Passage 1
The United States is on the verge of losing its leading place in the world's technology. So says more than one study in recent years. One of the reasons for this decline is the parallel decline in the number of U.S. scientists and engineers.
Since 1976, employment of scientists and engineers is up 85 percent. This trend is expected to continue. However, the trend shows that the number of 22-year-olds-the near term source of future PH.D.s-is declining. Further adding to the problem is the increased competition for these candidates from other fields—law, medicine, business, etc. While the number of U.S. PH.D.s in science and engineering declines, the award of PH.D.s to foreign nationals is increasing rapidly.
Our inability to motivate students to pursue science and engineering careers at the graduate level is compounded because of the intense demand industry has for bring Bachelor's and Master's degree holders. Too often, promising PH.D. candidates, confronting the cost and financial sacrifice of pursuing their education, find the attraction of industry irresistible.
The US will come to lose its leading place in technology probably because ________.
第一段最后一句提到原因之一可能是“the parallel decline in the number of U.S. scientists and engineers”，即科学家和工程师的数量在减少。
The field of science and engineering is facing a competition from ________.
由第二段可知，竞争来自于“law, medicine, business”等领域。
Large-scale enterprises now need ________.
由最后一段可知，企业十分需要“Bachelor's and Master's degree holders”，即本科毕业生和硕士毕业生。
Many promising postgraduates are unwilling to pursue a PH.D. degree because ________.
由最后一段最后一句可知，许多有前途的研究生不愿意攻读博士学位的原因是“the cost and financial sacrifice”。