Passage2 Americanstodaydon′tplaceaveryhighvalueonintellect.Ourheroesareathletes, entertainers,andentrepreneurs,notscholars.Evenourschoolsarewherewesendourchildrentogetapracticaleducation--nottopursueknowledgeforthesakeofknowledge.Symptomsofpervasiveanti-intellectualisminourschoolsaren′tdifficulttofred. "Schoolshavealwaysbeeninasocietywherepracticalismoreimportantthanintellectual,"sayseducationwriterDianeRavitch."Schoolscouldbeacounterbalance."Ravitch′slatestbook,LeftBack:ACenturyofFailedSchoolReforms,tracestherootsofanti-intellectualisminourschools,concludingtheyareanythingbutacounterbalancetotheAmericandistasteforintellectualpursuits. Buttheycouldandshouldbe.Encouragingkidstorejectthelifeofthemindleavesthemvulnerabletoexploitationandcontrol.Withouttheabilitytothinkcritically,todefendtheirideasandunderstandtheideasofothers,theycannotfullyparticipateinourdemocracy.Continuingalongthispath,sayswriterEarlShorris,"Wewillbecomeasecond-ratecountry.Wewillhavealesscivilsociety." "Intellectisresentedasaformofpowerorprivilege,"writeshistorianandprofessorRichardHofstadterinAnti-IntellectualisminAmericanLife,aPulitzer-Prizewinningbookontherootsofanti-intellectualisminuspolitics,religion,andeducation.Fromthebeginningofourhistory,saysHofstadter,ourdemocraticandpopulisturgeshavedrivenustorejectanythingthatsmellsofelitism. Practicality,commonsense,andnativeintelligencehavebeenconsideredmorenoblequalitiesthananythingyoucouldlearnfromabook. RalphWaldoEmersonandotherTranscendentalistphilosophersthoughtschoolingandrigorousbooklearningputunnaturalrestraintsonchildren:"Weareshutupinschoolsandcollegerecitationroomsfor10or15yearsandcomeoutatlastwithabellyfulofwordsanddonotknowathing."MarkTwain′sHuckleberryFinnexemplifiedAmericananti-intellectualism.Itsheroavoidsbeingcivilized--goingtoschoolandlearningtoread--sohecanpreservehisinnategoodness. Intellect,accordingtoHofstadter,isdifferentfromnativeintelligence,aqualitywereluctantlyadmire.Intellectisthecritical,creative,andcontemplativesideofthemind.Intelligenceseekstograsp,manipulate,re-order,andadjust,whileintellectexamines,ponders,wonders,theorizes,criticizesandimagines. Schoolremainsaplacewhereintellectismistrusted.Hofstadtersaysourcountry′seducationalsystemisinthegripsofpeoplewho"joyfullyandmilitantlyproclaimtheirhostilitytointellectandtheireagernesstoidentifywithchildrenwhoshowtheleastintellectualpromise." WhatdoAmericanparentsexpecttheirchildrentoacquireinschool
A.The habit of thinking independently. B.Profound knowledge of the world. C.Practical abilities for future career. D.The confidence in intellectual pursuits.正确答案C