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
39
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.
What do we learn about Oprah Winfrey from the passage?
选项
A、She was a distinguished graduate of Harvard School of Law.
B、She worked her way to success in the entertainment industry.
C、She used to abuse her children when she was a young mother.
D、She achieved her fame through persistent advocacy of fake science.
答案
B
解析
事实细节题。定位句明确指出,奥普拉·温弗瑞从受虐待的少女妈妈转变成世界上最成功的娱乐业偶像之一,也就是说,她是在娱乐业上很成功,故答案为B)。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/3Em7777K
0
大学英语六级
相关试题推荐
Inthe1980s,homeschoolingmadeacomebackintheU.S.whenreligiouslyconservativeparentsconvincedstatestoapproveandgi
A、DoparentslikeMySpace?B、IsMySpacegoodorbad?C、MySpaceisthehomeofchildren.D、MySpaceisthebankofchildren’sinfo
A、Whenshegetsthebooks.B、Whentheclassesbegin.C、Whenshehandsintheform.D、Whensheisabletopay.A女士问男士何时付款,男士说在取书的
Sportisnotonlyphysicallychallenging,butitcanalsobementallychallenging.Criticismfromcoaches,parents,andotherte
NurseHomeVisits:ABoostforLow-IncomeParentsNursehomevisitorTammyBallardhashadsomememorableexperiencesinclo
今天中国的老百姓一直用酒来庆祝他们的幸福生活。当有人建新房子、结婚、开业、发财或长寿,他都应邀请人来喝酒。在现代,饮酒这一游戏没有过去那么雅致了,实在是很可惜,过去的饮酒通常有诗歌和音乐助兴。今天,饮酒只是玩简单的猜拳游戏,还伴随着很多酗酒。而且在现在看来
Thecontinuouspresentationofscarystoriesaboutglobalwarminginthepopularmediamakesusunnecessarilyfrightened.Evenw
A、Shejustmadeadecision.B、Sheisdepressed.C、Shelikesthecommittee.D、Sheisglad.D男士说几个星期没有见到女士(高兴成)这个样子了;女士说委员会最终做出了决定
A、Shedidn’twanttospendherholidaywithhim.B、Shewasn’tentitledtotakeavacationforthetimebeing.C、Sheenjoyedher
A、Hedoesn’thavetimelivingoncampus.B、Hewantstochangehislivingplace.C、Hewantstochangehisfastpaceoflife.D、He
随机试题
血液中缓冲固定酸的主要缓冲碱是
已经经过高压蒸气灭菌的用品可保留()
为促进铁的吸收,维生素C和铁的适宜比例至少应为()。
用原始数据经计算得到影像数据的过程称为
白豆蔻入汤剂宜
某法院在网络、微信等平台上公布失信被执行人名单以督促其履行义务,不少失信被执行人迫于“面子”和舆论压力主动找到法院配合执行。对此,下列哪一理解是正确的?(2017年卷一5题)
下列关于库存股的说法中不正确的是()。
下列()不属于大数据的治理。
Theproblemwithhuman-resourcemanagersisthattheyarehuman.Theyhavebiases;theymakemistakes.Butwithbettertools,th
PresidentClintonlatertodayjoins【B1】______presidentsFord,CarterandBushat"thepresident’ssummitforAmerica’sfuture"【
最新回复
(
0
)