考研英语阅读100篇unit7.docx

UNIT SEVEN TEXT ONE Once upon a time—when the U.S. dollar was king—American students blithely flocked overseas to nibble on affordable scones and croissants between classes. How times have changed.As the dollar dips to all-time lows, college students are feeling the pinch. Especially in the United Kingdom and countries that use the euro—which currently is at 68 cents to the dollar—the cost of living has skyrocketed. Years ago we could say studying abroad was the same price as staying on campus, says Daeya Malboeuf, an associate director at Syracuse University. Theres no way we can say that anymore. Yet this unfavorable economic environment hasnt stopped students from scrambling overseas. According to the Institute of International Education, study-abroad programs have grown 144 percent in the past decade and continue to increase around 8 percent each year. Considering the rising costs, its surprising how little the students havent been deterred, says Natalie Bartush, who handles the study-abroad program at the University of Texas. Where the real change appears to be happening as a result of rising prices is in the length and location of students foreign study choices. The number of participants in short-term summer programs has swelled, as has the interest in courses at more exotic locales. For Middlebury College students, for example, a year in Florence costs around $37,000; at Santiago, Chile, its $27,000. Such price differences have contributed to modest or flat growth at traditionally popular programs in western Europe and Australia, whereas schools in Chile, Argentina, South Africa, and China (particularly Hong Kong) are aggressively expanding to meet rising demand. Program directors are quick to point out that the shift is not just about money. You cant understand the United States today without understanding whats going on outside our borders, and thats not just Europe anymore, says Rebecca Hovey, dean of the study-abroad program at the School for Internatio