“The Heart of the Matter,”the just-released report by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences（AAAS）,deserves praise for affirming the importance of the humanities and social sciences to the prosperity and security of liberal democracy in America.Regrettably,however,the report’s failure to address the true nature of the crisis facing liberal education may cause more harm than good.
In 2010,leading congressional Democrats and Republicans sent letters to the AAAS asking that it identify actions that could be taken by“federal,state and local governments,universities,foundations,educators,individual benefactors and others”to“maintain national excellence in humanities and social scientific scholarship and education.”In response,the American Academy formed the Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences.Among the commission’s 51 members are top-tier-university presidents,scholars,lawyers,judges,and business executives,as well as prominent figures from diplomacy,filmmaking,music and journalism.
The goals identified in the report are generally admirable.Because representative government presupposes an informed citizenry,the report supports full literacy;stresses the study of history and government,particularly American history and American government;and encourages the use of new digital technologies.To encourage innovation and competition,the report calls for increased investment in research,the crafting of coherent curricula that improve students’ability to solve problems and communicate effectively in the 21st century,increased funding for teachers and the encouragement of scholars to bring their learning to bear on the great challenges of the day.The report also advocates greater study of foreign languages,international affairs and the expansion of study abroad programs.
Unfortunately,despite 2?years in the making,"The Heart of the Matter"never gets to the heart of the matter:the illiberal nature of liberal education at our leading colleges and universities.The commission ignores that for several decades America's colleges and universities have produced graduates who don’t know the content and character of liberal education and are thus deprived of its benefits.Sadly,the spirit of inquiry once at home on campus has been replaced by the use of the humanities and social sciences as vehicles for publicizing“progressive,”or left-liberal propaganda.
Today,professors routinely treat the progressive interpretation of history and progressive public policy as the proper subject of study while portraying conservative or classical liberal ideas—such as free markets and self-reliance—as falling outside the boundaries of routine,and sometimes legitimate,intellectual investigation.
The AAAS displays great enthusiasm for liberal education.Yet its report may well set back reform by obscuring the depth and breadth of the challenge that Congress asked it to illuminate.
According to Paragraph 3,the report suggests
事实细节本题侧重考查对文中细节信息的准确理解。根据题干要求，解答本题需定位到第三段，解答本题的直接方法是将每个选项代入第三段与原文语句进行嵌套比对。选项A“专门研究美国历史”，对应原文“stresses the study of history and government,particularly American history and American government”也就是说，该报告强调政府应学习历史，尤其是美国历史和美国政府，而并不是只研究美国历史，选项中出现的“exclusive”致使A项表达过于绝对，故排除；选项B中的“theoretical subjects（理论学科）”是文中未提及的信息，属于无中生有，故排除；选项C“新兴技术的应用”，对应原文是“encourages the use of new digital technologies（鼓励使用新数字技术）”，选项C正是原文内容的同义替换，所以为正确答案；而选项D“为外语研究设立基金”，以“funding”和“foreign languages”为关键词定位原文是“increased funding for teachers and the encouragement of scholars to bring their learning to bear on the great challenges of the day.The report also advocates greater study of foreign languages”，原文是说该报告“要求加大教师科研基金的投入，以鼓励学者不断研发以面对当今时代的巨大挑战。该报告也大力倡导外语…”，选项D明显是对这两层意思的断章取义，这属于典型的移花接木，故排除。
