Mike Maietta was eating lunch when he got a text message from his mom.

“Notre Dame,” it said. “Big envelope!”

Mike, a senior at a Californian high school, shouted with joy. The big envelope meant that the excellent university in Indiana had offered him a place in its Class of 2013. But the $51,300 annual fee is a big trouble. So Mike and his parents are considering offers from several other colleges and are figuring out the costs of tuition, housing and holiday trips home.

This year, money is the driving factor(因素) for a growing number of high school seniors, who have to decide what colleges to attend this fall. Less jobs and house prices have changed family spending.

“We’re excited that Mike got into eight great schools,” said Mike’s father, an engineer at Microsoft. “But if you consider going to school out of state, you’ve got to think about all of the other costs: moving, flying back and forth for the holidays. You’re looking at about $3,000 a year, just for travel.”

As families weigh their choices, some are going back to financial aid offices hoping help packages can be increased.

Rachel Brown was happy to get a thick envelope from New York University (NYU). Although she has always wanted to live in Manhattan, she is seriously considering the University of California San Diego (UCSD), because of the high cost in New York.

“The tuition for NYU is twice as much as UCSD,” said Rachel, 17. “My mom doesn’t want me to have a big debt when I graduate, and I don’t want that either. I’d have to take out a loan of $15,000. I’ll check and see if there’s any way that NYU can offer me any financial aid.”

More than 7.6 million American students have filled out the Free Application for Students Aid, 19.9 percent increase over last year.

This month the Federal Department of Education urged college financial aid officers to give more help to certain families. A record 30,428 students applied for 2,300 places at Stanford, partly because the university increased financial aid for families earning below $10,000.

1.Mike may give up Notre Dame because of ______.

A.travel fees

B.financial concerns

C.poor exam results

D.worries about living far away from home

2.The phrase “Big envelope” in paragraph 2 probably refers to“______”.

A.A text message                         B.A large gift package

C.An admission letter                      D.A scholarship letter

3.What can we learn from the passage?

A.The number of American senior students applying for financial aid is increasing.

B.Rachel Brown has given up NYU because of its high tuition and big debts.

C.It is inevitably hard for college students to borrow money to cover costs.

D.An interest-free loan for students helps more students apply for Stanford.

4.The passage mainly focuses on ______

A.the calculation of different costs including tuition

B.the extremely hard financial situation in America

C.the excitement of students’ being able to enter ideal colleges

D.the financial crisis of families over college entrance

 

The Coalition for the Homeless is an organization that seeks to address the needs of the homeless population in the United States. It is a network of offices, some of which provide food and houses for the homeless population, and some of which fight for the passing of laws that would give every American the right to a place to call home. According to the Coalition’s studies, of over two hundred million people living in the United States, up to three million are homeless—and the number is still growing. Since the late 1970s, fast-rising house prices, large cuts in government supported housing programs, and economic recession(经济衰退) have make it impossible for many Americans to meet housing costs. Sadly, this has resulted in a number of persons being forced to leave their homes and/or unable to find new affordable homes. According to another research, families with children appear to be the fastest-growing part of the homeless population, making up 39% of it. The old idea of a homeless person, that of the single man who gets drunk all the time, is no longer true. A much larger part of the population now finds itself homeless. Even worse, once a person becomes homeless, he often finds it impossible to find a job, since most employers require anyone who wants a job from them to provide a home address on a job application.

1.The word “ address” in the first line probably means “ ________”.

A.talk about

B.write to

C.fight for

D.deal with

2.How many people are homeless in the U.S according to the Coalition studies?

A.About 3 million people

B.200 million people

C.39% of the population

D.About one-fifth of the population

3.Homeless people often have difficulty finding a job because_______.

A.they often don’t have enough work experience

B.they mostly have a drinking problem

C.they aren’t supported by government programs

D.they have no home address

4.What’s the main cause of the rising number of the homeless in the U.S.?

A.The passing of new housing laws.

B.The ever-rising price of housing.

C.The slow construction of houses.

D.The fast growth of family size

 

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