Started in 1636, Harvard University is the oldest of many colleges and universities in the United States. Yale, Princeton, Columbia and Dartmouth were all started before the American Revolution made the thirteen colonies(殖民地) into states.
In the early years, these schools were much alike. Only young men attended colleges. All the students studied the same subjects, and everyone learned Latin, Greek and Hebrew. Little was known about science then, and one kind of school could teach everything that was known about the world. When the students graduated, most of them became ministers or teachers.
In 1782, Harvard started a medical school for young men who wanted to become doctors. Later, lawyers(律师) could receive their training in Harvard’s law school. In 1852, Harvard began teaching modern languages, such as French and German, as well as Latin and Greek. Soon it began teaching American history.
As knowledge increased, Harvard and other colleges began to teach many new subjects that interested them.
Special colleges for women were started. New state universities began to teach such subjects as farming, engineering and business. Today, there are many different kinds of colleges and universities. Most of them are divided into smaller schools that deal with special fields of learning. There is so much to learn that one kind of school cannot offer it all.
小题1: Yale, Princeton, Columbia and Dartmouth were the names of the _______ in America.
A．states
B．cities
C．universities
D．colonies小题2:As knowledge increased, colleges began to teach _______.
A．everything that is known
B．many new subjects
C．French and German
D．farming小题3:The title of this passage should be _______.
A．Famous Harvard University
B．American Universities
C．The Changing of American Universities
D．The American Revolution小题4:Which statement does the passage lead you to believe?
A．The early schools are still much alike.
B．There is more to learn today than in 1636.
C．All the early students worked harder.
D．Students in modern America learn only science.
