Almost 12 years after the landmark federal study “A Nation at Risk: Th

Question

Almost 12 years after the landmark federal study “A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform” warned darkly of the “rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future,” we remain a nation at risk. We are a nation whose 13-year-olds have average math skills that rank below those in 14 other developed countries, according to one 1991 study. We are a nation whose college professors complain that before they can teach the classics, they must teach the basics. And while nearly all American adults can read and write at a basic level, according to a 1993 Educational Testing Service study fewer than half can use a bus schedule or accurately record car-maintenance information.

All this is despite the fact that education is the biggest line item in most state budgets. Indeed, the total US spending on education in 1994 was estimated at $484 billion, almost double the $250 billion spent on defense. But of the average $5,300 spent per pupil each year, some experts estimate that less than half goes into the classroom. The rest goes to such important auxiliary services as athletic coaching and lunch programs – but also to the bureaucracy that both supports and entangles the nation’s school system.

Today, the proposals for reforming education are nearly as diverse as the members of America’s 64.5 million strong student body – privatization, home-schooling and video instruction. While education remains largely a local matter, with only 7% of funding coming from the Federal Government, a debate is raging over the need to impose national standards, whereby every pupil at a given level must master the same body of knowledge and pass the same set of tests. The education act, signed by President Clinton last March, offers incentives to the states to develop uniform standards for students; it also promotes teacher training and parental involvement. But if there are to be national standards, then whose? And what about those schools that must first cope with gunfights in the hallways before teaching the import of the Emancipation Proclamation? Diane Ravitch, the author of the forthcoming book National Standards in American Education, points to the growing successes of such community-based programs as charter schools. “We have had a one-size-fits-all system, and it doesn’t work,” she says. “The move toward tailoring schools for different students is a good way to go.”    1 
 1. On the basis of the passage, what can be safely inferred about the state of education in America?

A. Education is not on the priority list of the government.
B. Nearly all Americans are at least literate.
C. All Americans are very poor in mathematical skills.
D. Using a bus schedule or recording car-maintenance information is not on the American school curriculum.
E. Parents bear most of the expenses of education, with the government bearing only seven percent of the total cost.

2 
 2. The author of the passage is most likely to agree with which of the following?

A. Implementation of the Education Act signed by Clinton should be given priority.
B. The American government is not spending enough on education.
C. It is not advisable to set national standards on pupils everywhere.
D. Privatization, home schooling and video instruction are good options for improving education standards.
E. American education is not in as bad a state as it is made out to be as its 13-year-olds rank below only 14 other developed nations in average math skills.

3 
 3. The primary purpose of the author in writing the passage is which of the following?

A. Presenting certain facts about a situation, talking about reasons for the situation being as it is, and presenting a possible way to change it.
B. Criticizing the government for the apathy it shows towards education.
C. Presenting facts about spending on education by the government and how the money is actually used.
D. Emphasize the need for new education reforms.
E. Emphasize how bureaucracy helps as well as harms the nation’s school system and to present a way to deal with it.

4 
 4. What is the purpose of the third paragraph?

A. Suggest ways to promote teacher training and parental involvement.
B. Present arguments and counter-arguments for the education act signed by Clinton.
C. Emphasize the need to impose national standards for all the pupils.
D. Justify why schools must be tailored according to the students’ needs.
E. Argue that, just to fund seven percent of the total cost of educating the 64.5 m strong student body is not enough on the part of the federal government.

5 
 5. From the passage, we can conclude that the federal study mentioned had

A. been ineffective, as even after many years the risk mentioned in it has not been overcome.
B. helped to highlight the problems facing the educational system of the country.
C. highlighted how most of the money meant for students was being spent on athlete coaching, lunch programs and on bureaucracy.
D. brought the spotlight on the problems faced by teachers all over the world.
E. brought out in the open the fact that the Education Act signed by Clinton had not been properly implemented.

6 
 6. The passage suggests that instead of imposing national standards on students, schools should be tailor-made for students. Which of the following reasons does the passage give for this suggestion?

A. Education levels are falling all over the country, and they can be improved only by bringing down the basic requirements for each level.
B. Education is a local matter, so the schools of a particular area should follow the standards set by the local people.
C. As the federal government spends only seven percent of the total amount needed for funding education, it cannot be given too much say in deciding the national standards.
D. It is difficult to arrive at a consensus for national standards as too many people are involved in the decision.
E. Having same standards for all students without paying attention to local needs has not succeeded. So community based programs tailoring schools according to students’ needs should be tried now.

RC Butler 2022  -  Practice Two RC Passages Everyday.   
Passage # 53 Date: 04-Feb-2022
 This question is a part of RC Butler 2022 .  Click here for Details

Source: my-GMAT

chrisgeo · Answer

It is mentioned in the passage that nearly all  adults  can an write
can we infer from this that  nearly all people  are literate?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

1. On the basis of the passage, what can be safely inferred about the state of education in America?

Difficulty Level:   650

Explanation

Lines 9-10  say that nearly all Americans can read and write at a basic level. Thus,  (B)  can be safely inferred from the passage.  Choices (A), (C), (D) , and  (E)  are not supported by the passage.

Choice (C)  is wrong as the facts are given only about mathematical skills of 13-year-olds and they too suggest that in comparison to 14 other developed nations, theirskills rank low. It does not suggest that mathematical skills of all the students are poor.

Answer: B

JairajD · Answer

can you please answer question 3-5 with why the others options where eliminated

jim441 · Answer

Please share the answer of Q2.
From which line we can infer the option C?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

2. The author of the passage is most likely to agree with which of the following?

Difficulty Level:   600-650

Explanation

Choice (C)  is the right option. In para 3 the author questions the idea of having national standards for students and points that community-based projects tailoring schools on the basis of student needs are a success. The author does agree that education in America is in a bad state, as, right in the first paragraph it is stated that ‘We remain a nation at risk’ in the context of the education level. So  (E)  is wrong. Even the other choices are not supported by the facts.

Answer: C

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

3. The primary purpose of the author in writing the passage is which of the following?

Difficulty Level:   650-700

Explanation

Choice (A)  is the best option. The passage in part does what  (C)  suggests, but that is not all. The author has presented facts about American education in the  first paragraph . In the  second paragraph , the author has explained why, in spite of, the huge allocation of funds for the purpose, education is in a dismal state. In the last paragraph, the author suggests that having schools based on students’ needs rather than having national standards might be one of the solutions. Thus (A), is the right option.

Answer: A

hydr01 · Answer

Why isn't D correct? Isn't D the main overarching purpose of the passage?

hydr01 · Answer

For Q5, the passage communicates that the federal study warned (and therefore highlighted) problems facing the education system, making B a good answer. The passage never says that the study was ineffective, making A seem wrong to me. How can a study be ineffective if it properly communicates the information about the education system? It's not the study's fault that people failed to consider the study's findings further and do something about them.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Option (D)  is incorrect because although the passage does discuss the need for education reform, it is not the primary purpose of the author's writing. The passage also discusses the current state of education in the US, the challenges it faces, and various proposals for reform. The primary purpose of the author's writing is to present certain facts about the situation, talk about reasons for the situation being as it is, and present a possible way to change it, which aligns with  option (A) .

The author presents facts about the state of education in the US, such as the poor math skills of 13-year-olds and the fact that many college professors have to teach basic skills before teaching classics. The author also discusses the high level of spending on education in the US and questions how the money is being used. The author then presents proposals for education reform, including national standards and community-based programs like charter schools, as a way to improve the education system.

Overall, the author's purpose is to inform the reader about the state of education in the US, highlight the challenges it faces, and present possible solutions to improve it. This aligns with option (A).

Sajjad1994 · Answer

I agree with your interpretation of the passage. The federal study  "A Nation at Risk"  is not described as ineffective in the passage. Rather, it is credited with highlighting the problems facing the educational system of the country, which is why this question is debatable.

Prob2303 · Answer

Hello Sajjad,

Can I get a brief summary of the passage and the OE for Q5?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Explanation

5. From the passage, we can conclude that the federal study mentioned had

Explanation  (A)  This option is correct because the passage suggests that despite the warnings in the federal study  "A Nation at Risk,"  the nation is still facing challenges in its educational system. The statement implies that the study has not been entirely effective in overcoming the risks highlighted.

(B)  This is a reasonable interpretation, and the study did indeed highlight problems. However, the more specific emphasis in the passage is on the persisting challenges and the lack of improvement over the years.

(C)  The passage does mention that a significant portion of education spending goes to auxiliary services, but it doesn't specifically attribute this finding to the federal study. The primary focus of the study was on the "rising tide of mediocrity" and the ongoing challenges in the educational system.

(D)  The passage doesn't mention that the federal study brought attention to problems faced by teachers worldwide. It specifically addresses challenges within the United States' educational system.

(E)  The passage mentions the Education Act signed by President Clinton but does not explicitly state that the federal study brought out the fact that the Act had not been properly implemented. The focus of the passage is on the persisting challenges in the educational system.

In summary,  option (A)  is the most accurate conclusion based on the passage's emphasis on the ongoing risks and challenges despite the federal study's warnings.

Answer: A

Almost 12 years after the landmark federal study “A Nation at Risk: Th

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Reading Comprehension (RC) Questions

Almost 12 years after the landmark federal study “A Nation at Risk: Th

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards