高考英语阅读理解强化训练8（含重难点详解）

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1、PassageOneEqualityofopportunityinthetwentiethCenturyHasNotDestroyedtheClassSystemThesedayswehearalotofnonsenseaboutthe‘greatclasslesssociety’.Theideathatthetwentiethcenturyistheageofthecommonmanhasbecomeoneofthegreatclichésofourtime.Thesameoldargumentsareputforwardinevidence.He

2、rearesomeofthem:monarchyasasystemofgovernmenthasbeencompletelydiscredited.Themonarchiesthatsurvivehavebeendeprivedofallpoliticalpower.Inheritedwealthhasbeensavagelyreducedbytaxationand,intime,thegreatfortuneswilldisappearaltogether.Inanumberofcountriesthevictoryhasbeencomplete.

3、Thepeoplerule;thegreatmillenniumhasbecomeapoliticalreality.Buthasit?Closeexaminationdoesn’tbearouttheclaim.Itisafallacytosupposethatallmenareequalandthatsocietywillbeleveledoutifyouprovideeverybodywiththesameeducationalopportunities.(Itisdebatablewhetheryoucaneverprovideeveryon

4、ewiththesameeducationalopportunities,butthatisanotherquestion.)Thefactisthatnaturedispensesbrainsandabilitywithatotaldisregardfortheprincipleofequality.Theoldrulesofthejungle,‘survivalofthefittest’,and‘mightisright’arestillwithus.Thespreadofeducationhasdestroyedtheoldclasssyste

5、mandcreatedanewone.Rewardsarebasedonmerit.For‘aristocracy’read‘meritocracy’;inotherrespects,societyremainsunaltered:theclasssystemisrigidlymaintained.Genuineability,animalcunning,skill,theknackofseizingopportunities,allbringmaterialrewards.Andwhatisthefirstthingpeopledowhenthey

6、becomerich?Theyusetheirwealthtosecurethebestpossibleopportunitiesfortheirchildren,togivethem‘agoodstartinlife’.Forallthelipservicewepaytotheideaofequality,wedonotconsiderthiswronginthewesternworld.Privateschoolswhichofferunfairadvantagesoverstateschoolsarenotbannedbecauseoneoft

7、heprinciplesinademocracyisthatpeopleshouldbefreetochoosehowtheywilleducatetheirchildren.Inthisway,thenewmeritocracycanperpetuateitselftoacertainextent:anablechildfromawealthyhomecansucceedfarmorerapidlythanhispoorercounterpart.Wealthisalsousedindiscriminatelytofurtherpoliticale

8、nds.Itwouldbealmostimpossibletobecometheleaderofademoc