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1A

2014-2015 SPRING MOCK EXIT EXAM

Name:
Class:
Duration: 60 minutes
Reading GRADE: ___________

UNIVERSITY

1. The word “university” refers to an institution of high education and research that students attend in order to
get a degree, or diploma. It originates from the Latin “universitas magistrorum et scholarium”, which means
"community of teachers and scholars”. This community should have the freedom to teach or communicate
ideas or facts – including those that are disturbing for some political or religious authorities. This is called
“Academic Freedom”, and it is impossible to think of university without academic freedom. Academic
freedom enables people to create new ideas and spread knowledge. Ideally, academic freedom should
protect scholars, or academicians, from punishments such as job loss or imprisonment as a result of their
academic activities.
2. The first university in Europe was the University of Bologna. It was established in Italy in 1088. The University
of Bologna is the oldest continuously-operating university in the world. It was also the first to have academic
freedom as we know it today. In 1158, King Federico gave the university the right to do research
independently from political or religious power. This was amazing for the time period because in the 12 th
century, the Catholic Church had power over everything. During the Middle Ages, universities became
popular all over Europe. Rulers and city governments started to open universities. They believed that society
would benefit from the knowledge and expertise that these institutions created. In addition to universities,
there were also art academies for talented artists to develop their skills. The city of Florence in Italy, for
example, was famous for training the best artists in Europe. Leonardo da Vinci, Raffaello Sanzio or
Michelangelo are some of the great artists trained in these academies. These names still define the history
of art today. At the end of the Middle Ages, about 400 years after the first university was founded, there
were twenty-nine universities throughout Europe.

3. Today, there are about 9,000 public and private universities globally. Public universities are generally bigger
in size. The cost of education is also lower in public universities. As far as the quality of education is
concerned, there are some great public universities, just like there are some outstanding private ones.
Private universities are not established or operated by governments. However, many of them get financial
support from governments in the form of tax cuts and funding. Besides, private universities are also subject
to government regulation and law. Some private universities are called non-profit, or foundation
universities. In foundation universities, all the money earned should be used again to improve the quality of
education and research. By law, all private universities in Turkey are non-profit institutions.

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4. In some countries like Austria, education in public universities is totally free. Students can attend public
universities without paying any fees at all. The general view in such countries is that getting a university
education is everyone’s right. Besides, the public and the state benefit from this situation because university
education in general leads to scientific, economic, and cultural improvement. On the other hand, in many
other countries such as the US, higher education can be quite expensive. University students not only give at
least four years of their lives to get a degree, but also a huge amount of money. There are several reasons
for such countries to do so. They believe that the cost of providing free university education to everyone is
too high. This high cost usually has a negative impact on the economy. They also believe that when
university education is completely free, class-sizes get larger. As a result, the quality of education decreases.

5. The recent global economic crisis has been hard on everyone, especially on young university graduates. They
are looking for their first jobs in a bad economy with a very high unemployment rate. As a result, in some
countries, a growing number of students prefer vocational degrees to academic degrees. A vocational
degree focuses more on practical job training. This type of training usually makes it easier for graduates to
find jobs. Information Technologies, Computer Programming, or Business Administration are only a few
examples of such programs. Students who prefer vocational degrees mostly think that purely academic
degrees such as physics, literature, and chemistry do not guarantee a satisfactory job outside the academia
after school.

6. Colleges and universities all over the world are now creating new vocational degree programs at a growing
rate. Young people are advised to follow career-related degrees, rather than “impractical”, purely academic
degrees. Nervous parents, high school counselors, educational consultants, business leaders and
government officials discourage students from pursuing purely academic degrees. They say colleges and
universities “need to make their programs more efficient, so they emphasize employability”. This new
education trend gives students a set of professional skills that are useful for the business environment. In
this way, the education system provides young people with a competitive advantage: Graduates of these
vocational degrees usually move into well-paid careers. However, there is one danger: Focusing heavily on
vocational degrees for ‘job fear’ is likely to limit university education to ‘job training’ only. This might sound
perfectly natural at first, but universities are also places for academic research. Obviously, not all research is
profitable. A considerable amount of research does not bring money immediately. However, these research
studies are indispensable to cultural, social, and scientific improvement. Therefore, some academicians
worry that this business-oriented way of thinking will discourage students from enrolling in academic degree
programs.

7. Should universities be places for job training or for purely academic subjects? Universities do not necessarily
have to choose sides. Some of the best business programs around the world combine major elements of an
arts and sciences education with professional training. One example is the Pathways program at Santa Clara
University in California, U.S.A. Students in all degree programs take courses that bring together several
subjects. For example, a philosophical topic such as ethics can be studied from the perspectives of business,
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education, and politics. Such courses that combine two subject areas are called interdisciplinary courses.
Interdisciplinary courses are valuable because they give students the opportunity to improve themselves in a
number of areas. For instance, a course called “The History of the Automobile: Economy, Politics, and
Culture” enables engineering students to learn more about history and culture while receiving professional
training. The students can combine professional knowledge with purely academic knowledge. As a result,
they become highly qualified professionals, whose knowledge is not limited to their area of specialty.

8. Vocational degrees may be perfect for the majority of students, but the world needs purely academic
knowledge, too. Without the academic studies of physicists or chemists, for example, improvement in
medicine would be impossible. In addition, university is one of the few times in a person’s life when they can
explore and think about things that are not so ‘useful’ such as arts, literature, films and philosophy. In
academic life, these subjects are called the humanities. Without any knowledge in these areas, the world
would be a culturally poor place. Humanistic knowledge is the basis for exploring and understanding the
human experience. For instance, investigating a branch of philosophy might get you thinking about ethical
questions. Learning another language might help you gain an understanding of different cultures. Reading
about the politics of another country might help you think about the meaning of democracy. Taking a history
course might help you have a better understanding of the past, while giving you a clearer picture of what the
future holds. Through exploration of humanities, we learn how to think creatively and critically, and to ask
questions about life. These subjects may not be easily turned into money, but they are certainly beneficial in
understanding who we are as humans.

9. For a better world, purely academic subjects should keep their place in university education. After all,
humanities, arts, and sciences help us understand the world we live in, and give us tools to imagine the
future. Forcing universities to choose either vocational training or academic subjects is, in fact, ludicrous.

Answer the following questions according to the information in the text. Make sure you mark your answers on the
OPTIC FORM.

1. We understand ALL of the following from paragraph 1 EXCEPT that…

A. academic freedom is a must in universities.
B. scholars should not be punished because of their studies.
C. scholars should protect people in universities from job loss.
D. academic freedom leads to new ideas and knowledge.
2. “those” in paragraph 1 refers to…
A. teachers and scholars. C. political or religious authorities.
B. ideas or facts. D. academic communities.
3. The University of Bologna was …
A. controlled by the Catholic Church. C. continuously operated by King Federico.
B. given academic freedom in 1158. D. involved in political and religious activities.

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4. What was the role of universities in the Middle Ages?

A. To employ talented artists C. To spread religion
B. To develop society D. To serve political power
5. In paragraph 2, what does “These names still define the history of art today,” mean?
A. These artists still have an important role in the history of art.
B. The history of art started with these people.
C. These artists are still alive in the 21st century.
D. The history of art is full of talented artists like these people.
6. What is the difference between public and private universities?
A. Private universities do not get any support from governments.
B. Public universities offer a higher quality of education.
C. Public universities are larger but less expensive.
D. Private universities are not controlled by governments.
7. According to paragraph 3, private universities in Turkey…
A. charge a lot of money from students. C. are not allowed to make profit.
B. improve the quality of education. D. do not do academic research.
8. In Austria, public universities are free because Austrians believe…
A. people cannot afford to pay for university education.
B. university education does not benefit society much.
C. higher education slows down population growth.
D. everybody has the right to get a higher education.
9. Which of the following is NOT listed as a disadvantage of free education in the USA?
A. It is bad for the economy of the country. C. It takes at least four years of a person’s life.
B. It leads to crowded classes. D. It decreases the quality of education.
10. What is the effect of the recent economic crisis on academic degree programs?
A. The popularity of academic degree programs has increased.
B. Academic degree programs have started to ignore employability.
C. Most academic degree programs have become pure.
D. Academic degree programs have become less preferable.
11. In paragraph 5, “such” refers to…
A. computer C. academic
B. graduate D. vocational
12. What is the main idea of paragraph 5?
A. Students prefer vocational degrees to be able to find jobs easily.
B. Students prefer academic degrees to work in the academia.
C. It is easier to find jobs when you have an academic degree.
D. Vocational degree programs are easier than academic degree programs.
13. We understand from paragraph 6 that …
A. universities should not limit themselves to job training.
B. all academic research should be done to bring money.
C. job training should be the priority of academic degree programs.
D. young people should not follow career-related degrees.

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14. In paragraph 6, “indispensable” is closest in meaning to…
A. impractical B. irrelevant C. necessary D. accidental
15. The Pathways program shows that…
A. vocational training is considered more important than academic subjects.
B. students prefer arts and sciences education only if it is combined with professional training.
C. universities can focus on vocational degrees and academic subjects at the same time.
D. only the best programs can combine professional training with academic subjects.
16. In paragraph 8, what does “Without any knowledge in these areas, the world would be a culturally poor
place,” mean?
A. These areas make our lives more interesting.
B. Education in these areas is financially profitable.
C. These areas decrease the negative effects of culture.
D. Cultural values get lost with the impact of this knowledge.
17. The MAIN aim of studying humanities is …
A. thinking about ethical questions. C. gaining professional skills.
B. getting a picture of our future. D. understanding human experience.
18. What is the main idea of paragraph 8?
A. Vocational degrees are not good for most students.
B. Academic degree programs are too difficult for university students.
C. Purely academic knowledge improves us socially and scientifically.
D. It is difficult to earn money from humanistic knowledge.
19. In paragraph 9, the adjective “ludicrous” is closest in meaning to …
A. absurd C. imaginative
B. efficient D. understandable
20. The MAIN purpose of the text is to…
A. give a brief history of university.
B. discuss the role of universities in society.
C. differentiate between private and public universities.
D. prove free education should be given to all.

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ANSWERS

1 C
2 B
3 B
4 B
5 A
6 C
7 C
8 D
9 C
10 D
11 D
12 A
13 A
14 C
15 C
16 A
17 D
18 C
19 A
20 B

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