Question

America used to have a strong college education system for prison inmates (prisoners). It was seen as a way to rehabilitate men and women in prison by helping them go straight when they got out.

Those taxpayer-supported college classes were put to an end in the 1990s. But New York Governor Andrew Cuomo would like to bring them back in the state, setting off a fierce new debate.

A number of lawmakers in New York have promised to kill Cuomo’s proposal (提議).

Cuomo says reintroducing taxpayer-funded college classes in New York’s prisons is a common-sense plan that will reduce the number of inmates who commit new crimes.

“You pay $ 60,000 for a prison cell for a year,” Cuomo responded. “You put a guy away for 10 years, and that’s $600,000. Right now, chances are almost half. Once he’s set free, he’s going to come right back.”

Cuomo says helping inmates get a college education would cost about $ 5,000 a year per person. He argues, “It’s a small amount of money if it keeps that inmate from bouncing back into prison.”

But even some members of the governor’s own party hate this idea. State Assemblywoman Addie Russell, whose upstate district includes three state prisons, says taxpayers just won’t stand for inmates getting a free college education, while middle-class families struggle to pay for their kids’ college fees.

“That is the vast majority of feedback (反饋) that I’m also getting from my constituents (選民)，” she says. “You know, ‘Where is the relief for the rest of the population who obey the law ?’ ”

“I was very disappointed that the policy had been changed,” says Gerald Gaes, who served as an expert on college programs for the Federal Bureau of Prisons in the 1990s. In 1994, President Clinton stopped federal student aid programs for inmates.

Gaes says research shows that college classes actually save taxpayers’ money over time, by reducing the number of inmates who break the law and wind up back in those expensive prison cells.

“It is cost-effective,” he says. “Designing prisons that way will have a long-term benefit for New York State.”

1.The underlined word “rehabilitate” probably means “ ”.

A．let people know more about prisoners.

B．help someone have a normal life again.

C．a(chǎn)llow prisoners to experience the world.

D．encourage someone to help other people.

2.What is the debate about ?

A．Lawmakers’ rights in New York.

B．College classes for New York’s citizens.

C．Higher education in New York’s prisons.

D．Punishments given to New York’s criminals.

3.Cuomo does the calculations to prove .

A．a(chǎn)lmost half of prisoners are likely to come back into prison.

B．college classes for inmates can save taxpayers’ money.

C．the costs of running prisons in the US are on the rise.

D．it is very difficult to reduce the number of inmates.

4.Most of Russell’s constituents believe Cuomo’s proposal .

A．is unfair to middle-class families.

B．will benefit citizens obeying laws.

C．will be useless for improving prisons.

D．is based on most taxpayers’ feedback.

Answer 1