ReadthefollowingpassageandmarktheletterA,B, C,orD onyouranswersheettoindicatethecorrectanswertoeachofthe questions.

ThesystemofhighereducationhaditsorigininEuropeintheMiddleAges, whenthefirstuniversitieswereestablished.Inmoderntimes,thenatureof highereducationaroundtheworld,tosomeextent,hasbeendeterminedbythe models of influential countries such as France and Germany.

BothFranceandGermanyhavesystemsofhighereducationthatarebasically administeredbystateagencies.Entrancerequirementsforstudentsarealso similarinbothcountries.InFrance,anexaminationcalledthebaccalauréatis givenattheendofsecondaryeducation.HighereducationinFranceisfreeand opentoallstudentswhohavepassedthisbaccalauréat.Successinthis examinationallowsstudentstocontinuetheirhighereducationforanotherthreeorfouryearsuntiltheyhaveattainedthefirstuniversitydegreecalledalicence in France.

Basicdifferences,however,distinguishthesetwocountries’systems.French educationaldistricts,calledacadémies,areunderthedirectionofarector,an appointeeofthenationalgovernmentwhoisalsoinchargeofuniversitiesin each district. The uniformity incurriculum throughout the countryleaveseach universitywithlittletodistinguishitself.Hence,manystudentsprefertogoto Paris,wheretherearebetteraccommodationsandmoreculturalamenitiesfor them.AnotherdifferenceistheexistenceinFranceofprestigioushigher educationalinstitutionsknownasgrandesécoles,whichprovideadvanced professionalandtechnicaltraining.Mostoftheseschoolsarenotaffiliatedwith theuniversities,althoughtheytoorecruittheirstudents bygivingcompetitive examinationstocandidates.Thegrandesécolesproviderigoroustraininginall branchesofappliedscienceandtechnology,andtheirdiplomashavea somewhat higher standing than the ordinary licence.

InGermany,theregionaluniversitieshaveautonomyindeterminingtheir curriculumunderthedirectionofrectorselectedfromwithin.Studentsin Germanychangeuniversitiesaccordingtotheirinterestsandthestrengthsof each university. In fact, itisa custom for studentsto attendtwo, three, or even fourdifferentuniversitiesinthecourseoftheirundergraduatestudies,andthe majorityofprofessorsataparticularuniversitymayhavetaughtinfourorfive others.Thishighdegreeofmobilitymeansthatschemesofstudyand examination are marked by a freedom andindividuality unknown in France.

FranceandGermanyhavegreatlyinfluencedhighereducationsystems around theworld.TheFrench, eitherthroughcolonialinfluenceor thework of missionaries,introducedmanyaspectsoftheirsysteminothercountries.The Germanwerethefirsttostresstheimportanceofuniversitiesasresearch facilities,andtheyalsocreatedasenseofthemasemblemsofanationalmind.

The word "excruciating" in the last paragraph means ________.