For decades, the admission to the eight selective high schools, which rank near the top of U.S secondary schools, has been based on the city’s Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT). Tens of thousands of eighth graders seek admission, but only 10% of those admitted are from disadvantaged backgrounds, who make up 67% of New York City students. Therefore, Mayor de Blasio recently put forward a new plan. He’d use New York State’s standardized (标准的) test results plus class ranks to select students for the specialized schools so that high achievers from those disadvantaged backgrounds would get the opportunity.
    Critics (评论家) say this will admit youngsters who don’t get top marks on an objective admission test, thus harming the schools’ quality. However, two proven ways can guarantee these schools’ excellence and the mayor’s plan contains both.
    The first is screening every student using a universal assessment that almost everyone takes rather than relying on a separate exam. It has been employed in Broward County and it worked really well for poor and minority youngsters.
    The second is analyzing scores at the school level instead of the district level, so that it is fair for able students in every “feeder schools”. This makes the qualifying (有资格的) populations diverse in a way that doesn’t favor advantaged kids. That’s why the University of Texas offers admission to the top 7% of graduates of every high school in the state rather than the top 7% statewide.
    New York City has long failed its high achievers from disadvantaged backgrounds. So Mayor deBlasio’s reforms could be a step in the right direction — if they’re done right.
27. What do we know from the first paragraph?
   A. Secondary high schools are in great demand in New York.
   B. The mayor’s new plan has helped the disadvantaged kids.
   C. It is competitive to gain admission to the selective schools.
   D. 33% of those admitted are from advantaged backgrounds.
28. What is some critics’ concern over the plan?
   A. There will be no qualifying students.
   B. It will cause too much stress on selection.
   C. There will be a decline in the school quality.
   D. It will be unfair to the advantaged students.
29. The underlined part in Paragraph 3 implies the standardized test __________.
   A. benefits the disadvantaged students
   B. does good to the mayor’s political career
   C. has been practiced throughout the country
   D. has met with challenges in Broward County
30. What is the writer’s attitude towards the plan?
   A. Favorable      B. Reserved         C. Doubtful             D. Disapproving

27-30 CCAA