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1、2012高考英語:閱讀理解課堂練學案(10)PassageSix(EqualityofopportunityinthetwentiethCenturyHasNotDestroyedtheClassSystem)???Thesedayswehearalotofnonsenseaboutthe‘greatclasslesssociety’.Theideathatthetwentiethcenturyistheageofthecommonmanhasbecomeoneofthegreatclichésofourtime.Thesameoldargume
2、ntsareputforwardinevidence.Herearesomeofthem:monarchyasasystemofgovernmenthasbeencompletelydiscredited.Themonarchiesthatsurvivehavebeendeprivedofallpoliticalpower.Inheritedwealthhasbeensavagelyreducedbytaxationand,intime,thegreatfortuneswilldisappearaltogether.Inanumberofcoun
3、triesthevictoryhasbeencomplete.Thepeoplerule;thegreatmillenniumhasbecomeapoliticalreality.Buthasit?Closeexaminationdoesn’tbearouttheclaim.???Itisafallacytosupposethatallmenareequalandthatsocietywillbeleveledoutifyouprovideeverybodywiththesameeducationalopportunities.(Itisdeba
4、tablewhetheryoucaneverprovideeveryonewiththesameeducationalopportunities,butthatisanotherquestion.)Thefactisthatnaturedispensesbrainsandabilitywithatotaldisregardfortheprincipleofequality.Theoldrulesofthejungle,‘survivalofthefittest’,and‘mightisright’arestillwithus.Thespreado
5、feducationhasdestroyedtheoldclasssystemandcreatedanewone.Rewardsarebasedonmerit.For‘a(chǎn)ristocracy’read‘meritocracy’;inotherrespects,societyremainsunaltered:theclasssystemisrigidlymaintained.???Genuineability,animalcunning,skill,theknackofseizingopportunities,allbringmaterialrew
6、ards.Andwhatisthefirstthingpeopledowhentheybecomerich?Theyusetheirwealthtosecurethebestpossibleopportunitiesfortheirchildren,togivethem‘a(chǎn)goodstartinlife’.Forallthelipservicewepaytotheideaofequality,wedonotconsiderthiswronginthewesternworld.Privateschoolswhichofferunfairadvant
7、agesoverstateschoolsarenotbannedbecauseoneoftheprinciplesinademocracyisthatpeopleshouldbefreetochoosehowtheywilleducatetheirchildren.Inthisway,thenewmeritocracycanperpetuateitselftoacertainextent:anablechildfromawealthyhomecansucceedfarmorerapidlythanhispoorercounterpart.Weal
8、thisalsousedindiscriminatelytofurtherpoliticalends.Itwouldbealmostim