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  3. The idea of creating a system that allows the underprivileged the opportunity to break the cycle and achieve something is praise

The idea of creating a system that allows the underprivileged the opportunity to break the cycle and achieve something is praise

admin2014-01-07  53
问题     The idea of creating a system that allows the underprivileged the opportunity to break the cycle and achieve something is praiseworthy. So it never ceases to amaze me how something so noble can be so blatantly abused and the offenders are able to get away with it.
    I live in a country—the only country, I might add—that was colonised through an act of diplomacy and not force. The citizens of the country became members of the British Empire by scratching ink on the paper of a poorly translated treaty that disadvantaged them from the beginning. All because of some greedy Brits wanted to trade land for glass beads, tobacco and blankets.(In some ways, this treaty protected the natives from some pretty nasty scams, but only so that the government could scam the tribes themselves). The third article of this treaty allowed the "natives"(although their claim to be native of the land in question is dubious in itself—they were merely there before the British)all the rights and benefits of a subject under the rule of Her Majesty Queen Victoria. The history lesson is nearly over—bear with me, it is relevant.
    The rights and benefits of becoming a member of the British Empire included the banning of the native language to be taught in schools and used to communicate in public. The savages were to be tamed. For a country so progressive that gave women the vote 10 years before the rest of the world(if only to call a politician’s bluff), this was a barbaric act. But these acts of naturalisation, and reparation have since been carried out by the government for the last 50-75 years, allowing the natives extra rights and benefits as to soothe the indignity done to their ancestors. Now a considerable number of the "disenfranchised" live on a social welfare benefit from the government, and can afford cable TV, all the latest mod-cons and a fast track into the good life of higher education(all subsidised, of course)in the name, not of affirmative action — although it is—but of racial appeasement. Now I could talk about some of the blind privileges that come with this, but I will save that essay for another day. The topic I wish to address today are those who are born with silver spoons in their mouths that claim these benefits without batting an eyelid.
    In order to claim a number of these benefits, one need only 1/16th of native blood in one’s family to be considered "native". So you have blond-haired blue-eyed "natives" that have no clue of their whakapapa, let alone can speak the language. These young opportunists come from upper class families. They went to the best private schools, and for birthdays, mummy and daddy dearest sent them around the world to see history and what real culture is. These bright young things have trust funds amounting to tens of thousands that they will get when they turn 21. They’re on a first name basis with all the hot shot company directors and politicians, and they still have the audacity to claim—and receive—the scholarships and benefits their less fortunate counterparts deserve.
    This is where the "blind eye" of privilege amazes me. As Betacandy’s first post so beautifully sets out— privilege is something given or assumed so often that a set of actions and expectations are built up and become a normal attitude to associate with specific practices, races and gender. The selection process assures us that equal opportunities are afforded to each applicant(that assertion is worth another whole rant in itself). How can the close examination of each applicant—their achievements and background—allow such a gross abuse of privilege to take place? This is merely one country where it happens, and I could go on for ever on this subject.
    The privileged are simply that—privileged. What gives them the right to take for themselves the opportunities offered to those who cannot afford to pay for the experience in the first place? Somebody, please, answer me this.
What does the author think about the blond-haired blue-eyed "natives"?
选项 A、They are proud of being natives.
B、They are ashamed of their identity.
C、Their family origin is hard to trace back.
D、They don’t know about their family origin.
答案D
解析 根据题干中的blond—haired blue-eyed定位到第4段第2句。虽然我们不知道该句中的whakapapa是什么，但上一句提到的1／16th of native blood和这一句的let alone can speak the language可以推断这些金发碧眼的所谓的“印第安人”对于其宣称的印第安祖先的语言、文化是一无所知的，可见，本题应选D。
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