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. "
Steven Muller believes that higher education fails to

选项 A、inform the students of what is right or wrong.
B、tell the students which scientific method is valuable.
C、present valuable religious ideas to students.
D、familiarize students with means of inquiry.

答案A

解析 根据第三段最后一句“The biggest failing in higher education today is that we fall short in exposing students to values.”可知,当今高等教育最失败的地方就是不能向学生呈现什么才是价值,“values”在本文中指的是辨别是非的道德标准,故正确答案为A选项;除了包含宗教价值之外,“价值”还包括其他方面,C选项仅提到宗教观念,陈述过于片面,故不选;根据该段第三句“The modern university is rooted in the scientific method…”可知,现代大学是以科学为理念建立的,由此可以推断出现代大学非常重视科学知识的传授,故B,D选项均错误。
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