What is the function of the examples 'a stable home, a good school, a mother who read aloud'?
A meritocratic society rewards talent and effort rather than birth. Few would object to the aim. But the ideal has a darker side. If success is thought to be earned, then failure begins to look deserved, and those at the bottom are told that they have only themselves to blame. Those at the top, convinced that they earned their position, may feel little obligation to others. The idea also ignores how much of what is called talent is the product of luck: a stable home, a good school, a mother who read aloud. None of this is a reason to abandon the principle of reward for effort. It is a reason to hold it humbly, and to remember that the lottery of birth shapes who gets the chance to compete.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. They illustrate circumstances that shape talent but are not earned
- Step 1: The sentence says much of what is called talent is the product of luck, then gives these examples.
- Step 2: They are fortunate circumstances.
Answer
They illustrate circumstances that shape talent but are not earned.
Why not the others: They do not prove talent is absent, make effort unnecessary, describe aims or offer policy.
Practise more Social mobility.
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