小学六年级英语竞赛试题(二)
一．请判断每组单词中划线部分发音是否相同。（10分）
1．happy Paris( ) 2. bookstore short( )
3. house about( )
4. behind kind
( )
5. brown town ( )
6. curly Saturday ( )
7. blond London( ) 8. hair here
( )
9. volleyball they( ) 10. work short( )
二.按要求写出下列单词。(10分)
1.woman（复数）________
2.write(同音词)_________
3.they (宾格)________
https://www.doczj.com/doc/e19744939.html,e (现在分词)_________
5.same (反义词)________
6.have (第三人称单数)_________
7.son (同音词)________
8.beauty (副词)_________
9.sing (名词形式)________ 10.Japan(形容词)_________
三.单项选择. (15分)
1.“中国中央电视台”的英语缩写是_______。
A. CTV
B. BTV
C. CBTV
D. CCTV
2.下列国家中不是以英语作为母语的是_______。
A. 加拿大
B. 澳大利亚
C. 法国
D. 英国
3.英语字母是按一定的笔画顺序书写的，下列小写字母中______不是两笔完成的。
A. f; l
B. t; x
C. k; j
D. e; q
4.哪一个缩略词是指信息技术？
A. TM
B. IT
C. AD
D. ID
5.英语标点符号大部分与汉语相同，下列哪个符号不同？
A. 分号
B. 句号
C. 逗号
D. 问号
6.在二十六个字母中，_______和______可独立成词。
A. O; U
B. A; I
C. R; E
D. P; M
7. Tom can play______ piano but he can not play______ basketball.
A. a, a
B. the, the
C. the, a
D. the , /
8. I don′t have______ money.
A. any
B. some
C. a
D. /
9. John comes______ England but he lives______ New York now.
A. of, in
B. form, in
C. in, from
D. from, from
10. Please give______ a cup of tea._______ cup isn't here.
A. I, my
B. mine, I
C. me, My
D. me, Mine
11. There is______ on_______ days.
A. rain, rain
B. rainy, rain
C. raining, rainy
D. rain, rainy
12. She is a queen. She lives in_______.
A. an igloo
B. a castle
C. a ger
D. an apartment
13. The computer is on the _______floor.
A. one
B. two
C. second
D. four
14. _______is the capital city of England.
A. Beijing
B. London
C. New York
D. Paris
15. There______ a new pen and some new erasers in her pencil-box.
A. am
B. is
C. are
D. be
四.用适当的介副词填空。(10分)
1．Mary, it′s a letter_______ you.
2．What′s this_______ English.
3． The boy play football________ Sunday.
4． This is a picture_________ my brother.
5． Hi, Jack. Where are you________ ?
6．Listen_______ me. Don′t look_______ the picture. 7． We play games________ the big tree.
8．It′s hot. Take_______ your c oat.
9． I often go to school_______ foot.
10. Let′s read_______ Lesson 1________ Lesson 6.
五．请你找出下列各句的错误，并改正。（10分）
1.Jim have short, blond hair and blue eye.
________________________________________________
2. My brother is do his homework quietly.
________________________________________________
3. We are going to Shanghai by the train.
_____________________________________________
4. She likes reading book in the library.
______________________________________________
5. He by a bike to his school every day.
_______________________________________________
六. 阅读短文，回答问题.(20分)
A Clever Rat
A folder is in the room. A fish is on it. A rat comes out. He sees the fish. A cat is in the room, too. He sees the rat and comes at the rat. “Don′t eat me,” says the rat to the cat.“You like fish.
I have a nice fi sh for you. Look, there it is.”
The cat lets the rat go. He comes up to the fish. Oh, the folder catches one of his paws.
1. What is on the folder ?
_______________________________________________
2. Is the fish the rat′s ?
_______________________________________________
3. Does the cat like the fish ? Why ?
_____________________________________________
4. Does the cat eat the rat at last ?
____________________________________________________
七.从II栏中找出I栏中的汉语意思。（10分）
I
II
( )1. black and blue A.隔墙有耳
( )2. Walls have ears. B.玩的开心
( )3. have a good time C.小心
( )4. Hello girl. D.新手
( )5. Look out. E.有其父必有其子
( )6. A green hand F.爱屋及乌
( )7. Like father, like son. G.来的快，去的快
( )8. Love me, love my dog. H.掌上明珠
( )9. The apple of her mother’s eyes I.接线员
( )10. Easy come, easy go. J.青一块，紫一块
八．作文（15分）
结合所学知识，向我们介绍你的一位好朋友吧。（60—80字）
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
小学六年级英语竞赛试题(三)
一．按要求完成下列单词：(13)
1. five(序数词)???______
2. be (过去式)_______
3.one(序数词)_______
4. have (过去式)_____
5.three(序数词) _____
6. do(过去式)______
7.long(反义词)______ 8. go(过去式) ______
9 difficult(反义词) _____ 10.lose(过去式)_____
11.east(反义词)______ 12.wake(过去式)_____
13.tall(反义词)_____ 14.good(比较级)????_____ 15.inside(反义词)____ 16.long(最高级)_____ 17. child(复数)______ 18.young(比较级)????_____
19.bus(复数)_______ 20.heavy(比较级)_____
https://www.doczj.com/doc/e19744939.html,e(现在分词)____ 22.sing(歌手)________
23.play(运动员)_______ 24.piano(钢琴家)______
25.art (艺术家)_______ 26.different(反义词)_____
二．选择填空：(15)
1. I am not good______ (on/at)singing.
2. Do you like_______ (he/him),too?
3. _______(What/ What’s)grade are you in?
4. I can’t find ______(mine/my)brother.
5. _______( What/ What’s) your favorite subject?
6. We’ve got to______(calling/call)the police.
7. Let’s ask ________( for/of)help.
8. He is as young as______(that/those)clown.
9. She is smaller_______(as/than)I am.
10.Let’s look for her_______(everywhere/anywhere).
11.Is Jane as ______(old/older)as you?
12.He’s______(wear/wearing)glasses.
13.Let’s______(go/going)into the shop.
14.Which do you like______(good/better)/
15.Can I try this shirt______(in/on)?
三、根据音标，填写单词，使句子意思完整。
1.I have a[sist],her name is Joan.
2.My [igli]teacher is very kind.
3.I am in Class One,[greid]Five.
4.Let's go[hum].
5.There are[meni]pens in the box.
四.单词和短语：(共10小题，每小题1分，计10分)
A)请将括号内单词的字母重新排列顺序，组成新单词，填在横线上，使句子能完整达意。
1.There are(net)books on the table.
2.We are(ton)in Class 4.
3.Nice to(teem)you!
4.Tom and Mary are in the(eams)class.
5.Good morning,Mum.Good morning,(add).
B)英汉互译，请将答案写在题后的横线上。
1.上学
2.在课桌上
3.一只棕色的狗
https://www.doczj.com/doc/e19744939.html,e in
5.a beautiful girl
五.句型：(共10小题，每小题1分，计10分) 单项选择。把正确答案的标号写在题前括号中。
()1.—Who's duty today?
—It's me.
A.on
B.in
C.at
D.to
()2.—are you?
—Ten.
A.How
B.Where
C.What
D.How old ()3.—is this bag?
—It's red.
A.What
B.Whose
C.Where
D.What colour
()4.—Good morning,!
—Good morning,Miss Liu.
A.classes
B.class
C.Classes
D.my Class
()5. is a girl,name is Alice.
A.Her；She
B.She；Her
C.He；His
D.His；He ()6.This is classroom.like it.
https://www.doczj.com/doc/e19744939.html,；Our
B.your；Us
C.our；We
D.we；Our
()7.—This is John,my friend.
—
A.How you are?
B.What's your name?
C.Nice to meet you!
D.Good.
()8.—Whose book is it?
—It's.
A.I
B.me
C.my
D.mine ()9.—Is he a teacher or a doctor?
—
A.Yes,he is.
B.No,he isn't.
C.A teacher.
D.A nurse.
()10.—Can you spell name,please?
—Yes,can.
A.you；you
B.your；you
C.you；I
D.your；I Ⅳ.情景会话：(共10小题，A部分每小题2分，B部分每小题1分，计15分)
A)根据下列情景，选择一个最佳答案，补全对话。
()1.—
—Fine,thank you.And you?
—I'm fine,too.
A.How old are you?
B.How is the day?
C.How nice it is?
D.How are you?
()2.What colour is the pen?
A.It's green.
B.It's a green.
C.It's Green.
D.It's greens.
()3.—What's the name of his cat?
—.
A.It's a Chinese cat.
B.It's an English cat.
C.Mimi is one.
D.Its name is Mimi.
()4. Sure.
A.May I use your bike?
B.Is this your bike?
C.What's this in English?
D.What colour is it?
()5. I from china
A.What class are you in?
B.Where are you?
C.Where are you from?
D.What are you?
B)根据下列每题所设情景，选出最佳答案。
()1.如果你不会用英语说某物，你该怎样问老师：
A.Do you know English?
B.What's this in English?
C.Can you spell it,please?
D.Can you speak English? ()2.有一位外国人问你去飞机场的路，你告诉他后，他对你说：“Thank you.”你应说：
A.Don't thank me.
B.That's all right.
C.Very good.
D.All right.
()3.你的好朋友Ann今天过生日，你应该对她说：
A.Good luck.
B.Happy New Year.
C.Happy birthday.
D.You are a beautiful girl.
()4.上英语课时，老师叫明明回答问题，明明回答得非常正确，老师应该说：
A.Very good.
B.It's a fine day.
C.You're wrong.
D.Stand up,please.
()5.晚上睡觉前，你应该对爸爸妈妈说：
A.Good evening.
B.Good night.
C.Good afternoon.
D.Bye-bye!
六、以“My Family”为题，写一篇小短文。
要求：1.条理清楚，意思连贯，语句通顺，标点正确，书写清晰、规范；
2.不得少于50个单词。
Section I Use of English Directions: Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on the ANSWER SHEET. (10 points) Weighing yourself regularly is a wonderful way to stay aware of any significant weight fluctuations. 1 , when done too often, this habit can sometimes hurt more than it 2 . As for me, weighing myself every day caused me to shift my focus from being generally healthy and physically active to focusing 3 on the scale. That was bad to my overall fitness goals. I had gained weight in the form of muscle mass, but thinking only of 4 the number on the scale, I altered my training program. That conflicted with how I needed to train to 5 my goals. I also found that weighing myself daily did not provide an accurate 6 of the hard work and progress I was making in the gym. It takes about three weeks to a month to notice any significant changes in your weight 7 altering your training program. The most 8 changes will be observed in skill level, strength and inches lost. For these 9 , I stopped weighing myself every day and switched to a bimonthly weighing schedule 10 . Since weight loss is not my goal, it is less important for me to 11 my weight each week. Weighing every other week allows me to observe and 12 any significant weight changes. That tells me whether I need to 13 my training program. I use my bimonthly weigh-in 14 to get information about my nutrition as well. If my training intensity remains the same, but I’m constantly 15 and dropping weight, this is a 16 that I need to increase my daily caloric intake. The 17 to stop weighing myself every day has done wonders for my overall health, fitness and well-being. I’m experiencing increased zeal for working out since I no longer carry the burden of a 18 morning weigh-in. I’ve also experienced greater success in achieving my specific fitness goals, 19 I’m trai ning according to those goals, not the numbers on a scale. Rather than 20 over the scale, turn your focus to how you look,
2016 年12 月大学英语四级考试真题及 答案 【篇一：2016 年12 月大学英语四级翻译作文题目及答 案】 翻译一： 在中国文化中，红色通常象征着好运、长寿和幸福。在春节和其他喜庆场合，红色到处可见。人们把现金作为礼物送给家人或亲密朋 友时，通常放在红信封里。红色在中国流行的另一个原因是人们把 它与中国革命和共产党相联系。然而，红色并不总是代表好运与快 乐。因为从前死者的名字常用红色书写，用红墨水写中国人名被看 成是一种冒犯行为。 as a symbol of good luck, longevity and happiness in chinese culture, the color of red can be seen everywhere during springfestive and other festive/ joyous occasions. cash is usually put in red envelopes as gifts for relatives and close/intimate friends. also, red is much-welcomed / fashionable in china because of its association with chinese revolutions and the communist party. however, red does not always represent / equal to good luck and joy. red was previously used to write the names of the deceased so it is seen as an offence to write chinese people ’s names in red ink. 翻译二 随着中国的改革开放，如今很多年轻人都喜欢举行西式婚礼。新娘 在婚礼上穿着白色婚纱，因为白色被认为是纯洁的象征。然而，在 中国传统文化中，白色经常是葬礼上使用的颜色。因此务必记住， 白花一定不要用作祝人康复的礼物，尤其不要送给老年人或危重病 人。同样，礼金也不能装在白色信封里，而要装在红色信封里。 with the reform and opening-up of china, a great many young people nowadays prefer to hold western-style wedding: the bride wears white wedding gown because the color is considered to symbolize purity/is considered as the symbol of purity. however, in tradition chinese culture, white is often used on funerals. so, do bear in mind that white flowers should never be used as a gift to celebrate someone ’s recovery, especially not for the aged or those who are seriously ill.
大学英语四级考试真题及答案(绝对完整） Part I Writing (30 minutes) Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minute to write a short essay on the topic of students selecting their lectures. You should write at least 120 words following the outline given bellow: 1. 越来越多的博物馆免费对外开放的目的是什么？ 2. 也会带来一些问题 3. 你的看法？ Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A),B),C) and D). For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage. How Do You See Diversity? As a manager, Tiffany is responsible for interviewing applicants for some of the positions with her company .During one interview, she noticed that the candidate never made direct eye contact. She was puzzled and somewhat disappointed because she liked the individual otherwise. He had a perfect resume and gave good responses to her questions, but the fact that he never looked her in the eye said “untrustworthy,” so she decided to offer the job to her second choice. “It wasn’t until I attended a diversity workshop that I realized the person we passed over was the perfect person,” Tiffany confesses. What she hadn’t known at the time of the interview was that the candidate’s “different” behavior was simply a cultural misunderstanding . He was an Asian-American raised in a household where respect for those in authority was shown by averting(避开) your eyes. “I was just thrown off by the lack of ye contact; not realizing it was cultural,” Tiffany says. “I missed out ,but will not miss that opportunity again.” Many of us have had similar encounters with behaviors we perceive as different. As the world becomes smaller and our workplaces more diverse, it is becoming essential to expand our under-standing of others and to reexamine some of our false assumptions . Hire Advantage At a time when hiring qualified people is becoming more difficult ,employers who can eliminate invalid biases(偏爱) from the process have a distinct advantage .My company, Mindsets LLC ,helps organizations and individuals see their own blind spots . A real estate recruiter we worked with illustrates the positive difference such training can make .
英语四级考试真题及答案(卷一完整 版) 范文： Writing：家长角色 There are several possible reasons accountable for this phenomenon(中心句). To begin with, family in growing numbers has only one child; therefore, parents oftentimes focus all their attentions on that child and exert much pressure on him or her(原因一). Moreover, numerous parents intend to realize their unfulfilled dreams by letting their children learn what they failed to learn and apply for the college by which they failed to be accepted, because they have become richer and they believe that they have the power to make what they wanted and want come true now(原因二). For instance, my uncle used to be a poor man and his dream that one day he would become a violinist was broken because of lack of money. But he made a fortune by selling coals, and then forced his son, my younger brother to practice playing violin. My brother was a huge fan of sports, but now he has to play violin everyday unwillingly and ofter quarrels with their parents(举例：原来-然后-结局). To sum up, it is unreasonable for parents to control their children’s life(总结句). In order to help them grow happily
2005年4月高等教育自学考试全国统一命题考试 英语（二）试卷及答案 （课程代码：00015） PART ONE （50 POINTS） Ⅰ.Vocabulary and Structure (10 points, 1 point for each item) 从下列各句四个选项中选出一个最佳答案，并在答题卡上将相应的字母涂黑。 1.Would’t you rather your child ______ successful with his study and won the scholarship? A. became B. become C. would become D. becomes 2. Although Tom is satisfied with his academic achievement, he wonders _______will happen to his family life. A. it B. that C. what D. this 3. We hope that all the measures against sandstorms, ________ was put forward by the committee, will be considered seriously at the meeting . A. while B. after C. since D. as 4. We cannot leave this tough job to a person_________. A. who nobody has confidence B. in whom nobody has confidence C. for whom nobody has confidence D. who everyone has confidence of 5. You are the best for the job _____ you apply your mind to it . A. until B. if only C. in case D. unless 6.Hey, leave _____!I hate people touching my hair. A. behind B. out C. off D. over 7.I thought the problem of water shortage would ________ at the meeting but nobody mentioned it. A. come up B. come up to C. come over D. come to 8.Mr.Smith , can I ________ you for a minute? I’d like to hear your opinion on this issue. A. say a word with B. have words with C. mention a word with D. have a word with 9.There is a deadlock (僵局) in the discussion when neither side gives ________ to the over . A. a way B. way C. the way D. its way 10. This type of desk and chair can be adjusted ________ the height of students at different ages. A. with B. for C. to D. in Ⅱ.Cloze Test (10 points, 1 point for each item) 下列短文中有十个空白，每个空白有四个选项。根据上下文要求选出最佳答案，并在答题卡上将相应的字母涂黑。 For over a hundred years Japan has consistently spent large sums of money and considerable human resources in an effort to obtain technology. Her ability to negotiate __11___ by the fact most of the technology she wanted was no commercial secrets. Japan’s __12__ has also been strengthened by the fact that her internal market was large, so that __13__ to this market could be offered to multinational companies as an attraction to them to grant licenses. Besides, Japan’s work force was disciplined, so it was capable __14__ applying the information it acquired. Finally, American and European companies, who were __15__ licensers, felt that the
2018年6月大学英语四级真题（第2套) Part I Writing （30 minutes） Directions:For this part, you are allowed 30minutes to write a shor t essay on the importance of writing ability and how to develop it.You should write at l east 120 words but no more than180 words. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes) Section A Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the q uestions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre. Questions 1 and 2 are based on the news report you have just hear d. 1. A) Annoyed. B) Scared. C) Confused. D) Offended. 2. A) It crawled over the woman's hands. B) It wound up on the steering wheel. C) It was killed by the police on the spot. D) It was covered with large scales. Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just hear d. 3. A) A study of the fast-food service. B) Fast food customer satisfaction. C) McDonald's new business strategies. D) Competition in the fast-food industry. 4. A) Customers' higher demands. B) The inefficiency of employees.
Part I Writing (30 minutes) Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a letter to a foreign friend who wants to learn Chinese. Please recommend a university to him. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words. Part II Listening Comprehension (25 minutes) Section A Directions: In this section, you will hear three news reports. At the end of each news report, you will hear two or three questions. Both the news report and the questions will be spoken only once. After you hear a question, you must choose the best answer from the four choices marked A) , B) , C) and D) . Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre. Questions I and 2 are based on the news report you have just heard. 1.A)Many facilities were destroyed by a wandering cow. B) A wandering cow knocked down one of its fences. C)Some tourists were injured by a wandering cow. D) A wandering cow was captured by the police. 2.A) It was shot to death by a police officer. B)It found its way back to the park' s zoo. C)It became a great attraction for tourists. D)It was sent to the animal control department. Questions 3 and 4 are based on the news report you have just heard. 3.A) It is the largest of its kind. B)It is going to be expanded. C)It is displaying more fossil specimens. D)It is staring an online exhibition. 4.AJA collection of bird fossils from Australia. B)Photographs of certain rare fossil exhibits. C)Some ancient wall paintings from Australia. D)Pictures by winners of a wildlife photo contest. Questions 5 to 7 are based on the news report you have just heard. 5.A) Pick up trash. B)Amuse visitors. C)Deliver messages. D)Play with children. 6.A) They are especially intelligent. 8)They are children' s favorite. C They are quite easy to tame. D) They are clean and pretty. 7.A) Children may be harmed by the rooks. B)Children may be tempted to drop litter. C)Children may contract bird diseases.
精品文档 2014年6月大学英语四级考试真题及答案（完整版） 来源：文都教育 Part I Writing (30 minutes) Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the following topic. You should write at least 120 words but no more than 180 words. Suppose a foreign friend of yours is coming to visit your hometown, what is the most interesting place you would like to take him/her to see and why? 注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。 Part II Listening Comprehension (30 minutes) Section A Directions: In this section, you will hear 8 short conversations and 2 long conversations. At the end of each conversation, one or more questions will be asked about what was said. Both the conversation and the questions will be spoken only once. After each question there will be a pause. During the pause, you must read the four choices marked A), B), C) and D), and decide which is the best answer. Then mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 1 with a single line through the centre. 注意：此部分试题请在答题卡1上作答。 1. A) See a doctor about her strained shoulder. B) Use a ladder to help her reach the tea. C) Replace the cupboard with a new one. D) Place the tea on a lower shelf next time. 2. A) At Mary Johnson's. C) In an exhibition hall. B) At a painter's studio. D) Outside an art gallery. 3. A) The teacher evaluated lacks teaching experience. B) She does not quite agree with what the man said. C) The man had better talk with the students himself. D) New students usually cannot offer a fair evaluation. 4. A) He helped Doris build up the furniture. B) Doris helped him arrange the furniture.
2002 Directions：Translate the following passage into Chinese and put your translation on the ANSWER SHEET． Since 1981，farmers in Holland have been encouraged to adopt“green”farming techniques that were thought to benefit plant and bird life．Farmers who have voluntarily adopted these measures are compensated by the European Union．The goal of the program is to work against the negative effects of modem fanning，such as declines in species diversity and the disturbance of local nesting grounds．The“green”methods of farming cost the European Union about 1.7 billion Euros annually．This is about 4 percent of the budget for“Common Agricultural Policy,”and the compensation is expected to rise to 10 percent within the next few years． Various forms of“green farming”employed around the world have proved successful, and all new methods thought to be environmentally sensitive should be subject to sound scientific evaluation to determine whether they are actually meeting the intended goals． Part V Writing(30 minutes，15 points) Directions：You are to write in no less than 120 words about the title “What I Consider Important in Life”．Your composition should be based on the Chinese outline given below．
大学英语四级考试真题及答案 Part ⅠWriting (30 minutes) 注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上。 Directions: For this part, you are allowed 30 minutes to write a short essay on the topic of Creating a Green Campus. You should write at least 120 words following the outline given below: 1. 建设绿色校园很重要 2. 绿色校园不仅指绿色的环境…… 3. 为了建设绿色校园，我们应该…… Creating a Green Campus Part ⅡReading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes) Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1. For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D). For question 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage. Colleges taking another look at value of merit-based aid Good grades and high tests scores still matter—a lot—to many colleges as they award financial aid. But with low-income students projected to make up an ever-larger share of the college-bound population in coming years, some schools are re-examining whether that aid, typically known as “merit aid”, is the most effective use of precious institutional dollars. George Washington University in Washington, D.C., for example, said last week that it would cut the value of its average merit scholarships by about one-third and reduce the number of recipients(接受者), pouring the savings, about $2.5 million, into need-based aid. Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa., made a similar decision three years ago. Now, Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., says it will phase out merit scholarships altogether. No current merit-aid recipients will lose their scholarships, but need-based aid alone will be awarded beginning with students entering in fall 2008. Not all colleges offer merit aid; generally, the more selective a school, the less likely it is to do so. Harvard and Princeton, for example, offer generous need-based packages, but many families who don’t meet need eligibility(资格)have been willing to pay whatever they must for a big-name school. For small regional colleges that struggle just to fill seats, merit aid can be an important revenue-builder because many recipients still pay enough tuition dollars over and above the scholarship amount to keep the institution running. But for rankings-conscious schools in between, merit aid has served primarily as a tool to recruit top students and to improve their academic profits. “They’re trying to buy students,”says Skidmore College economist Sandy Baum. Studies show merit aid also tends to benefit disproportionately students who could afford to enroll without it. “As we look to the future, we see a more pressing need to invest in need-based aid,”says Monica Inzer, dean of admission and financial aid at Hamilton, which has offered merit scholarships for 10 years. During that time, it rose in US News & World Repor t’s ranking of the best liberal arts colleges, from 25 to 17. Merit aid, which benefited about 75 students a year, or about 4% of its student body, at a cost of about $ 1 million a year, “served us well,”Inzer says, but “to be