单选题

(B)

Education is not an end, but a means to an end. In other words, we do not educate children only for the purpose of educating them: our purpose is to fit them for life. As soon as we realize this fact, we will understand that it is very important to choose a system of education which will really prepare children for life. It is not enough just to choose the first system of education one finds; or to continue with one"s old system of education without examining it to see whether it is in fact suitable or not.
In many modern countries it has for some time been fashionable to think that, by free education for all--whether rich or poor, clever or stupid--one can solve all the problems of society and build a perfect nation. But we can already see that free education for all is not enough: we find in such countries a far larger number of people with university degrees than there are jobs for them to fill. Because of their degrees, they refuse to do what they think "low" work; and, in fact, work with the hands is thought to be dirty and shameful in such countries.
But we have only to think a moment to understand that the work of a completely uneducated farmer is far more important than that of a professor: we can live without education, but we die if we have no food.
In fact, when we say that all of us must be educated to fit us for life, it means that we must be educated in such a way that, firstly, each of us can do whatever job is suited to his brain and ability and, secondly, that we can realize that all jobs are necessary to society, and that it is very bad to be ashamed of one"s work, or to scorn someone else"s. Only such a type of education can be called valuable to society.

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】[解析] (见第2段3—5行)
free education for all意为全民义务教育。文中“But we can already see…(to solve all the problems of society)省略了作状语用的不定式。A)项表达的意思与省略部分相同，故为答案。从冒号的作用来看，B)项和D)项只不过是不能解决社会问题的原因。故不能选作答案。