|Question 10Verbal

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Text
The following text is from Ralph Waldo Emerson's 1841 essay "The Method of Nature."

The scholars are the priests of that thought which establishes the foundations of the earth. No matter what is their special work or profession, they stand for the spiritual interest of the world, and it is a common calamity if they neglect their post in a country where the material interest is so predominant as it is in America.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
Military experience encourages Americans to contemplate aspects of human life that they would not choose to otherwise.
A
It is unfortunate that so many intellectuals are concerned with material things rather than ideas.
B
Many descriptions of the role of scholars in society unfairly diminish their importance.
C
In a country whose citizens are largely preoccupied with tangible gains, it is crucial that some people work to foster and preserve ideas.
D