Question:
Read the passage below and answer the question that follows.
History, if viewed as a repository not merely of anecdotes or chronology, could produce a decisive transformation in the image of science by which we are now possessed. That image has previously been drawn, even by scientists themselves, mainly from the study of finished scientific achievements as these are recorded in the classics and, more recently, in the textbooks from which each new scientific generation learns to practice its trade.
Which of the following best summarizes the passage above?
Read the passage below and answer the question that follows.
History, if viewed as a repository not merely of anecdotes or chronology, could produce a decisive transformation in the image of science by which we are now possessed. That image has previously been drawn, even by scientists themselves, mainly from the study of finished scientific achievements as these are recorded in the classics and, more recently, in the textbooks from which each new scientific generation learns to practice its trade.
Which of the following best summarizes the passage above?
History, if viewed as a repository not merely of anecdotes or chronology, could produce a decisive transformation in the image of science by which we are now possessed. That image has previously been drawn, even by scientists themselves, mainly from the study of finished scientific achievements as these are recorded in the classics and, more recently, in the textbooks from which each new scientific generation learns to practice its trade.
Which of the following best summarizes the passage above?
Show Hint
Look for the option that talks about how history is approached changing the resulting picture, not one that just repeats a detail from the passage.
Updated On: Jul 10, 2026
- Scientific achievements are recorded in classics and textbooks.
- The history of science can be worked out from finished scientific achievements.
- Different ways of looking at history can produce altogether different knowledge.
- Textbooks may be biased.
Show Solution
Verified By Collegedunia
The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The passage argues that our current picture of science comes mainly from finished results in classic texts and textbooks, and that treating history differently, not just as a list of facts and dates, could change that picture. We need the option that best sums up this whole idea.
Step 2: Key Idea:
A good summary must capture the passage's main claim, that HOW history is viewed changes the resulting picture of science, not just restate one detail from it.
Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Option (AA) only repeats a small detail, that achievements sit in classics and textbooks. It says nothing about the "decisive transformation" the author is really talking about.
Option (BB) also just restates where our current image comes from, finished achievements. It does not capture the author's real point that a different way of looking at history could change that image.
Option (CC) captures the heart of the passage: viewing history differently, as more than just anecdotes or a timeline, can produce a genuinely different picture of science. This matches the "decisive transformation" the author describes.
Option (DD) is never stated in the passage. The author talks about textbooks as one current source of the image of science, not about bias in them.
Since options (AA), (BB), and (DD) each fail to capture the passage on their own, option (CC) stands as the one complete summary.
Step 4: Final Answer:
The passage is best summarized by option (CC): different ways of looking at history can produce different pictures of science.
The passage argues that our current picture of science comes mainly from finished results in classic texts and textbooks, and that treating history differently, not just as a list of facts and dates, could change that picture. We need the option that best sums up this whole idea.
Step 2: Key Idea:
A good summary must capture the passage's main claim, that HOW history is viewed changes the resulting picture of science, not just restate one detail from it.
Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Option (AA) only repeats a small detail, that achievements sit in classics and textbooks. It says nothing about the "decisive transformation" the author is really talking about.
Option (BB) also just restates where our current image comes from, finished achievements. It does not capture the author's real point that a different way of looking at history could change that image.
Option (CC) captures the heart of the passage: viewing history differently, as more than just anecdotes or a timeline, can produce a genuinely different picture of science. This matches the "decisive transformation" the author describes.
Option (DD) is never stated in the passage. The author talks about textbooks as one current source of the image of science, not about bias in them.
Since options (AA), (BB), and (DD) each fail to capture the passage on their own, option (CC) stands as the one complete summary.
Step 4: Final Answer:
The passage is best summarized by option (CC): different ways of looking at history can produce different pictures of science.
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