In 1945 there were 17 universities in Britain; by 1967 there were 45．A period of very rapid expansion took place in the middle sixties when ten new institutes were granted university status by Royal Charter．These modern universities do not in many ways resemble their older counterparts．Much more emphasis is placed on advanced studies in science and technology and the newer social science disciplines than on the arts and humanities．For the most part of the buildings the students live and work in are severely functional and there are the hum and bustle of continuous activities．The quiet gardens and enclosed quadrangles of Oxford and Cambridge belong to another world．This will certainly happen, for the universities like everything else must change and adapt themselves to meet the needs and demands of a new age．
In recent years there has been a very rapid increase in the number of young people (especially girls) seeking higher education．Between 1962 and 1975, the number of students in higher education more than doubled from 222,400 to 497,000．Part of this increase is accounted for by the creation of thirty “Polytechnics” which offer a wide range of courses leading to recognized qualifications．
For those who missed the opportunities for higher education at the age of eighteen or so, a major innovation in the academic world now provides a second chance．The Open University was found in 1971; it offers tuition to degree standards to anyone who chooses to entry．The courses are taught through radio, television programs, Internet and by correspondence with Open University tutors．By now there are over 100,000 students enrolled for Open University and there are several thousand people who are the proud holders of a B．A degree from the Open University．
68．The underlined word “counterparts” in the first paragraph has the closest meaning with “______．”
A．enemies B．leaders C．similarities D．strangers
69．Who can go to the Open Universities in Britain?
A．The British young people only．
B．Anyone who missed the chance to go to college．
C．Girls who missed the chance to enter a college．
D．Those who are interested in science and technology．
70．How can a student get taught in the Open University?
A．Study in the open air of Oxford and Cambridge Universities．
B．Through the modern communication methods．
C．By self-study with the help of polytechnics．
D．By attending to the top ten institutes in Britain．
71．Which of the following might serve as the best title of the above passage?
A．Life in the Open Universities． B．Free Degrees in Open Universities．
C．A Way Out, the Open Universities． D．Open University, Past and Future．
