51. What do we learn about America's education system?
- A. It provides a ladder of opportunity for the wealthy.
- B. It contributes little to the elimination of inequality.
- C. It has remained basically unchanged for generations.
- D. It has brought up generations of responsible citizens.
答案：B
答案句：America's education system has become less a ladder of opportunity than a structure to transmit inequality from one generation to the next.
参考译文：美国的教育体系已经不再是机会的阶梯，而是一个将不平等从一代传递到下一代的机制。
定位线索：题干“America's education system”→答案句首句；文中“transmit inequality from one generation to the next”对应选项B“contributes little to the elimination of inequality”（传递不平等即无助于消除不平等）。
解析：题干问美国教育体系的情况，答案句直接指出它传递不平等而非提供机会，与选项B“对消除不平等贡献甚微”同义。选项A“为富人提供机会阶梯”与原文“less a ladder”矛盾；C“基本不变”和D“培养负责任公民”均无原文依据。
53. What does the author think the union should do to win popular support?
- A. Assist the city government in reforming schools.
- B. Give constructive advice to inner-city schools.
- C. Demand higher pay for teachers.
- D. Help teachers improve teaching.
答案：C
答案句：I'd be sympathetic if the union focused solely on higher compensation. Teachers need to be much better paid to attract the best college graduates to the nation's worst schools. But, instead, the Chicago union seems to be using its political capital primarily to protect weak performers.
参考译文：如果工会只关注提高薪酬，我会表示同情。教师需要获得更高的报酬，以吸引最优秀的大学毕业生到全国最差的学校任教。但是，相反，芝加哥工会似乎主要利用其政治资本来保护表现不佳的教师。
定位线索：题干“union should do”→答案句“I'd be sympathetic if...higher compensation”；文中“higher compensation”对应选项C“Demand higher pay for teachers”。
解析：题干问作者认为工会应做什么以赢得支持，答案句明确说如果工会只关注提高薪酬，作者会同情，即工会应要求提高教师工资，对应选项C。选项A“协助市政府改革”、B“给市中心学校建议”、D“帮助教师改进教学”均非作者明确支持的观点。
55. Why does the author say the Chicago union's demand is an insult to students?
- A. It protects incompetent teachers at the expense of students.
- B. It underestimates students' ability to tell good teachers from poor ones.
- C. It makes students feel that they are discriminated against in many ways.
- D. It totally ignores students' initiative in the learning process.
答案：A
答案句：Unfortunately, the union in Chicago is insisting that teachers who are laid off-often for being ineffective-should get priority in new hiring. That's an insult to students.
参考译文：不幸的是，芝加哥工会坚持认为被解雇的教师（通常是因为效率低下）应该在新招聘中获得优先权。这是对学生的侮辱。
定位线索：题干“insult to students”→答案句“That's an insult to students”；文中“teachers who are laid off-often for being ineffective”对应选项A“It protects incompetent teachers at the expense of students”（保护低效教师即牺牲学生利益）。
解析：题干问为什么工会的要求是对学生的侮辱，答案句指出工会要求低效教师优先再就业，这牺牲了学生利益，对应选项A。选项A“低估学生辨别能力”、C“歧视学生”、D“忽视学生主动性”均非原文依据。