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Passage Three
Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage.
Scientists, like other human beings, have their hopes and fears, their passions and disappointments and their strong emotions may sometimes interrupt the course of clear thinking and sound practice. But science is also self-correcting. The most fundamental principles and conclusions may be challenged. The steps in a reasoned argument must be set out for all to see.
Experiments must be capable of being carried out by other scientists. The history of science is full of cases where previously accepted theories have been entirely overthrown, to be replaced by new ideas which more adequately explain the data.
While there is an understandable inertia-usually lasting about one generation-such revolution in scientific thought are widely accepted as a necessary and desirable element of scientific progress. Indeed, the reasoned criticism of a prevailing belief is a service to the supporters of that belief; if they are incapable of defending it, they are well-advised to abandon it. This self-questioning and error-correcting aspect of the scientific method is its most striking property and sets it off from many other areas of human endeavor, such as religion and fine arts.
The idea of science as a method rather than as a body of knowledge is not widely appreciated outside of science, or indeed in some corridors inside of science. Vigorous criticism is constructive in science more than in some other areas of human endeavor because in it there are adequate standards of validity which can be agreed upon by competent scientists the world over.
The objective of such criticism is not to suppress but rather to encourage the advance of new ideas: those which survive a firm skeptical (懷疑的) examination have a fighting chance of being right, or at least useful.
31. Science is self-correcting because its theories ________.
A) have to be revised constantly to conform with ideas which explain the data better
B) have reflected the most fundamental principles of nature
C) are, more often than not, based on inadequate data
D) must be set out for all to see
32. It can be learned from the context that the word “inertia” (Para. 2, Line 1) most probably means ________.
A) strong resolution
B) unwillingness to change
C) a period of time
D) prevailing belief
33. The “revolution in scientific thought” (Para. 2, Lind 2) refers to ________.
A) acceptance of the reasoned criticisms of prevailing scientific theories
B) the continuous overthrow of existing scientific theories
C) the adequate explanation of the data in prevailing scientific theories
D) the major discoveries that represent breakthroughs in the history of scientific progress
34. The author says that the most striking property of the scientific method is its self-questioning and error-correcting aspect, because it is this aspect that ________.
A) is indispensable to the advance of science
B) is most widely appreciated by scientists
C) helps scientists to abandon anything they cannot defend
D) sets science off from many other areas of human endeavor
35. The word “it” (Para. 3, Line 4) refers to “________.”
A) vigorous criticism
B) scientific method
C) human endeavor
D) science
