Question

We are all interested in equality, but while some people try to protect the school and examination system in the name of equality, others, still in the name of equality, want only to destroy it.

Any society which is interested in equality of opportunity and standards of achievement must regularly test its pupils. The standards may be changed—no examination is perfect — but to have no tests or examinations would mean the end of equality and of standards. There are groups of people who oppose this view and who do not believe either in examinations or in any controls in schools or on teachers. This would mean that everything would depend on luck since every pupil would depend on the efficiency, the values and the purpose of each teacher.

Without examinations, employers will look for employees from the highly respected schools and from families known to them--- a form of favoritism will replace equality. At the moment, the bright child from ill-respected school  can show certificates to prove he or she is suitable for the job, while the lack of certificate indicates the unsuitability of a dull child attending a well-respected school. This defence of excellence and opportunity would disappear if examinations were taken away, and the bright child from a poor family would be a prisoner of his or her school’s reputation, unable to compete with the child from the favored school.

The opponents of the examination system suggest that examinations are an evil force because they show differences between pupils. According to these people, there must be no special, different, academic class. They have even suggested that there should be no form of difference in sport or any other area: all jobs or posts should be filled by unsystematic selection. The selection would be made by people who themselves are probably selected by some computer.

1.The underlined word “favoritism” in paragraph three is used to describe the phenomenon that _______.

A. bright children also need certificate to get satisfying jobs.

B. children from well-respected schools tend to have good jobs.

C. poor children with certificates are favored in job markets.

D. children attending ordinary schools achieve great success.

2.What would happen if examinations were taken away according to the author?

A. Schools for bright children would lose their reputation.

B. There would be more opportunities and excellence.

C. Children from poor families would be able to change their schools.

D. Children’s job opportunity would be affected by their school reputation.

3.The opponents of the examination system will agree that _______.

A. jobs should not be assigned by systematic selection.

B. computers should be selected to take over many jobs.

C. special classes are necessary to keep the school standards.

D. schools that win academic subjects should be done away with.

4.The passage mainly focuses on __________.

A. schools and certificates.          B. examination and equality.

C. opportunity and employment.     D. standards and reputation.

Answer

1.B

2.D

3.A

4.B

【解析】

试题分析：文章介绍了两种不同的观点，一种认为考试是公平的，可以让不一样的人通过考试接受平等的考验，而有人不同意，认为就是考试创造不平等。

1.猜词题：破折号后的句子是对前面进行解释说明的,二者是同位关系,因此,要猜测 favouritism的意思,可从前面句子的意思入手。“favoritism”是在受人尊敬的学校学习的学生有更能的就业机会，答案为 B。

2.细节题：从第三段的句子：This defence of excellence and opportunity would disappear if examinations were taken away, and the bright child form a poor family would be a prisoner of his or her school’s reputation, unable to compete for employment with the child from the favoured school.可知一旦取消了考试，孩子的就业机会就会受学校的声誉影响。选D

3.推理题：从最后一段的家族：all jobs or posts should be filled by unsystematic selection. The selection would be made by people who themselves are probably selected by some computer.可知考试系统的赞同者认为工作不应该由系统的选择决定。选A

4.主旨题：从第一段的句子：We are all interested in equality, but while some people try to protect the school and examination system in the name of equality, others, still in the name of equality, want only to destroy it.可知文章讲的是考试和平等的关系。选B

考点：考查教育类短文