单选题 A detailed and thorough research project undertaken by the Open University recently reported that their evidence appears to show that competition between nearby schools does not significantly improve academic standards. Indeed, their report inclines to the opposite outcome: the exam results may actually decline where competition is fiercest.
When the further education sector was "privatized" a few years ago, competition between colleges became truly fierce, at least in urban areas where potential students could choose between several of them. Colleges appointed highly paid marketing directors and gave them large budgets; some even "bribed" interested students with promises of hundreds of pounds if they completed certain courses satisfactorily.
Fully competitive markets being a philosophical foundation of Britain"s recent governments, it was no surprise to hear claims that many educational developments of the 1990s would move us towards a free market in secondary education--giving youngsters and their parents a free choice of where to study. However, the secondary sector did not become particularly competitive while, admittedly, the consumers have been given more information, which is one aspect of a truly free market. It is very rare that two nearby schools with at least some empty places are similar enough to be comparable yet different enough to be rankable; only where that occurs can there be true competition.
The Open University research was probably not flawed--but its conclusions are. This is because the team did not really compare areas having true competition (as just defined) with areas that do not.
But, let us all breathe a sigh of relief. Secondary schools had started of late to move in the marketing direction—considering allocating scarce resources of staff and money to persuading the pupils that their schools are the best in the area. No schools could afford to do that properly, so it is a relief to realize this research tells us we don"t have to.
Competition? We haven"t got time for it! Let"s spend our small budget in teaching and learning, not in competing and marketing.

单选题 It is indicated in the passage that competition between schools results in ______.

A、 higher enrollment rate
B、 lower academic standard
C、 higher marketing expenses
D、 privatization of further education

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】[解析] 第2段最后一句与第2段第1句构成隐含的因果关系，原因是学校之间竞争激烈，结果是学校花费人力物力以求在竞争中取胜，如高薪委任市场经理。由此可知C正确。

单选题 Real competition can happen only when ______.

A、 academic standard is improved by the education sector
B、 there are comparable schools with different educational qualities
C、 students have different interests in different courses
D、 schools of all areas have sufficient budget for their development

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】[解析] 只要理解第3段最后一个分句中的that指向前一个分句，答案不难找到。B是对该分句的近义改写。

单选题 According to the passage, the free market in secondary education ______.

A、 only provides consumers with more information
B、 is more competitive than the higher education market
C、 means there will be more intensive competition than in colleges
D、 is a real surprise to Britain"s recent government

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[解析] 第3段admittedly(不可否认地)之后一句指出了消费者得到了更多的信息，A与此相符。文中只是分别介绍高等教育及中等教育的竞争情况，但没有做横向对比，因此B和C没有原文依据。D与该段第1句相悖。

单选题 The author of the passage feels relieved that ______.

A、 secondary schools have to market themselves
B、 most secondary schools have scarce resources of staff and money
C、 the research proves most secondary schools are the best
D、 schools needn"t prove that they are the best

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】[解析] 解答本题的关键是理解倒数第2段最后一句中that的具体所指：that代指上句破折号后的做法。

单选题 What might be the author"s attitude towards competitions between nearby schools?

A、 The author is in favor of various kinds of competition.
B、 The author is indifferent to any competition and its result.
C、 The author is not certain of the effect of competitions.
D、 The author is against inter-collegiate competitions.

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】[解析] 根据最后一段，特别是最后一句的not in competing and marketing，可知作者对竞争的态度是反对的。