Passage 4
We are all interested in equality, but while some people try to protect the school 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 school or on teachers. This would mean everything would depend on luck since every pupil would depend on 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 an ill-respected school can show certificates to prove he is suitable for a job, while the lack of a certificate indicates the unsuitability of a dull child attending a well-respected school. This defense 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 school’s reputation, unable to compete for employment 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 word “it” in paragraph 1 refers to ______.
A. equality
B. the society
C. the school
D. the examination system
2. Those who support examinations believe that without examinations, ______.
A. there will be no equality nor standards
B. the bright child will have no opportunity
C. the employers will favor the dull child
D. schools for bright children would lose their reputation
3. The word “favoritism” in paragraph 3 is used to describe the phenomenon that ______.
A. bright children usually get better jobs
B. poor children with certificates are favored in job markets
C. children attending ordinary schools achieve great success
D. children from well-respected schools will have good jobs
4. Those who are against the examination system will agree that ______.
A. pupils shouldn’t be divided into “the bright” and “the dull”
B. special classes are necessary to keep the school standards
C. school reputation is important in the job market
D. family background is important in the job market
5. The passage mainly focuses on ______.
A. schools and certificates
B. examinations and equality
C. opportunity and employment
D. standards and reputation
1.【答案】D
【解析】根據第一段We are all interested in equality, but while some people try to protect the school examination system in the name of equality, others, still in the name of equality, want only to destroy it. 我們都對平等感興趣，但是當一些人試圖以平等的名義保護學校考試制度時，另一些人，仍然以平等的名義，只想破壞它。有些人贊成考試制度的, 相反, 另外一些人反對考試制度。此處省略的是前文提到的考試制度.
2.【答案】A
【解析】根據第二段第二句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.標準可能會改變—沒有考試是完美的—但是沒有考試就意味著平等和標準的終結?？芍?沒有了考試制度卻會宣告了平等和標準的死亡.
3.【答案】D
【解析】根據第三段大意和第三段末句the bright child from a poor family would be a prisoner of his school’s reputation, unable to compete for employment with the child from the favored school.來自貧困家庭的聰明孩子就會淪為學校聲譽的囚徒，無法與來自受青睞學校的孩子競爭就業(yè)機會?？芍? 如果沒有了考試制度, 差學校的好學生會被學校的聲譽所影響.也就是雇主會依靠學校的好壞來決定是否雇傭。
4.【答案】A
【解析】根據第四段首句The opponents of the examination system suggest that examinations are an evil force because they show differences between pupils.考試制度的反對者認為考試是一種邪惡的力量，因為考試顯示了學生之間的差異?？芍? 反對者認為考試制度會將學生分為不同等級。
5.【答案】B
【解析】從第一段和最后一段就能看出，中心詞是考試制度，文章大意講的是考試制度的利弊與平等的關系。
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