C. They will be close-minded and unable to think on their own.
Mr. Gradgrind was an educational reformer who taught his students only facts. He didn't let them explore and use the power of their imagination, and worst, he didn't let them use their feelings. He basically made them robots which absolutely lead to bad results. Not A. Teaching facts alone does not necessarily lead to anxiety and low-self esteem. Not B. Facts are not always boring. This option is contrary to the main point. Not D. Surely facts could lead to contributions in the field of science but without passion, it's useless. His students are not taught to love learning.
Samuel Johnson's dictionary is one of the most famous dictionaries in history.First published in 1755 the dictionary took over eight years to compile,requires six helpers and listed 40,000 words.