Part A: Reading Comprehension

Text 2

For years, studies have found that first-generation college students—those who do not have a parent with a college degree—lag other students on a range of education achievement factors. Their grades are lower and their dropout rates are higher. But since such students are most likely to advance economically if they succeed in higher education, colleges and universities have pushed for decades to recruit more of them. This has created “a paradox” in that recruiting first-generation students, but then watching many of them fail, means that higher education has “continued to reproduce and widen, rather than close” an achievement gap based on social class, according to the depressing beginning of a paper forthcoming in the journal Psychological Science.

But the article is actually quite optimistic, as it outlines a potential solution to this problem, suggesting that an approach (which involves a one-hour, next-to-no-cost program) can close 63 percent of the achievement gap (measured by such factors as grades) between first-generation and other students.

The authors of the paper are from different universities, and their findings are based on a study involving 147 students (who completed the project) at an unnamed private university. First generation was defined as not having a parent with a four-year college degree. Most of the first-generation students (59.1 percent) were recipients of Pell Grants, a federal grant for undergraduates with financial need, while this was true only for 8.6 percent of the students with at least one parent with a four-year degree.

Their thesis—that a relatively modest intervention could have a big impact—was based on the view that first-generation students may be most lacking not in potential but in practical knowledge about how to deal with the issues that face most college students. They cite past research by several authors to show that this is the gap that must be narrowed to close the achievement gap.

Many first-generation students “struggle to navigate the middle-class culture of higher education, learn the ‘rules of the game,’ and take advantage of college resources,” they write. And this becomes more of a problem when colleges don’t talk about the class advantages and disadvantages of different groups of students. “Because US colleges and universities seldom acknowledge how social class can affect students’ educational experience, many first-generation students lack sight about why they are struggling and do not understand how students ‘like them’ can improve.”

26. Recruiting more first-generation students has

[A]

reduced their dropout rates. 

[B]

narrowed the achievement gap. 

[C]

missed its original purpose. 

[D]

depressed college students. 

27. The authors of the research article are optimistic because

[A]

their findings appeal to students. 

[B]

the recruiting rate has increased. 

[C]

the problem is solvable. 

[D]

their approach is costless. 

28. The study suggests that most first-generation students

[A]

are from single-parent families. 

[B]

study at private universities. 

[C]

are in need of financial support. 

[D]

have failed their college. 

29. The authors of the paper believe that first-generation students

[A]

may lack opportunities to apply for research projects. 

[B]

are inexperienced in handling their issues at college. 

[C]

can have a potential influence on other students. 

[D]

are actually indifferent to the achievement gap. 

30. We may infer from the last paragraph that

[A]

universities often reject the culture of the middle-class. 

[B]

students are usually to blame for their lack of resources. 

[C]

social class greatly helps enrich educational experiences. 

[D]

colleges are partly responsible for the problem in question. 

答案解析 (Answers & Explanations)

26. [C] missed its original purpose.
解析：第一段提到，大学为了让第一代大学生实现经济上的跃升而努力招收他们。但结果却产生了一个“悖论”：招收了他们却看着他们失败，这意味着高等教育“继续复制并扩大了（continued to reproduce and widen），而不是缩小了”基于社会阶层的成就差距。也就是说，招收他们的初衷（缩小差距）并未实现，反而起到了反作用。因此，招收第一代大学生“未能实现其最初的目的（missed its original purpose）”，选C。

27. [C] the problem is solvable.
解析：第二段首句明确指出：“但这篇文章实际上相当乐观，因为它概述了解决这个问题的一个潜在方案（as it outlines a potential solution to this problem）”。这说明作者乐观的原因是他们找到了解决问题的方法，即“这个问题是可以解决的（the problem is solvable）”，选C。

28. [C] are in need of financial support.
解析：第三段第三句指出：“大多数第一代大学生（59.1%）是佩尔助学金的获得者，这是一项为有经济困难的本科生（undergraduates with financial need）提供的联邦助学金”。这直接对应了选项C中的“需要经济支持（are in need of financial support）”。

29. [B] are inexperienced in handling their issues at college.
解析：第四段第一句阐述了论文的论点：“第一代大学生最缺乏的可能不是潜力，而是关于如何处理大多数大学生面临的问题的实用知识（practical knowledge about how to deal with the issues that face most college students）”。缺乏处理问题的知识，也就是“在处理大学问题上缺乏经验（inexperienced in handling their issues at college）”，选B。

30. [D] colleges are partly responsible for the problem in question.
解析：最后一段指出，许多第一代大学生难以适应高等教育中的中产阶级文化。紧接着第二句说：“而当大学不谈论不同学生群体在阶层上的优势和劣势时，这成为一个更大的问题（And this becomes more of a problem when colleges don’t talk about...）”。第三句进一步指出：“因为美国大学很少承认社会阶层如何影响学生的教育体验，许多第一代大学生不知道自己为什么挣扎...”。可见，大学的“避而不谈”和“不承认”加剧了学生的问题，因此“大学对上述问题负有部分责任（colleges are partly responsible for the problem in question）”，选D。

核心长难句精解 (High-Light)

1. in that 引导的原因状语从句与动名词复合结构：
"This has created “a paradox” in that recruiting first-generation students, but then watching many of them fail, means that higher education has “continued to reproduce and widen, rather than close” an achievement gap based on social class..."
【解析】in that 在这里意为“因为/在于”。其引导的从句中，主语是两个动名词短语：`recruiting... but then watching... fail`。谓语动词是 `means`。`means` 后面跟着由 `that` 引导的宾语从句。这句话深刻揭示了高等教育盲目扩招但缺乏后续支持所带来的“阶级固化”反作用。

2. 破折号作同位语与 not... but... 结构：
"Their thesis—that a relatively modest intervention could have a big impact—was based on the view that first-generation students may be most lacking not in potential but in practical knowledge about how to deal with the issues that face most college students."
【解析】破折号中的内容 `that... impact` 是主语 `Their thesis` 的同位语从句。谓语 `was based on...` 后面又跟着一个由 `that` 引导的同位语从句解释 `the view`。在解释观点的从句中，使用了 not in A but in B（不是缺乏潜力，而是缺乏实用知识）的结构。

3. Because 引导原因状语从句与多个宾语从句嵌套：
"Because US colleges and universities seldom acknowledge how social class can affect students’ educational experience, many first-generation students lack sight about why they are struggling and do not understand how students ‘like them’ can improve."
【解析】在 Because 引导的原因状语从句中，`acknowledge` 后面跟着 how 引导的宾语从句。在主句中，`lack sight about` 后面跟着 why 引导的宾语从句；`do not understand` 后面跟着 how 引导的宾语从句。整句话清晰地剖析了“大学的不作为”导致“学生的自我认知盲区”的因果关系。