Clearly, from the schools’ perspective, there’s a lot of money to be saved. Although some of the more ambitious programs require new investments in severs and networks to support collaborative software, most DL courses can run on existing or minimally upgraded (升级) systems. The more students who enroll in a course but don’t come to campus, the more the schools saves on keeping the lights on in the classrooms, paying doorkeepers, and maintaining parking lots. And, while there’s evidence that instructors must work harder to run a DL course for a variety of reasons, they won’t be paid any more, and might well be paid less.
1. What is the most striking feature of the University of Phoenix? A. All its courses are offered online. B. Its online courses are of the best quality. C. It boasts the largest number of students on campus. D. Anyone taking its online courses is sure to get a degree.
2. Which is the least possible activity involved in a DL course? A. Attending the class whenever students want to. B. Discussing with classmates on the online class forum. C. Checking exam schedules and course progress online. D. Receiving hardcopy of reading materials through postal service.
3. According to the passage, distance learning is basically characterized by _____. A. a considerable flexibility in its academic requirements B. the great diversity of students’ academic backgrounds C. a minimum or total absence of face-to-face instruction D. the casual relationship between students and professors
4. Many students take Internet-based courses mainly because they can _____. A. earn their academic degrees with much less effort B. save a great deal on traveling and boarding expense C. select courses from various colleges and universities D. work on the required courses whenever and wherever
5. What accounts for the high drop-out rates for online students? A. There is no strict control over the academic standards of the courses. B. The evaluation system used by online universities is inherently weak. C. There is no mechanism to ensure that they make the required effort. D. Lack of classroom interaction reduces the effectiveness of instruction.
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