Democracy is found almost exclusively in the wealthier nations of the world. The key factor, however, is not the overall wealth of the nation but the way the wealth is distributed; democracy generally is found in nations that do not have extremes of income inequality. A large and relatively affluent middle class is especially important. Members of the middle class usually have sufficient social and economic resources to organize effectively. Their economic power and organization enable them to hold the government accountable. Democracy also flourishes only in societies with many competing groups, each of which comprises less than a majority. In such a situation, no single group can win a majority of votes without negotiating with other groups. Since each group is a minority, safeguarding minority political groups protects everybody. Although democratic stability depends on competing interest groups, two additional conditions must be met. First, if minority political groups are so divided or ineffective that there is little chance they can win an election, the public may become disillusioned with the democratic process. Second, competing interest groups must share the same basic values. If they do not, they are not likely to be able to abide by the rules of the game. For example, fundamental differences between the values of Israelis who want peace with the Palestinians and the values of Israelis who do not, together with different values among different factions of Palestinians, make it difficult for democracy to thrive in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The passage indicates that democracy cannot take hold in the Middle East because
a. Palestinians do not have a strong military.
b. there is too much poverty there.
c. Palestinian leaders do not want democracy.
d. Israelis do not have the same fundamental values.
Ques. 2Democracy is found almost exclusively in the wealthier nations of the world. The key factor, however, is not the overall wealth of the nation but the way the wealth is distributed; democracy generally is found in nations that do not have extremes of income inequality. A large and relatively affluent middle class is especially important. Members of the middle class usually have sufficient social and economic resources to organize effectively. Their economic power and organization enable them to hold the government accountable. Democracy also flourishes only in societies with many competing groups, each of which comprises less than a majority. In such a situation, no single group can win a majority of votes without negotiating with other groups. Since each group is a minority, safeguarding minority political groups protects everybody. Although democratic stability depends on competing interest groups, two additional conditions must be met. First, if minority political groups are so divided or ineffective that there is little chance they can win an election, the public may become disillusioned with the democratic process. Second, competing interest groups must share the same basic values. If they do not, they are not likely to be able to abide by the rules of the game. For example, fundamental differences between the values of Israelis who want peace with the Palestinians and the values of Israelis who do not, together with different values among different factions of Palestinians, make it difficult for democracy to thrive in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. According to the author, which of these is most needed for democracy to develop in a nation?
a. productive factories
b. a large middle class
c. no minority political groups
d. extremes of income inequality
Ques. 3Democracy is found almost exclusively in the wealthier nations of the world. The key factor, however, is not the overall wealth of the nation but the way the wealth is distributed; democracy generally is found in nations that do not have extremes of income inequality. A large and relatively affluent middle class is especially important. Members of the middle class usually have sufficient social and economic resources to organize effectively. Their economic power and organization enable them to hold the government accountable. Democracy also flourishes only in societies with many competing groups, each of which comprises less than a majority. In such a situation, no single group can win a majority of votes without negotiating with other groups. Since each group is a minority, safeguarding minority political groups protects everybody. Although democratic stability depends on competing interest groups, two additional conditions must be met. First, if minority political groups are so divided or ineffective that there is little chance they can win an election, the public may become disillusioned with the democratic process. Second, competing interest groups must share the same basic values. If they do not, they are not likely to be able to abide by the rules of the game. For example, fundamental differences between the values of Israelis who want peace with the Palestinians and the values of Israelis who do not, together with different values among different factions of Palestinians, make it difficult for democracy to thrive in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In the second paragraph, flourishes means
a. disappears.
b. loses out.
c. becomes successful.
d. dies.
Ques. 4Democracy is found almost exclusively in the wealthier nations of the world. The key factor, however, is not the overall wealth of the nation but the way the wealth is distributed; democracy generally is found in nations that do not have extremes of income inequality. A large and relatively affluent middle class is especially important. Members of the middle class usually have sufficient social and economic resources to organize effectively. Their economic power and organization enable them to hold the government accountable. Democracy also flourishes only in societies with many competing groups, each of which comprises less than a majority. In such a situation, no single group can win a majority of votes without negotiating with other groups. Since each group is a minority, safeguarding minority political groups protects everybody. Although democratic stability depends on competing interest groups, two additional conditions must be met. First, if minority political groups are so divided or ineffective that there is little chance they can win an election, the public may become disillusioned with the democratic process. Second, competing interest groups must share the same basic values. If they do not, they are not likely to be able to abide by the rules of the game. For example, fundamental differences between the values of Israelis who want peace with the Palestinians and the values of Israelis who do not, together with different values among different factions of Palestinians, make it difficult for democracy to thrive in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In the first paragraph, affluent means
a. unequal.
b. poor.
c. uneducated. d. wealthy.
Ques. 5One of the major processes that takes place in schools, of course, is that students learn. When they graduate from high school, many can use a computer, write essays with three-part theses, and differentiate equations. In addition to learning specific skills, they also undergo a process of cognitive development wherein their mental skills grow and expand. They learn to think critically, to weigh evidence, to develop independent judgment. The extent to which this development takes place is related to both school and home environments. An impressive set of studies demonstrates that cognitive development during the school years is enhanced by complex and demanding work without close supervision and by high teacher expectations. Teachers and curricula that furnish this setting produce students who have greater intellectual flexibility and higher achievement test scores. They are also more open to new ideas, less authoritarian, and less prone to blind conformity. Unfortunately, the availability of these ideal learning conditions varies by students' social class. Studies show that teachers are most demanding when they are of the same social class as their students. The greater the difference between their own social class and that of their pupils, the more rigidly they structure their classrooms and the fewer demands they place on their students. As a result, students learn less when they come from a social class lower than that of their teacher. The social class gap tends to be largest when youngsters are the most disadvantaged, and this process helps to keep them disadvantaged Which of the following is pointed out in the passage as a condition which keeps disadvantaged children from climbing the social ladder?
a. absence of a father in the home
b. poor nutrition
c. unfavorable learning conditions in schools
d. lack of student motivation
Ques. 6One of the major processes that takes place in schools, of course, is that students learn. When they graduate from high school, many can use a computer, write essays with three-part theses, and differentiate equations. In addition to learning specific skills, they also undergo a process of cognitive development wherein their mental skills grow and expand. They learn to think critically, to weigh evidence, to develop independent judgment. The extent to which this development takes place is related to both school and home environments. An impressive set of studies demonstrates that cognitive development during the school years is enhanced by complex and demanding work without close supervision and by high teacher expectations. Teachers and curricula that furnish this setting produce students who have greater intellectual flexibility and higher achievement test scores. They are also more open to new ideas, less authoritarian, and less prone to blind conformity. Unfortunately, the availability of these ideal learning conditions varies by students' social class. Studies show that teachers are most demanding when they are of the same social class as their students. The greater the difference between their own social class and that of their pupils, the more rigidly they structure their classrooms and the fewer demands they place on their students. As a result, students learn less when they come from a social class lower than that of their teacher. The social class gap tends to be largest when youngsters are the most disadvantaged, and this process helps to keep them disadvantaged What is the overall organization pattern of the second paragraph?
a. cause and effect
b. generalization and example
c. summary
d. comparison
Ques. 7One of the major processes that takes place in schools, of course, is that students learn. When they graduate from high school, many can use a computer, write essays with three-part theses, and differentiate equations. In addition to learning specific skills, they also undergo a process of cognitive development wherein their mental skills grow and expand. They learn to think critically, to weigh evidence, to develop independent judgment. The extent to which this development takes place is related to both school and home environments. An impressive set of studies demonstrates that cognitive development during the school years is enhanced by complex and demanding work without close supervision and by high teacher expectations. Teachers and curricula that furnish this setting produce students who have greater intellectual flexibility and higher achievement test scores. They are also more open to new ideas, less authoritarian, and less prone to blind conformity. Unfortunately, the availability of these ideal learning conditions varies by students' social class. Studies show that teachers are most demanding when they are of the same social class as their students. The greater the difference between their own social class and that of their pupils, the more rigidly they structure their classrooms and the fewer demands they place on their students. As a result, students learn less when they come from a social class lower than that of their teacher. The social class gap tends to be largest when youngsters are the most disadvantaged, and this process helps to keep them disadvantaged Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a factor affecting cognitive development?
a. student social class
b. teacher expectations
c. student interests
d. home environment
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