S e c o n d e d I t I o n 1 Reading for the Real World 1

seeming
decline in interest in seeking college degrees.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, males leave or are 
kicked out
of high school in higher numbers than females. And male students are 
three times more likely to be placed in 
special education
programs. Author 
Christina Hoff Sommers attributes the drop in male enrollment to early stereotyping 
of boys as “aggressive” and “non-academic.” In her book, 
The War Against Boys,
Sommers writes that many boys don’t receive enough mentoring and 
academic support to become straight-A students and therefore lose 
interest in higher education.
Others believe the drop in male enrollment can be 
attributed to the growing number of men seeking jobs in 
repair, construction, and technology. These are careers that 
3
make up --- to comprise
7
breadwinner --- primary money maker
15
seeming --- appearing to be true
17
kick out --- to throw out; to remove
18
special education --- education that is modified for slow 
learners or those with special needs
Track 15
 

---

49
30
35
40
45
50
often don’t require a four-year degree from a university but still 
promise good salaries. 
The effect of there being more women than men at 
colleges has created some noticeable changes. The higher 
number of female students has already led to more diverse 
classes and programs offered at universities, especially in the 
field of Women’s Studies. And at graduation time, one may 
notice a difference in what types of university degrees are 
awarded to men and women. While women earn a higher percentage of 
bachelor
’s and master’s degrees, men still earn a higher percentage of