单选题
PassageThree
Questions41to45arebasedonthefollowingpassage
Americanstodaydon‘tplaceaveryhighvalueonintellect.Ourheroesareathlete,entertainers,andentrepreneurs,notscholars.Evenourschoolsarewherewesendourchildrentogetapracticaleducation-nottopursueknowledgeforthesakeofknowledge.Symptomsofpervasiveanti-intellectualisminourschoolsaren‘tdifficulttofind.
Schoolshavealwaysbeeninasocietywherepracticalismoreimportantthanintellectual,‖sayseducationwriterDianeRavitch.―Schoolcouldbeacounterbalance.‖Ravitch‘slatestbook,LeftBack:ACenturyoffailedSchoolReforms,tracestherootsofanti-intellectualisminourschools,concludingtheyareanythingbutacounterbalancetotheAmericandistasteforintellectualpursuits.
Buttheycouldandshouldbe.Encouragingkidstorejectthelifeofthemindleavesthemvulnerabletoexploitationandcontrol.Withouttheabilitytothinkcritically,todefendtheirideasandunderstandtheideasofothers,theycannotfullyparticipateinourdemocracy.Continuingalongthispath,sayswriterEarlShorris,―Wewillbecomeasecond-ratecountry.Wewillhavealesscivilsociety.‖
Intellectisresentedasaformofpowerorprivilege,‖writeshistorianandprofessorRichardHofstadterinAnti-IntellectualisminAmericanLife,aPulitzerPrizewinningbookontherootsofanti-intellectualisminUSpolitics,religion,andeducation.Fromthebeginningofourhistory,saysHofstadter,ourdemocraticandpopulisturgehasdrivenustorejectanythingthatsmellsofelitism.Practicality,commonsense,andnativeintelligencehavebeenconsideredmorenoblequalitiesthananythingyoucouldlearnfromabook.
RalphWaldoEmersonandotherTranscendentalistphilosophersthoughtschoolingandrigorousbooklearningputunnaturalrestraintsonchildren:―Weareshutupinschoolsandcollegerecitationroomsfor10or15yearsandcomeoutatlastwithabellyfulofwordsanddonotknowathing.‖MarkTwain‘sHuckleberryFinnexemplifiedAmericananti-intellectualism.Itsheroavoidsbeingcivilized-goingtoschoolandlearningtoread---sohecanpreservehisinmategoodness.
Intellect,accordingtoHofstadter,isdifferentfromnativeintelligence,aqualitywereluctantlyadmire.Intellectisthecritical,creative,andcontemplativesideofthemind.Intelligenceseekstograsp,manipulate,re-order,andadjust,whileintellectexamines,ponders,wonders,theorizes,criticizesandimagines.
Schoolremainsaplacewhereintellectismistrusted.Hofstadtersaysourcountry‘seducationalsystemisinthegripsofpeoplewho―joyfullyandmilitantlyproclaimtheirhostilitytointellectandtheireagernesstoidentifywithchildrenwhoshowtheleastintellectualpromise.‖
单选题
WhatdoAmericanparentsexpecttheirchildrentoacquireinschool?
单选题
WecanlearnfromthetextthatAmericanshaveahistoryof_____.
单选题
TheviewsofRavitchandEmersononschoolingare_____.
单选题
Emerson,accordingtothetext,isprobably_____.
单选题
Whatdoestheauthorthinkofintellect?