16. History textbooks frequently need to be revised. The reason for this are clear; new discoveries of documents and remains, the discovery of mistaken inferences in prior histories, the discovery of previously unnoticed relationships among data, and the application os hitherto undiscovered principles of natural science all may indicate inadequacies in current history texts. Any of these considerations may require that the past be reinterpreted in a manner that is new and more illuminating. Which one of the following can be inferred from the argument in the passage? A. The interpretation of historical events is affected by natural science. B. The past is constantly renewed because of illuminating reinterpretations. The answer is A. But why B is incorrect? 22. It is illogical to infer a second and different effect from a cause which is known only by one particular effect. This is incorrect because the inferred effect must necessarily be produced by some different characteristic of the cause than is the observed effect, which already serves entirely to describe the cause. Which one of the following arguments makes the same logical error as the one described by the author in the passage? A. An anonymous donor gave a thousand dollars to our historical society. I would guess that that individual also volunteers at the children's hospital. C. The tiny, unseen atom is the source of immense power. It must be its highly complex structure that produces this power. D. The city orchestra received more funds from the local government this year than ever before. Clearly this administration is more civic-minded than previous ones. The answer is A. I have no idea why A is right, and where C and D go wrong. Many thanks |