“The Heart of the Matter,” the just-released report by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAAS), deserves praise for affirming the importance of the humanities and social sciences to the prosperity and security of liberal democracy in America. Regrettably, however, the report’s failure to address the true nature of the crisis facing liberal education may cause more harm than good.

In 2010, leading congressional Democrats and Republicans sent letters to the AAAS asking that it identify actions that could be taken by “federal, state and local governments, universities, foundations, educators, individual benefactors and others” to “maintain national excellence in humanities and social scientific scholarship and education.” In response, the American Academy formed the Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences. Among the commission’s 51 members are top-tier-university presidents, scholars, lawyers, judges, and business executives, as well as prominent figures from diplomacy, filmmaking, music and journalism.

The goals identified in the report are generally admirable. Because representative government presupposes an informed citizenry, the report supports full literacy; stresses the study of history and government, particularly American history and American government; and encourages the use of new digital technologies. To encourage innovation and competition, the report calls for increased investment in research, the crafting of coherent curricula that improve students’ ability to solve problems and communicate effectively in the 21 st century, increased funding for teachers and the encouragement of scholars to bring their learning to bear on the great challenges of the day. The report also advocates greater study of foreign languages, international affairs and the expansion of study abroad programs.

Unfortunately, despite 2½ years in the making, “The Heart of the Matter” never gets to the heart of the matter: the illiberal nature of liberal education at our leading colleges and universities. The commission ignores that for several decades America’s colleges and universities have produced graduates who don’t know the content and character of liberal education and are thus deprived of its benefits. Sadly, the spirit of inquiry once at home on campus has been replaced by the use of the humanities and social sciences as vehicles for publicizing “progressive,” or left liberal propaganda.

Today, professors routinely treat the progressive interpretation of history and progressive public policy as the proper subject of study while portraying conservative or classical liberal ideas—such as free markets and self-reliance—as falling outside the boundaries of routine, and sometimes legitimate, intellectual investigation.

The AAAS displays great enthusiasm for liberal education. Yet its report may well set back reform by obscuring the depth and breadth of the challenge that Congress asked it to illuminate. 

1.According to Paragraph 1, what is the author’s attitude toward the AAAS’ s report?

A Critical.

B Appreciative.

C Contemptuous.

D Tolerant.

解析：选A。A观点态度题。根据题目定位到首段，可知作者先肯定了报告的重要性，后提出该报告未能揭示人文教育面临的危机的本质，可能弊大于利。故选A。

2.Influential figures in the Congress required that the AAAS report on how to _________

A define the government’s role in education.

B safeguard individuals’ rights to education.

C retain people’s interest in liberal education.

D keep a leading position in liberal education.

解析：选D。D细节理解题。根据Congress和AAAS定位到第二段，可知国会民主党和共和党领袖要求AAAS确定“联邦、州、地方政府、大学、基金会、教育工作者、个人捐助者等”可以采取的行动，以“保持国家在人文和社会科学学术和教育方面的卓越表现”，D符合原文，故选D。

3.According to Paragraph 3, the report suggests _________

A an exclusive study of American history.

B a greater emphasis on theoretical subjects.

C the application of emerging technologies.

D funding for the study of foreign languages.

解析：选C。C细节理解题。根据题目定位到第三段，可知该报告支持全民教育，强调对历史和政府的研究，特别是对美国历史和政府（而不是专门针对美国历史的）的研究，并鼓励使用新的技术，C符合原文，故选C。

4.The author implies in Paragraph 5 that professors are _________

A supportive of free markets.

B conservative about public policy.

C biased against classical liberal ideas.

D cautious about intellectual investigation.

解析：选C。C推理判断题。根据题目定位到第五段，可知如今的教授们将保守的古典自由主义思想描绘为常规之外的、不符合正当学术研究的范畴。C符合原文，故选C。

5.Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

A Ways to Grasp “The Heart of the Matter”

B Illiberal Education and “The Heart of the Matter”

C The AAAS’s Contribution to Liberal Education

D Progressive Policy vs. Liberal Education

解析：选B。B主旨大意题。根据全文可知，文章主要围绕《问题的核心》和美国人文教育展开，指出美国人文教育面临的危机，即非人文化，可知B符合原文，故选B。