Reading Comprehension Home Exercise – 08, PASSAGE C

After two decades of growing student enrolments and economic prosperity business schools in the united state have started to face harder times. Only Harvard’s MBA School has shown a substantial increase in enrolment in recent years. Both Princeton and Stanford have seen decreases in their enrolment in recent years. Both Princeton and Stanford have been decreases in their enrolments. Since 1990, the number of people receiving Masters in Business Administration (MBA) degrees has dropped about 3 per cent to 75,000 and the trend of lower enrolment rates is expected to continue.

There are two factors causing this decrease in students seeking an MBA degree. The first one is that many graduates of four-year colleges are finding that an MBA degree does not guarantee a plush job on Wall Street, or in other financial districts of major American cities. Many of the entry- level management jobs are going to students graduating with Master of Arts degrees in English and the humanities as well as those holding MBA degrees. Students have asked the question; “is an MBA degree really what I need to be best prepared for getting a good job” The second major factors have been the cutting of American payrolls and the lower number of entry-level jobs being offered. Business needs are changing, and MBA schools are struggling to meet the new demands.

1.   What is the main focus of this passage?

a.       Jobs on wall street

b.      Types of graduate degrees

c.       Changes in enrolment for MBA schools

d.      How schools are changing to reflect the economy

2.   The phrase “ two decades” in line 1 refers to a period of

a.       10 years

b.      20 years

c.       50 years

d.      100 years.

3.   The word “prosperity” in line 1 could best be replaced by which of the following?

a.       Success

b.      Surplus

c.       Nurturing

d.      Education

4.   Which of the following business schools has NOT shown a decrease in enrolment?

A.      Princeton

B.      Harvard

C.      Stanford

D.      Yale

5.   The phrase “trend of” in line 5 is closest in meaning to which of the following?

a.       Reluctance of

b.      Drawback to

c.       Movement toward

d.      Extraction from

6.   As used in line 7, the word “seeking” could best be replaced by which of the following?

a.       Examining

b.      Avoiding

c.       Seizing

d.      Pursuing

7.   Which of the following descriptions most likely applies to Wall Street?

a.       A centre for international affairs

b.      A major financial centre

c.       A shopping district

d.      A neighborhood in New York

8.   The word “plush” in line 8 probably means

a.       Legal

b.      Satisfactory

c.       Fancy

d.      Dependable

9.   According to the passage, what are two causes of declining business school enrolments?

a.       Lack of necessity for an MBA and an economic recession

b.      Low salary and foreign competition

c.       Fewer MBA schools and fewer entry- level jobs

d.      Declining population and economic prosperity

10.   The word “setting “in line 12 could which of the following replace best?

a.       Wounding

b.      Reducing

c.       Dividing

d.      Carving

11.   As used in line 14, the word “ struggling “ is closest in meaning to

a.       Evolving

b.       Plunging

c.       Starting

d.       Striving

12.   Which of the following might be the topic of the next paragraph?

a.       MBA school’s efforts to change

b.      Further economic predictions

c.       A history of the recent economic changes

d.      Descriptions of non- MBA graduate program

Answer:

 1.       C

2.       B

3.       A

4.       B

5.       C

6.       D

7.       B

8.       C

9.       A

10.   B

11.   D

12.   A