These days we hear a lot of nonsense about the “great classless society”. The idea that the twentieth century is the age of the common man has become one of the great clichés of our time. The same old arguments are put forward in evidence. Here are some of them: monarchy as a system of government has been completely discredited. The monarchies that survive have been deprived of all political power. Inherited wealth has been savagely reduced by taxation and, in time, the great fortunes will disappear altogether. In a number of countries the victory has been complete. The people rule; the great millennium has become a political reality. But has it? Close examination doesn’t bear out the claim.
It is a fallacy to suppose that all men are equal and that society will be leveled out if you provide everybody with the same educational opportunities. (It is debatable whether you can ever provide everyone with the same educational opportunities, but that is another question.) The fact is that nature dispenses brains and ability with a total disregard for the principle of equality. The old rules of the jungle, “survival of the fittest”, and “might is right” are still with us. The spread of education has destroyed the old class system and created a new one. Rewards are based on merit. For “aristocracy” read “meritocracy”; in other respects, society remains unaltered: the class system is rigidly maintained.
Genuine ability, animal cunning, skill, the knack of seizing opportunities, all bring material rewards. And what is the first thing people do when they become rich? They use their wealth to secure the best possible opportunities for their children, to give them “a good start in life”. For all the lip service we pay to the idea of equality, we do not consider this wrong in the western world. Private schools which offer unfair advantages over state schools are not banned because one of the principles in a democracy is that people should be free to choose how they will educate their children. In this way, the new meritocracy can perpetuate itself to a certain extent: an able child from a wealthy home can succeed far more rapidly than his poorer counterpart. Wealth is also used indiscriminately to further political ends. It would be almost impossible to become the leader of a democracy without massive financial backing. Money is as powerful a weapon as ever it was.
In societies wholly dedicated to the principle of social equality, privileged private education is forbidden. But even here people are rewarded according to their abilities. In fact, so great is the need for skilled workers that the least able may be neglected. Bright children are carefully and expensively trained to become future rulers. In the end, all political ideologies boil down to the same thing: class divisions persist whether you are ruled by a feudal king or an educated peasant.
1. What is the main idea of this passage?
2. According to the author, the same educational opportunities can’t get rid of inequality because________.
3. Who can obtain more rapid success?
4. Why does the author say the new meritocracy can perpetuate itself to a certain extent? Because ______.
5. According to the author, "class divisions" refers to ______.
问题1选项
A.Equality of opportunity in the twentieth century has not destroyed the class system.
B.Equality means money.
C.There is no such society as classless society.
D.Nature can’t give you a classless society.
问题2选项
A.the principle ‘survival of the fittest’ exists
B.nature ignores equality in dispensing brains and ability
C.material rewards are for genuine ability
D.people have the freedom how to educate their children
问题3选项
A.Those with wealth.
B.Those with the best brains.
C.Those with the best opportunities.
D.Those who have the ability to catch at opportunities.
问题4选项
A.money decides everything
B.private schools offer advantages over state schools
C.people are free to choose the way of educating their children
D.wealth is used for political ends
问题5选项
A.the rich and the poor
B.different opportunities for people
C.oppressor and the oppressed
D.genius and stupidity
第1题:A
第2题:B
第3题:A
第4题:A
第5题:A
第1题:
【选项释义】
What is the main idea of this passage? 这篇文章的主旨是什么?
A. Equality of opportunity in the twentieth century has not destroyed the class system. A. 二十世纪的机会平等并没有摧毁阶级制度。
B. Equality means money. B. 平等意味着金钱。
C. There is no such society as classless society. C. 没有无阶级的社会。
D. Nature can’t give you a classless society. D. 自然不会赋予你一个无阶级的社会。
【考查点】主旨大意题。
【解题思路】根据首段前两句“最近我们听到很多关于‘伟大的无阶级社会’的无稽之谈。二十世纪是普通人的时代这一观点已经成为我们这个时代最大的陈词滥调之一。”可知,文章一开始就对二十世纪是无阶级社会的论点进行了怀疑和反驳;第二段提出了即使人人都获同样的受教育的机会,可人的天然智慧和能力与平等原则无关,社会阶级依然存在;后面两段集中论述了金钱的作用,它不仅可以培育有能力的人,还可以是政治的后盾,文章最后一句还指出“无论你是被封建国王统治还是被受过教育的农民统治,阶级划分都是存在的”;综上所述可推断,这篇文章主要是讲述二十世纪的机会平等并没有摧毁阶级制度,A项“二十世纪的机会平等并没有摧毁阶级制度”符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
B项“平等意味着金钱”在文章没有依据,该项属于无中生有;
C项“没有无阶级的社会”虽然符合原文,但表述并不全面,该项属于以偏概全;
D项“自然不会赋予你一个无阶级的社会”在文中也只是部分提及,该项属于以偏概全。
第2题:
【选项释义】
According to the author, the same educational opportunities can’t get rid of inequality because ______. 根据作者,同样的教育机会不能摆脱不平等,因为______。
A. the principle ‘survival of the fittest’ exists A. 适者生存的原则是存在的
B. nature ignores equality in dispensing brains and ability B. 大自然在分配智力和能力时忽略了平等
C. material rewards are for genuine ability C. 物质回报是对真正能力的奖励
D. people have the freedom how to educate their children D. 人们有如何教育子女的自由
【考查点】细节事实题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位至第二段前两句“认为所有人都是平等的,如果你给每个人都提供同样的教育机会,社会就会走向平等,这种想法是错误的。事实上,大自然赐予我们的智慧和能力完全无视平等的原则(nature dispenses brains and ability with a total disregard for the principle of equality)。”可知,同样的教育机会不能摆脱不平等,因为大自然在分配智力和能力时忽略了平等原则,该题选择B项“大自然在分配智力和能力时忽略了平等”。
【干扰项排除】
A项“适者生存的原则是存在的”虽然在第二段第三句提及,但这里只是为第二句“事实上,大自然赐予我们的智慧和能力完全无视平等的原则”举例,该项属于出处错位;
C项“物质回报是对真正能力的奖励”,该项是为了证明人获得物质回报取决于人的能力而不是平等,与题干无关,该项属于出处错位;
D项“人们有如何教育子女的自由”是描述金钱的作用,与题干无关,该项属于出处错位。
第3题:
【选项释义】
Who can obtain more rapid success? 谁能获得更快速的成功?
A. Those with wealth. A. 富有的人。
B. Those with the best brains. B. 拥有高智慧的人。
C. Those with the best opportunities. C. 拥有最佳机遇的人。
D. Those who have the ability to catch at opportunities. D. 有能力抓住机遇的人。
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】第三段第一句提到“真正的能力、动物的机敏狡猾、技能、善抓机会的诀窍,这一切都带来物质报偿”,然后讲到“有了钱的人首要做的事情就是给孩子最佳教育机会,而私人学校教育优于公立学校,人们又有自由选择如何教育自己的孩子”,最后倒数第四句指出“在这个意义上,英才教育在某种程度上是永存的:一个来自富有家庭的有能力的孩子要比贫穷家庭的孩子获得成功要快得多”,综合理解可推知,有钱的人能够获得更快的成功,A项“富有的人”符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
B项“拥有高智慧的人”根据解题思路以及该段最后一句“金钱仍然是一种强大的武器”可知,即便拥有高智慧,若没有钱是难以成功的,该项属于曲解原文;
C项“拥有最佳机遇的人”和D项“有能力抓住机遇的人”根据第三段第三句“他们用自己的财富为孩子争取最好的机会,给他们一个‘人生的良好开端’”可知,没有钱就谈不上机会,所以这两项要以A项为前提,这两项属于曲解原文。
第4题:
【选项释义】
Why does the author say the new meritocracy can perpetuate itself to a certain extent? Because ______. 为什么作者说新的英才教育可以在一定程度上永存?因为________。
A. money decides everything A. 金钱决定一切
B. private schools offer advantages over state schools B. 私立学校提供的优越性高于公立学校
C. people are free to choose the way of educating their children C. 人们有自由选择教育孩子的方式方法
D. wealth is used for political ends D. 财富用于政治目的
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位至第三段倒数第四句“在这个意义上,英才教育在某种程度上是永存的”,结合上一句“与公立学校相比,私立学校提供了不公平的优越性,但私立学校并没有被禁止,因为民主国家的原则之一是,人们应该有自由选择如何教育自己的孩子的权利”理解可知,正是因为有了钱,孩子就能上私立学校,抓取更多机会,没有钱,上不起私立学校,谈不上机会,更不用说英才教育,所以金钱决定一切,故该题选择A项“金钱决定一切”。
【干扰项排除】
B项“私立学校提供的优越性高于公立学校”和C项“人们有自由选择教育孩子的方式方法”都是在基于拥有金钱的基础上,这两项并不符合题干,属于曲解原文;
D项“财富用于政治目的”是讲述金钱的另外一个作用,与英才教育无关,该项属于张冠李戴。
第5题:
【选项释义】
According to the author, “class divisions” refers to ______. 根据作者,“阶级划分”指的是______。
A. the rich and the poor A. 富人和穷人
B. different opportunities for people B. 人们不同的机遇
C. oppressor and the oppressed C. 压迫者和被压迫者
D. genius and stupidity D. 天才和笨蛋
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】作者在第二段提及同样的教育机会也不可能铲除不平等,因为上天赋予人之智慧是不可能考虑平等原则的,还指出贵族政治也可理解为英才教育;第三段进一步指出有钱人首先要做的就是给子女一个良好的教育机会,而私立学校的教育质量优于公立学校,有钱人家的有能力的孩子成功机遇就高,另外财产还可用于政治目的,要成为民主国家的领袖就得有雄厚的财力支持,金钱是最强有力的武器;接着最后一段讲述到即使在以社会平等为原则的社会中,私立学校被禁,酬劳还是以人的能力为准,聪明的孩子要经过精心和昂贵的训练才能成为未来的统治者,这也是英才教育的另外一种形式;综合理解可知,文章中的“阶级划分”指的是穷人和富人,A项“富人和穷人”符合题意。
【干扰项排除】B项“人们不同的机遇”、C项“压迫者和被压迫者”和D项“天才和笨蛋”根据解题思路可知,这三项都属于曲解原文。