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ID:33339994
大小:46.50 KB
页数:4页
时间:2019-02-24
《passage six (equality of opportunity in the twentieth century has not》由会员上传分享,免费在线阅读,更多相关内容在应用文档-天天文库。
1、英语100篇精读汇粹(中级篇)【TypeBySimonLau(8029)】PassageSix(EqualityofopportunityinthetwentiethCenturyHasNotDestroyedtheClassSystem)Thesedayswehearalotofnonsenseaboutthe‘greatclasslesssociety’.Theideathatthetwentiethcenturyistheageofthecommonmanhasbecomeoneofthegreatclichésofourtime.Thesameoldargumentsare
2、putforwardinevidence.Herearesomeofthem:monarchyasasystemofgovernmenthasbeencompletelydiscredited.Themonarchiesthatsurvivehavebeendeprivedofallpoliticalpower.Inheritedwealthhasbeensavagelyreducedbytaxationand,intime,thegreatfortuneswilldisappearaltogether.Inanumberofcountriesthevictoryhasbeenco
3、mplete.Thepeoplerule;thegreatmillenniumhasbecomeapoliticalreality.Buthasit?Closeexaminationdoesn’tbearouttheclaim.Itisafallacytosupposethatallmenareequalandthatsocietywillbeleveledoutifyouprovideeverybodywiththesameeducationalopportunities.(Itisdebatablewhetheryoucaneverprovideeveryonewiththes
4、ameeducationalopportunities,butthatisanotherquestion.)Thefactisthatnaturedispensesbrainsandabilitywithatotaldisregardfortheprincipleofequality.Theoldrulesofthejungle,‘survivalofthefittest’,and‘mightisright’arestillwithus.Thespreadofeducationhasdestroyedtheoldclasssystemandcreatedanewone.Reward
5、sarebasedonmerit.For‘aristocracy’read‘meritocracy’;inotherrespects,societyremainsunaltered:theclasssystemisrigidlymaintained.Genuineability,animalcunning,skill,theknackofseizingopportunities,allbringmaterialrewards.Andwhatisthefirstthingpeopledowhentheybecomerich?Theyusetheirwealthtosecuretheb
6、estpossibleopportunitiesfortheirchildren,togivethem‘agoodstartinlife’.Forallthelipservicewepaytotheideaofequality,wedonotconsiderthiswronginthewesternworld.Privateschoolswhichofferunfairadvantagesoverstateschoolsarenotbannedbecauseoneoftheprinciplesinademocracyisthatpeopleshouldbefreetochooseh
7、owtheywilleducatetheirchildren.Inthisway,thenewmeritocracycanperpetuateitselftoacertainextent:anablechildfromawealthyhomecansucceedfarmorerapidlythanhispoorercounterpart.Wealthisalsousedindiscriminatelytofurtherpoliticalends.Itwouldbeal
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