The A-level question Have 22 continuous years of rises in A-level pass rate made the exam worthless? David Miliband, the minister for School Standards, insists the answer is a firm ' no'. And he said it was wrong that ' more will mean worse and more educa­tion for more people will mean lower standards'. Figures show that — despite the rise in A-grades to 21. 6 per cent — only 22,000 out of 600,000 18-year-olds gain three A-grade pas­ses. Put another way, that means — in a primary class of 30 pupils — only one will get three A-grades. The center right Bow Group, in a pamphlet published today, however, says nine out of ten scholars believe A-grades have been devalued over the past ten years. Two inquiries (调查) — both set up by the Government’s exams watchdogs — one of which included in­dependent teaching experts, refused to accept that there had been any ' dumping down' of A-level standards. But while they conclude that the exam questions have not become easier, changes in examining methods have almost certainly made it easier to gain top-grade passes. As a result of the exams shake-up introduced in 2000, students sit six different types of exams to make up an A-level during the course of their two years of study. Only 20 per cent of the marks are set for the end-of-term exam. This makes it easier for teachers to help their pupils with the right answers. Mr Miliband said yesterday, ' My argument is not that to­day ‘s generation of pupils are cleverer than their parents; it is that schools and teachers are getting better at getting the best out of them. ' 5. From the writer’s point of view, the rise in A-grades to 21. 6 per cent shows ______. A. it is generally thought more education means lower standards B. the rise in the A-level pass rate has made the exam worthless C. the quality of the 18-year-olds has become lower D. it is still hard for the general pupils to get three A-grade passes 6. The underlined word ' they' in the second paragraph refers to ______. A. the exams watchdogs              B. the independent teaching experts C. the A-level standards               D. the two inquiries 7. As a result of the exams shake-up introduced in 2000 ______. A. the pass rate for A-levels was set to rise continuously B. the exam became easier than it had been before 2000 C. pupils could have many more choices of test after 2000 D. it soon became popular with teachers and pupils 8. What does this passage mainly discuss? A. How reliable and effective the A-level grading system is. B. How the A-level system helps universities select pupils. C. How the pass rate has been increased in recent years. D. How the A-level grading system has changed over the years.