PassageTwoQuestions57to61arebasedonthefollowingpassage.Therearefewmoresoberingonlineactivitiesthanenteringdataintocollege-tuitioncalculatorsandgaspingastheWebspitsbackasix-figuresum.Buteconomistssayfamiliesabouttogointodebttofundfouryearsofpartying,aswellasstudying,canconsolethemselveswiththeknowledgethatcollegeisaninvestmentthat,unlikemanybankstocks,shouldyieldhugedividends.A2008studybytwoHarvardeconomistsnotesthatthe“labor-marketpremiumtoskill”—ortheamountcollegegraduatesearnedthat’sgreaterthanwhathigh-schoolgraduateearned—decreasedformuchofthe20thcentury,buthascomebackwithavengeance(报复性地)sincethe1980s.In2005,Thetypicalfull-timeyear-roundU.S.workerwithafour-yearcollegedegreeearned$50,900,62%morethanthe$31,500earnedbyaworkerwithonlyahigh-schooldiploma.There’snoquestionthatgoingtocollegeisasmarteconomicchoice.Butalookatthestrangevariationsintuitionrevealsthatthechoiceaboutwhichcollegetoattenddoesn’tcomedownmerelytodollarsandcents.DoesgoingtoColumbiaUniversity(tuition,roomandboard$49,260in2007-08)yielda40%greaterreturnthanattendingtheUniversityofColoradoatBoulderasanout-of-statestudent($35,542)?Probablynot.Doesbeinganout-of-statestudentattheUniversityofColoradoatBoulderyieldtwicetheamountofincomeasbeinganin-statestudent($17,380)there?Notlikely.No,inthisconsumeristage,mostbuyersaren’tevaluatingcollegeasaninvestment,butratherasaconsumerproduct—likeacarorclothesorahouse.Andwithsuchpurchases,priceisonlyoneofmanycrucialfactorstoconsider.Aswithautomobiles,consumersintoday’scollegemarketplacehavevastchoices,andpeoplesearchfortheonethatgivesthemthemostcomfortandsatisfactioninlinewiththeirbudgets.Thisaccountsforthewillingnessofpeopletopaymorefordifferenttypesofexperiences(suchasattendingaprivateliberal-artscollegeorgoingtoanout-of-statepublicschoolthathasagreatmarine-biologyprogram).Andjustastwoautopurchasersmightspendanequalamountofmoneyonverydifferentcars,collegestudents(or,moreaccurately,theirparents)oftenshowawillingnesstopayessentiallythesamepriceforvastlydifferentproducts.Sowhichisit?Iscollegeaninvestmentproductlikeastockoraconsumerproductlikeacar?Inkeepingwiththeautomotiveworld’shottestconsumertrend,maybeit’sbesttocharacterizeitasahybrid(混合动力汽车)anexpensiveconsumerproductthat,overtime,willpayrichdividends.注意：此部分试题请在答题卡2上作答。第44题What’stheopinionofeconomistsaboutgoingtocollege? A: Hugeamountsofmoneyisbeingwastedoncampussocializing. B: Itdoesn’tpaytorunintodebttoreceiveacollegeeducation. C: Collegeeducationisrewardinginspiteofthestartlingcosts. D: Goingtocollegedoesn’tnecessarilybringtheexpectedreturns.

WhenIwasaseniorincollege,IcamehomeforChristmasvacationandanticipatedafun-filledfortnightwithmytwobrothers.Weweresoexcitedtobetogetherandwevolunteeredtowatchthestoresothatmymotherandfathercouldtaketheirfirstdayoffinyears.ThedaybeforemyparentswenttoBoston,myfathertookmequietlyasidetothelittledenbehindthestore.Hetookoutacigarbox,openeditandshowedmealittlepileofnewspaperarticles.“Whatarethey?”Iasked.Fatherrepliedseriously,“ThesearearticlesI’vewrittenandsomeletterstotheeditorthathavebeenpublished.”AsIbegantoread,IsawatthebottomofeachneatlyclippedarticlethenameWalterChapman.“Whydidn’tyoutellmeyou’ddonethat?”Iasked.“BecauseIdidn’twantyourmothertoknow.ShehasalwaystoldmethatsinceIdidn’thavemucheducation,Ishouldn’ttrytowrite.Iwantedtorunforsomepoliticalofficealso,butshetoldmeIshouldn’ttry.Iguessshewasafraidshe’dbeembarrassedifIlost.IfiguredIcouldwritewithoutherknowingit,andsoIdid.Wheneachitemwouldbeprinted,I’dcutitoutandhideitinthisbox.IknewsomedayI’dshowtheboxtosomeone,andit’syou.”HewatchedmeasIreadoverafewofthearticlesandwhenIlookedup,hisbigblueeyesweremoist.“IguessItriedforsomethingtoobigthislasttime,”headded.“Didyouwritesomethingelse?”“Yes,Isentsomesuggestionsintoourchurchmagazineonhowthenationalnominatingcommitteecouldbeselectedmorefairly.It’sbeenthreemonthssinceIsentitin.IguessItriedforsomethingtoobig.”Thiswassuchanewsidetomyfun-lovingfatherthatIdidn’tquiteknowwhattosay,soItried,“Maybeit’llstillcome.”“Maybe,butdon’tholdyourbreath.”fathergavemealittlesmileandawinkandthenclosedthecigarbox.ThenextmorningourparentsleftonthebustotherailwaystationwheretheytookatraintoBoston.WhenIranthestorewithmytwobrothers,Ithoughtaboutthebox.I’dneverknownmyfatherlikedtowrite.Ididn’ttellmybrothers.Itwasasecretbetweenfatherandme.EarlythateveningIlookedoutthestorewindowandsawmymothergetoffthebus—alone.“Where’sDad?”Weaskedtogether.“Yourfather’sdead,”shesaidwithoutatear.ShetoldustheyhadbeenwalkingthroughtheParkStreetSubwayStationinthemidstofcrowdsofpeoplewhenfatherhadfallentothefloor.Anursebentoverhim,lookedupatmotherandsaidsimply,“He’sdead.”Motherhadstoodbyfatherstunned,notknowingwhattodoaspeopletrippedoverhimintheirrushthroughthesubway.Mothertoldustheshockingtalewithoutsheddingatear.Notshowingemotionhadalwaysbeenamatterofdisciplineandprideforher.Wedidn’tcryeitherandwetookturnswaitingonthecustomers.Onesteadypatronasked,“Where’stheoldmantonight?”“He’sdead,”Ireplied.“Oh,toobad,”andheleft.I’dneverthoughtoffatherasanoldman.He’dalwaysbeenhealthyandhappyandhe’dcaredforfrailmotherwithoutcomplainingandnowhewasgone.Nomorewhistling,nomoresinginghymnswhilestockingshelves.“Theoldman”wasgone.Onthemorningofthefuneral,IsatatthetableinthestoreopeningsympathycardsandpastingtheminascrapbookwhenInoticedthechurchmagazineinthepile.NormallyIwouldneverhaveopenedit,butmaybethatsacredarticlemightbethere—anditwas.Itookthemagazinetothelittleden,shutthedoor,andburstintotears.Ihadbeenbrave,butseeingDad’sboldrecommendationsinprintwasmorethanIcouldbear.IreadandcriedandthenIreadagain.InthemagazineIalsofoundatwo-pagelettertomyfatherfromHenryCabotLodge,Sr.,thankinghimforthecampaignsuggestions.Itookouttheboxandputtheminit.Ididn’ttellanyoneaboutthebox.