TEXT B The number of scientists
and engineers going to America to study and work is dropping precipitously. An
important reason is the length of time it now takes to get a visa. This is both
deterring would-be visitors from coming, and hindering some of those who try.
Not only may this lead to a decline in America’s scientific strength, it
is also an undeserved obstacle for many students. Things are
getting a little better--delays in visa processing, according to both America’s
State Department and academic observers, are shorter than a year ago. And only a
small percentage of student-visa applications are held up for extremely long
periods. Nonetheless, since the summer of 2003, applicants for student visas
have been required to appear at an American consulate for an interview. Because
consular staffs have not been expanded, this has led to delays of several weeks
in order to sit for an interview that often lasts only a few minutes. Such a
blanket requirement puts undue stress on both students and consulates, without
yielding tangible security benefits. A more focused system makes more
sense. The current mess could prove costly to America. Its
economic and military prowess owes a great deal to emigrating scientists and
engineers. They were key members of the team which built its first atomic bomb
in 1945, and they have played an important role ever since. In 2001, 35% of
science and engineering doctorates a- warded by American universities went to
foreign students, and foreigners comprise a similar proportion of America’s
scientific and engineering workforce. Furthermore, several
requirements have exacerbated delays, with little benefit to security. For
example, checks on scientists working in areas that might relate to national
security (exactly which areas are secret) are currently valid only for a year.
Since such checks take on average two months to complete, and cannot be applied
for within America, it thus becomes difficult to complete a course of study
lasting five or six years. Visas should be granted for the duration of a course
of study -if someone is not deemed a security risk today, it is un- likely he
will be so a year from now. Legitimate visa holders should be allowed to enter
and leave the country, and to apply for a renewal of their visas while still in
America There are also problems at home. The State Department
and the Department of Homeland Security, which are jointly responsible for
visas, are struggling to respond to the concerns of scientists but they are
woefully ill- equipped files are exchanged twice weekly with the Federal Bureau
of Investigation (FBI) on computer disks, while the FBI takes up to three days
to reply that a person has not appeared on its database. Furthermore, the State
Department keeps inadequate data about visa delays and applications. This is
inexcusable. All manners of businesses use software today to segment and
understand their customers’ behavior. The government’s failure to use the same
technology is leading to both inefficiency and a decrease in security.
A more logical visa regime would make America safer, and those wishing to
study or work there happier. Other countries are currently benefiting from the
shortcomings in America’s system. But change would, in the long term, serve even
their interests. A return to honest global competition for scientists and
engineers would be healthier and more productive. The fact that key members of team that built America’s first nuclear bomb were foreigners is used to ______.
A．prove that foreign experts are important for the U. S. B．prove visa system used to be more effective in the past C．show that visa system was not really necessary in the past D．explain that countries have always been competing for professions