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 statements is the author most likely to agree with?
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 statements is the author most likely to agree with?
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 statements is the author most likely to agree with?
Show Hint
Check which option matches the author's actual stand: that reading history as more than dates and stories can give a different, valid view of science.
Updated On: Jul 10, 2026
- History of science shows a scientific way of looking at scientific developments and so helps scientific progress.
- History of science should contain only the chronology of scientific achievements.
- More scientific theories lead to more publications, which benefits publishers.
- History of science can present multiple interpretations to people about how scientific developments happened.
Show Solution
Verified By Collegedunia
The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Question:
We need the statement the author is most likely to agree with, based on what the passage actually argues about history and science.
Step 2: Key Idea:
The author's main claim is that history, read as more than a set of facts and dates, can change our picture of science. We should pick the option that lines up with treating history as open to more than one honest reading.
Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Option (AA) talks about a "scientific way" of viewing developments helping progress, but the passage is really about viewing history differently, not about being more scientific in that view, so this does not match the author's stress.
Option (BB) says history should hold only chronology, dates and events in order. The author directly rejects this by saying history should be viewed as "not merely...chronology," so this goes against the passage.
Option (CC) brings in publishers and the number of publications, a detail the passage never raises at all.
Option (DD) says history can present multiple interpretations of how scientific developments happened. This matches the author's idea that history, treated as more than dates and stories, can produce a different, valid image of science.
Step 4: Final Answer:
The author would most agree that the history of science can offer multiple interpretations of how scientific developments happen, matching option (DD).
We need the statement the author is most likely to agree with, based on what the passage actually argues about history and science.
Step 2: Key Idea:
The author's main claim is that history, read as more than a set of facts and dates, can change our picture of science. We should pick the option that lines up with treating history as open to more than one honest reading.
Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Option (AA) talks about a "scientific way" of viewing developments helping progress, but the passage is really about viewing history differently, not about being more scientific in that view, so this does not match the author's stress.
Option (BB) says history should hold only chronology, dates and events in order. The author directly rejects this by saying history should be viewed as "not merely...chronology," so this goes against the passage.
Option (CC) brings in publishers and the number of publications, a detail the passage never raises at all.
Option (DD) says history can present multiple interpretations of how scientific developments happened. This matches the author's idea that history, treated as more than dates and stories, can produce a different, valid image of science.
Step 4: Final Answer:
The author would most agree that the history of science can offer multiple interpretations of how scientific developments happen, matching option (DD).
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