阅读强化练习8.doc

阅读强化练习八 Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes) For-Profit Colleges Clean Up Their Acts...Sort Of The image of the nation’s for-profit colleges has taken a beating in recent months. Senate hearings and the media have been filled with stories of schools engaging in questionable business practices, including accusations that some colleges pushed students to take loans they couldn’t afford and misled applicants about the potential for getting a high-paying job after receiving a degree. And the bad press isn’t over yet. Last week the Florida attorney general’s (检察长) office announced an investigation into whether for-profit higher-education schools—including Kaplan Inc., the University of Phoenix, Everest University, MedVance Institute, and Argosy University—had made misrepresentations to students. Faced with mounting criticism, two of the largest for-profit colleges have announced reforms. Starting in September the 470,000-student-strong University of Phoenix stopped paying its admissions officers based on the number of students they sign up, eliminating an incentive some see for those officers to mislead applicants or pressure them to sign paperwork. The school will also put all prospective new students through a three-week, tuition-free “orientation” course designed to help them decide whether they’re ready for the commitments that come with their studies. In the past there have been reports of cash-strapped students talked into signing up when they may not have been ready—many may be behind financially or educationally, but they still end up on the hook for making school payments they can’t really afford. “The orientation program enables incoming students to make an informed decision about attending University of Phoenix and experience the strictness of the college classroom without incurring a financial burden,” says University of Phoenix spokesman Manny Rivera. Kaplan, one of the University of Phoenix’s larger competitor