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  3. It’s possible to admire Oprah Winfrey and still wish Harvard hadn’t awarded h

It’s possible to admire Oprah Winfrey and still wish Harvard hadn’t awarded h

游客2023-08-24  25
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] Why does the author deem it inappropriate for Harvard to confer an honorary degree on Oprah Winfrey?
选项 A、She did not specialize in the study of law.
B、She was known as s supporter of fake science.
C、She was an icon of the entertainment industry.
D、She had not distinguished herself academically.
答案 B
解析 推理判断题。由定位句可知，对奥普拉的热情逐渐扩展为热烈拥护伪科学。最臭名昭著的是，奥普拉对珍妮·麦卡锡关于疫苗导致自闭症的说法表示肯定，这让大家愚蠢地逃避疫苗，也毫无疑问地造成了很多危害。这两句说明她主要是因为支持伪科学，与追求真理为座右铭的大学的价值观相悖才被作者认为哈佛大学不应该颁发荣誉学位给她，故答案为B)。
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