参考答案

正确答案：C
解析：根据题干关键词the goal，American parents，raise children定位到原文第二段第一句：To Americans，the goal of parents is to help children stand on their own two feet．可知美国父母养育孩子的目的是帮助孩子独立自主，C项中be independent是句中stand on their own two feet的同义转述，因此选C项。