【2004英语一text4】美国学校轻视才智？
原文初读
P1
Americans today don' t place a very high value on intellect . Our heroes are athletes , entertainers , and
entrepreneurs
, not scholars . Even our schools are where we send our children to get a practical education - not to pursue knowledge for the sake of knowledge . Symptoms of
pervasive
anti-intellectualism in our schools aren' t difficult to find .
P2
" Schools have always been in a society where practical is more important than intellectual ," says education writer Diane
Ravitch
." Schools
could be
a
counterbalance
." Ravitch' s latest book , Left Back : A Century of Failed School Reforms , traces the roots of anti-intellectualism in our schools , concluding they are anything but a counterbalance to the American
distaste
for intellectual pursuits .
P3
But they could and should be . Encouraging kids to reject the life of the mind leaves them vulnerable to
exploitation
and control . Without the ability to think critically , to
defend
their ideas and understand the ideas of others , they cannot fully participate in our democracy . Continuing along this path , says writer Earl Shorris ," We will become a
second-rate
country . We will have a less
civil
society ."
P4
" Intellect is resented as a form of power or privilege ," writes historian and professor
Richard
Hofstadter in Anti-intellectualism in American Life ,
｛
a Pulitzer-Prize winning book on the roots of anti-intellectualism in US politics , religion , and education
｝
. From the beginning of our history , says Hofstadter , our democratic and
populist
urges
have driven us to reject anything that smells of elitism .
Practicality
, common sense , and native intelligence have been considered more
noble
qualities than anything you could learn from a book .
P5
Ralph Waldo
Emerson
and other
Transcendentalist
philosophers thought schooling and
rigorous
book learning put unnatural
restraints
on children :" We are shut up in schools and college
recitation
rooms for 10 or 15 years and come out at last with a
bellyful
of words and do not know a thing ." Mark Twain' s Huckleberry Finn exemplified American anti-intellectualism . Its
hero
avoids being
civilized
- going to school and learning to read -- so he can preserve his innate goodness .
P6
Intellect , according to Hofstadter , is different from native intelligence , a quality we
reluctantly
admire . Intellect is the critical , creative , and
contemplative
side of the mind . Intelligence seeks to
grasp
,
manipulate
, re-order , and adjust , while intellect examines ,
ponders
, wonders , theorizes , criticizes , and imagines .
P7
School remains a place where intellect is
mistrusted
. Hofstadter says our country' s educational system is
in the grips of
people who " joyfully and
militantly
proclaim
their
hostility
to intellect and their eagerness to
identify with
children who show the least intellectual
promise
."
重点单词／短语理解
entrepreneur：n 企业家
pervasive：adj 遍布的；普遍的
counterbalance：n 平衡抵消物；抗衡力量
distaste：n 反感，厌恶
exploitation：n （贬义）剥削；榨取
defend：v 辩解，辩白
second-rate：adj 二流的，普通的
civil：adj 文明的
populist：adj 平民主义的，民粹主义的
urge：n 强烈欲望，强烈渴望
noble：adj 高尚的；崇高的
transcendentalist：adj 超验论者的
rigorous：adj 严格的，严厉的
recitation：n 朗诵，朗读
bellyful：n 满腹，满肚子
hero：n 主角
civilize：v 教化，开化
reluctantly：adv 勉强地，不情愿地
contemplative：adj 深思熟虑的
grasp：v 理解，领会
manipulate：v（熟练地）操作，使用
ponder：v 沉思；考虑
mistrust：v 猜疑，不信任
in the grips of：受…的控制
militantly：adv 好战地
proclaim：v 宣布，宣告
hostility：n 敌意
identify with：与…产生共鸣
promise：n 获得成功的迹象，前途
真题再现
36.What do American parents expect their children to acquire in school ? [ A ] The habit of thinking independently . [ B ] Profound knowledge of the world . [ C ] Practical abilities for future career . [ D ]The confidence in intellectual pursuits . 37.We can learn from the text that Americans have a history of [ A ] undervaluing intellect [ B ] favoring intellectualism [ C ] supporting school reform [ D ]
suppressing
native intelligence 38.The views of Raviteh and Emerson on schooling are [ A ] identical [ B ] similar [ C ] complementary [ D ] opposite 39.Emerson , according to the text , is probably [ A ] a pioneer of education reform [ B ] an
opponent
of intellectualism [ C ] a scholar in favor of intellect [ D ] an
advocate
of regular schooling 40.What does the author think of intellect ? [ A ] It is second to intelligence . [ B ] It evolves from common sense . [ C ] It is to be pursued . [ D ] It underlies power .
答案速查：CADBC
真题解析：
36.细节题
P1
中Even our schools are where we send our children to get a practical education - not to pursue knowledge for the sake of knowledge . 可以看出选C。 37.
P4
，关键词history。Intellect is resented as a form of power or privilege和our democratic and
populist
urges
have driven us to reject anything that smells of elitism 可看出美国人有轻视才智的历史。 C 文中并没有写美国支持学校改革，凭空捏造。 D native intelligence have been considered more
noble
qualities than anything you could learn from a book .说明native intelligence是被倡导的 38.
P2
中
Ravitch
认为学校本应该成为抗衡力量，但却没有起作用，可以看出他是认可学校教育的。而
P5
中
Emerson
认为学校put unnatural
restraints
on children，觉得学校come out at last with a
bellyful
of words and do not know a thing，可见他否定学校的作用。二人观点相反。
39. 38题分析，仔细阅读
P5
。
Emerson
对学校教育和书本知识持否定态度。同时这段后面
Mark Twain Huckleberry Finn 的例子提不被教化可以保持善良的本性。也是anti-intellectualism（反对才智）的例子。 40.这题问的是作者对才智的看法，就要理清文章的逻辑，不能随便从文中找关键句。文章首先提出美国人不重视才智的现象
P1
，然后分析反才智的影响
P3
，再追溯这一现象的历史根源
P4P5
，最后回归当下，指出美国教育体制问题
P7
。作者从头到尾都在批判轻视才智的行为。AD均是作者批判的观点。
