高中英语阅读理解精读荟萃（中级篇）.doc

《高中英语阅读理解精读荟萃（中级篇）.doc》由会员上传分享，免费在线阅读，更多相关内容在教育资源-天天文库。

1、PassageOneEqualityofopportunityinthetwentiethCenturyHasNotDestroyedtheClassSystemThesedayswehearalotofnonsenseaboutthe‘greatclasslesssociety’.Theideathatthetwentiethcenturyistheageofthecommonmanhasbecomeoneofthegreatclichésofourtime.Thesameoldargumentsareputforwardine高考资

2、源网vidence.Herearesomeofthem:monarchyasasystemofgovernmenthasbeencompletelydiscredited.Themonarchiesthatsurvivehavebeendeprivedofallpoliticalpower.Inheritedwealthhasbeensavagelyreducedbytaxationand,intime,thegreatfortuneswilldisappearaltogether.Inanumberofcountriesthevict

3、oryhasbeencomplete.Thepeoplerule;thegreatmillenniumhasbecomeapoliticalreality.Buthasit?Closeexaminationdoesn’tbearouttheclaim.w*w*w*k*s*5*u*c*o*mItisafallacytosupposethatallmenareequalandthatsocietywillbeleveledoutifyouprovideeverybodywiththesameeducationalopportunities.

4、(Itisdebatablewhetheryoucaneverprovideeveryonewiththesameeducationalopportunities,butthatisanotherquestion.)Thefactisthatnaturedispensesbrainsandabilitywithatotaldisregardfortheprincipleofequality.Theoldrulesofthejungle,‘survivalofthefittest’,and‘mightisright’arestillwit

5、hus.Thespreadofeducationhasdestroyedtheoldclasssystemandcreatedanewone.Rewardsarebasedonmerit.For‘aristocracy’read‘meritocracy’;inotherrespects,societyremainsunaltered:theclasssystemisrigidlymaintained.Genuineability,animalcunning,skill,theknackofseizingopportunities,all

6、bringmaterialrewards.Andwhatisthefirstthingpeopledowhentheybecomerich?Theyusetheirwealthtosecurethebestpossibleopportunitiesfortheirchildren,togivethem‘agoodstartinlife’.Forallthelipservicewepaytotheideaofequality,wedonotconsiderthiswronginthewesternworld.Privateschoolsw

7、hichofferunfairadvantagesoverstateschoolsarenotbannedbecauseoneoftheprinciplesinademocracyisthatpeopleshouldbefreetochoosehowtheywilleducatetheirchildren.Inthisway,thenewmeritocracycanperpetuateitselftoacertainextent:anablechildfromawealthyhomecansucceedfarmorerapidlytha

8、nhispoorercounterpart.Wealthisalsousedindiscriminatelytofurtherpoliticalends.Itwouldbealmostimpossiblet