“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of liberal education and are thus deprived of its benefits.Sadly,the spirit of inquiry once at home on campus has been replaced by the use of the humanities and social sciences as vehicles for publicizing“progressive,”or left-liberal propaganda.Today,professors routinely treat the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.
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
主旨大意本题考查对文章主旨的概括能力。首先，通过浏览每个段的段首句，可以总结出该文章探讨的主要对象是由AAAS发布的报告，同时每个段落的进一步探讨主要集中于该报告展现出来教育的非自由性主题，其中该报告的代称为问题的核心。A项非自由性教育与问题核心正好和文章主旨相匹配。B项意思是“AAAS报告对自由性教育的贡献”；C项意思是“抓住问题核心的方法”，其中方法文中并未提及。与文章主旨相违背。D项意思是“进步性政策对自由性教育”，其中的“政策”并非文章的重点，故排除。
