent of the 1997 doctorates. Although the numbers of African American and Hispanic students earning bachelor’s degrees in 1996-1997 hit an all-time high, there was a decline in those entering graduate school, according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Native Americans also remain underrepresented in the sciences. 　　Despite the best of intentions, many programs designed to prepare minority undergraduates for advanced scientific training have had uneven results. Some have been unclear about whether their goal is to produce scientists or just to help minority students graduate. Others have been inadequately funded or lacked institutional commitment; many have never been evaluated rigorously. 　　Some programs do succeed in helping minority students graduate and pursue scientific careers. Examples include programs at Xavier University of Louisiana, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). 1）Although different in important respects, these programs share key features, such as clearly articulated objectives, strong institutional commitment, effective mentors and an emphasis on building community among participants. 　　All are being carried out in a legal environment that has become increasingly complex. 2）The University of California, for example, now operates under a state law that forbids using state funds for special programs for minority students. In other states, court