首页
登录
职称英语
It’s possible to admire Oprah Winfrey and still wish Harvard hadn’t awarded
It’s possible to admire Oprah Winfrey and still wish Harvard hadn’t awarded
游客
2023-08-16
19
管理
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. [br] 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
推断题。根据题干中的关键词 Harry Lewis 定位在原文第四段的“Harry Lewis, noted in a blog about his objections,……”,由其中的 objections 可知他的态度是强烈反对的。由此可知正确答案是A。
转载请注明原文地址:https://tihaiku.com/zcyy/2930346.html
相关试题推荐
[originaltext]W:Mybikewasstolenrecently.Isitpossibletolendmeyoursf
[originaltext]W:Mybikewasstolenrecently.Isitpossibletolendmeyoursf
[originaltext]W:Mybikewasstolenrecently.Isitpossibletolendmeyoursf
[originaltext]W:Mybikewasstolenrecently.Isitpossibletolendmeyoursf
Movingfarmorequicklythanmanyhadthoughtlikelyorpossible,lawmakers
Movingfarmorequicklythanmanyhadthoughtlikelyorpossible,lawmakers
ShouldChildrenUseInternetasEarlyasPossible?1.目前,中国孩子接触网络的年龄越来越小2.有人认为孩子
[originaltext]TheHarvardStudyofAdultDevelopmentmaybethelongeststu
[originaltext]TheHarvardStudyofAdultDevelopmentmaybethelongeststu
[originaltext]ThereissayinginAmericaneducationalcirclesthatHarvard
随机试题
Whileit’seasyenoughtobrushoffafewsleeplessnightswithapotofcof
音乐活动:《国旗多美丽》
男性,63岁,近1周夜间呼吸困难,坐起可缓解。查体肺底散在湿啰音,心脏瓣膜杂音,
某坚硬岩石受到强风化作用,经鉴定,锤击声不清脆,无回弹,轻易击碎,浸水后指甲可刻
关于消防水池和消防水箱的说法,下列不正确的是()。A.消防水池的给水管应根据其
小林婚后辞职在家,专心做起全职妈妈,在孩子过完5周岁生日后,小林在日记里这样写道
关于基金分类的意义,表述正确的有()。A:有动于投资者把握基金的风险收益特征B
负责药品零售、医疗器械经营的许可、检查和处罚的部门是A.市场监督管理部门 B.
下列各项中,可以采用发函询证的方法进行财产清查的有()。A.应收账款 B.
下列参数中,属于ADMS模式预测必须输入的参数是( )。A.地面补充观测气象数据
最新回复
(
0
)