首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
It’s possible to admire Oprah Winfrey and still wish Harvard hadn’t awarded her an honorary doctor of law degree and the commenc
It’s possible to admire Oprah Winfrey and still wish Harvard hadn’t awarded her an honorary doctor of law degree and the commenc
admin
2014-07-25
16
问题
It’s possible to admire Oprah Winfrey and still wish Harvard hadn’t awarded her an honorary doctor of law degree and the commencement(毕业典礼)speaker spot at yesterday’s graduation. There’s no question Oprah’s achievements place her in the temple of American success stories. Talent, charm, and an exceptional work ethic have rarely hurled anyone as far as they have this former abused teenage mother from rural Mississippi who became one of the world’s most successful entertainment icons and the first African-American female billionaire.
Honorary degrees are often conferred on non-academic leaders in the arts, business, and politics. Harvard’s list in recent years has included Kofi Annan, Bill Gates, Meryl Streep, and David Souter. But Oprah’s particular brand of celebrity is not a good fit for the values of a university whose motto(座右铭), Veritas, means truth. Oprah’s passionate advocacy extends, unfortunately, to a hearty embrace of fake science. Most notoriously, Oprah’s validation of Jenny McCarthy’s claim that vaccines cause autism(自闭症)has no doubt contributed to much harm through the foolish avoidance of vaccines.
Famous people are entitled to a few failings, like the rest of us, and the choice of commencement speakers often reflects a balance of institutional priorities and aspirations. Judging from our conversations with many students, Oprah was a widely popular choice.
But this vote of confidence in Oprah sends a troubling message at precisely the time when American universities need to do more to advance the cause of reason. As former Dean of Harvard College, Harry Lewis, noted in a blog post about his objections, " It seems very odd for Harvard to honor such a high profile popularizer of the irrational...at a time when political and religious nonsense so jeopardize the rule of reason in this allegedly enlightened democracy and around the world. "
As America’s oldest and most visible university, Harvard has a special opportunity to convey its respect for science not only through its research and teaching programs but also in its public affirmation of evidence-based inquiry.
Unfortunately, many American universities seem awfully busy protecting their brand name and not nearly busy enough protecting the pursuit of knowledge. A recent article in The Harvard Crimson noted the shocking growth of Harvard’s public relations arm in the last five years and it questioned whether a focus on risk management and avoiding controversy was really the best outward-looking face of this great institution.
As American research universities begin to resemble profit centers and entertainment complexes, it’s easy to lose sight of their primary mission; to produce and spread knowledge. This mission depends on traditions of rational discourse and vigorous defense of the scientific method. Oprah Winfrey’s honorary doctorate was a step in the wrong direction.
How did Harry Lewis react to Harvard’s decision in his blog post?
选项
A、He was strongly against it.
B、He considered it unpopular.
C、He thought it would help enhance Harvard’s reputation.
D、He thought it represented the will of the Harvard community.
答案
A
解析
观点态度题。定位句指出,哈佛学院前院长哈利·刘易斯在博客中表达了他的反对态度,故答案为A)。
转载请注明原文地址:https://jikaoti.com/ti/fvgFFFFM
0
大学英语六级
相关试题推荐
Inthe1980s,homeschoolingmadeacomebackintheU.S.whenreligiouslyconservativeparentsconvincedstatestoapproveandgi
A、Greatpressureonhousing.B、Risingdemandsofgoods.C、Theprosperityofthebuildingindustry.D、Adecliningmarketformanu
A、Hedoesnotwanttobeinterruptedwhenmakingdecision.B、Hewillbethechairmanofthecommitteeforsure.C、Heisnotelec
A、Hethinksit’smainlyforchildren.B、Hefeelsitwouldbeworthwhile.C、Hebelievesitistoocomplicated.D、Hethinksitmay
中国正处于并将长期处于社会主义初级阶段,经济社会还存在许多不容忽视的问题,城乡之间、地区之间、经济与社会发展之间不平衡、不协调,经济发展方式粗放,人口、资源、环境压力大,劳动就业、社会保障、收入分配、教育卫生等方面问题仍然较多,还有贪污腐败现象严重等问题。
A、Writingarticlesonfamilyviolence.B、Huntingnewsforthedailyheadlines.C、ReportingcriminaloffensesinGreenville.D、Co
Forthispart,youareallowed30minutestowriteanessaycommentingontheremark“Earthprovidesenoughtosatisfyeveryman
TricksoftheTrade[A]Aschildren,wearetaughtthatworkinghardwillgetusgoodgrades.Whenitcomestoyourjob,thesam
A、TheyshouldwaituntilJack’sfamiliescomehere.B、Themanshouldsendforadoctor.C、TheyshouldinformJack’sfamilyofhi
A、Fantasticsettings.B、Specialeffects.C、Mysteriouscostumes.D、Thethemesong.B男士说,特技是这部电影能够取得成功的主要原因。故选B。
随机试题
D/P
People’sstatusinsocietyisfrequently______byhowmuchtheyown.
美国东部的气候顶极是夏绿阔叶林,但因常受火烧而长期保留在松林阶段,这属于()
A.发热,恶寒,无汗,鼻塞,流清涕,喷嚏,微咳B.发热,恶风,少汗,头痛,鼻塞,流浊涕,咽红肿痛C.发热,无汗,头昏,胸闷,肢体困倦,泛恶,食欲不振D.发热,恶寒,无汗,鼻塞流涕,微咳,兼见脘腹胀满,呕吐酸腐E.高热,恶寒,无汗,惊惕哭闹,睡卧不宁
下列情形中,可能会导致公司借款需求的有()。
某单位组织职工进行植树活动,如果把树苗分给男女职工去栽,则每人栽6棵;如果单独让女职工栽,则平均每人栽8棵。如果单独让男职工栽,则平均每人栽多少棵?
WhatfactorcanbeattributedtoGermanprosperity?WhenwastheFraunhoferSocietyfounded?
Wherecanyoufindthetelephonenumberofacitycouncilinthetelephonebook?
Wheredidthespeakerstaymostofthetimeduringthetrip?
•Readthearticlebelowaboutsettinguptheappraisalscheme.•Choosethebestsentencefromtheoppositepagetofilleacho
最新回复
(
0
)