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.
In some 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; they refuse to do what they think “low” work; and in fact, work with hands is thought to be dirty and shameful. 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. If no one cleaned our streets and took the rubbish away from our houses, we would get terrible diseases in our towns.
In fact, when we say that all of us must be educated to fit us for life, it means that we are educated in such a way that, firstly, each of us can do whatever work suited to his brains and ability, and secondly, that we realize that all jobs are necessary to society, and that it is very bad to be ashamed of one’s work. Only such a type of education can be considered valuable to society.
52. The writer of this passage thinks that________.
A. free education can solve all of the world’s problems
B. free education for all probably leads to a perfect world
C. free education won’t help to solve social problems
D. all the social problems can’t be solved by free education
53. The writer wants to prove that___________.
A. our society needs all kinds of jobs      
B. our society needs free education for all
C. a farmer is more important than a professor
D. people with university degrees earn more money
54. According to the passage, ____________.
A. work with hands is dirty and shameful    
B. work with hands is low work
C. work with hands is the most important   
D. we can’t regard work with hands as low work
55. The purpose of education is ___________
A. to choose a system of education         
B. to let everyone receive education
C. to prepare children for their future life 
D. to prepare children for well-paid jobs