A report from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences' Commission reveals that, due to a job market which disproportionately rewards graduates in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields, more and more students are seeking degrees in business and hard-science subjects.
Some institutions have responded by cutting budgets in the arts and humanities and directing those funds elsewhere. That's the wrong thing to do. The humanities-the study of languages , literature, history, philosophy, religion, ethics, etc.-and the arts are vital to our future. We should be investing more funds, more time and more expertise, not less, into these endeavors.
What detractors（诋毁者） of the "soft" subjects miss is that the arts and humanities provide an essential framework and context for understanding the wider world. Studying the humanities strengthens the ability to communicate and work with others. It allows students to develop broad intellectual and cultural understanding; it nurtures creativity and deepens participation in public discourse and modem democracy.
The commission's report points out that "at the very moment when China is seeking to adopt our model of broad education in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences as a stimulus to invention, the United States is instead narrowing our focus and abandoning our sense of what education has been and should continue to be - our sense of what makes America great."
These are the telling statistics: First, federal funding for helping American students include international training in their education has been cut 41 percent in four years. Second, the National Assessment of Educational Progress test shows that only less than a quarter of eighth- and 12th-grade US students are proficient in reading, writing and civics.
How can we possibly equip the US for its leadership role in an increasingly connected world if we are not adequately teaching students to communicate and helping them understand and encounter diverse perspectives? If we fail to invest in the arts and humanities, our country's future leaders will not have the ability to connect on an emotional level with others. This ability is developed by studying the humanities, and in the global community this skill is not optional - it's essential.
In a word, we must enthusiastically support and fund the study of the arts and humanities. For anyone concerned with how this translates into a sound economy and a sound financial future, simply recall what Steve Jobs told graduates of Standford University in 2005: One of the most influential experiences in his brief time at Reed College was his exposure to the fine art of calligraphy（书法）． It taught him the important lesson of the relationship between discipline and creativity.
58. What can be inferred from the passage?
A. Business and hard-science subjects are based upon the arts and humanities.
B. At present too much emphasis and investment are put on science in America.
C. More students will learn the arts and humanities instead of science in the USA.
D. China has spent more money in the humanities and social sciences than the USA.
59. The author mentions Steve Jobs in the last paragraph to prove that _____.
A. science has a close relationship with the arts and humanities
B. investment in the and and humanities promotes economic development
C. calligraphy plays a determining role in Steve Jobs' accomplishment
D. Reed College supports and funds the study of the arts and humanities
60. Which of the following is the most suitable title for this passage?
A. Significance of arts and humanities B. Key qualities of future leaders
C. Decline of arts and humanities D. Rise and fall of hard sciences