The U. S. Supreme Court has forbidden prayers in public schools, but many Americans cling to the idea that their educational sys

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问题     The U. S. Supreme Court has forbidden prayers in public schools, but many Americans cling to the idea that their educational system has a moral purpose. It is an idea common to both the Greeks and the medieval Church. In today’s world, the moral purpose of education takes non-religious forms: racial integration, sex education, good citizenship. At the college level, the ambiguities become more complex. Should a morally objectionable person be allowed to teach? Should a morally objectionable doctrine be permitted?
    Many people are understandably dismayed by such inspection. But would they prefer moral neutrality? Should engineers be trained to build highways without being taught any concern for the homes they displace? Should prospective corporate managers learn how to increase profits regardless of pollution or unemployment? Just the opposite, according to Beyond the Ivory Tower, a new book by Harvard’s Bok, which calls for increased emphasis on "applied ethics. "(Writes Bok:"A university that refuses to take moral dilemmas seriously violates its basic obligations to society. ")
    Religious colleges have always practiced a similar preaching. But some 500 schools now offer courses in the field. The Government supports such studies with a program known as EVIST, which stands for Ethics and Values in Science and Technology (and which sounds as though a computer had already taken charge of the matter). " The modern university is rooted in the scientific method, having essentially turned its back on religion, " says Steven Muller, president of John Hopkins. "The scientific method is a marvelous means of inquiry, but it really doesn’t provide a value system. The biggest failing in higher education today is that we fall short in exposing students to values. "
    Charles Muscatine, a professor of English at Berkeley and member of a committee that is analyzing liberal arts curriculums for the Association of American Colleges, is even harsher. He calls today’s education programs "a marvelous convenience for low-quality society. "The key goal of education, says Muscatine, should be " informed decision making that recognizes there is a moral component to life. "Instead, he says, most universities are "spreading the dangerous myth that technical skills are more important than moral reasoning. "
The second paragraph implies that the author is for

选项 A、the offering of the course "religious doctrines".
B、a reconsideration of the obligations of universities to society.
C、neutrality in value judgment in higher education.
D、moral inspection of the staff and the courses they offer.

答案D

解析 第二段第五句“Just the opposite…”是对前面三个问句的否定回答,因此作者对教师及所授课程都应受到审视持肯定态 度,故D选项正确,同时可以判断出作者并不赞同道德中立,故C选项错误;该段并未提到“the course of‘religious doctrines’”,就更谈不上作者支持讲授这门课程了,故A选项错误;根据该段最后一句“A university that refuses to take moral dilemmas seriously violates its basic obligations to society.”可知,Bok认为一所拒绝严肃对待道德窘境的大学就是违背了其对社会基本的责任,而不是重新审视大学对社会的责任,故B选项错误。
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