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Paragraph one
That Priestley's contributions to the knowledge of chemical
fact were of the greatest importance is unquestionable; but
it must be admitted that he had no comprehension of the
deeper significance of his work; and, so far from
5 contributing anything to the theory of the facts which he
discovered, or assisting in their rational explanation,
his influence to the end of his life was warmly exerted in
favor of error. From first to last, he was a stiff adherent
of the phlogiston doctrine which was prevalent when his
10 studies commenced; and, by a curious irony of fate, the man
who by the discovery of what he called "dephlogisticated air"
furnished the essential datum for the true theory of
combustion, of respiration, and of the composition of water,
to the end of his days fought against the inevitable
15 corollaries from his own labors.
Paragraph two
It is a trying ordeal for any man to be compared with Black
and Cavendish, and Priestley cannot be said to stand on
their level. Nevertheless his achievements are truly
wonderful if we consider the disadvantages under which he
20 labored. Without the careful scientific training of Black,
without the leisure and appliances secured by the wealth of
Cavendish, he scaled the walls of science; and trusting to
mother wit to supply the place of training, and to ingenuity
to create apparatus out of washing tubs, he discovered more
25 new gases (including oxygen, which he termed
“dephlogisticated air”) than all his predecessors put
together had done.
5. Which pairing best reflects the main emphasis of the two passages? The first focuses mainly on Priestley’s
A. discoveries of chemical fact; the second on his ingenuity
B. discovery of “dephlogisticated air”; the second on his discoveries of gases
C. lack of theoretical understanding; the second on his lack of training
D. importance to future science; the second on his status in relation to his contemporaries
E. theoretical misconceptions; the second on his success in the face of disadvantage
6. It can be inferred that “dephlogisticated air” is
I a misnomer, but relating to something important
II a gaseous substance discovered by Priestley
II something not fully understood by Preistley
A. I only
B. II only
C. I and III
D. II and III
E. I, II and III
7. The metaphor “scaled the walls of science” conveys the idea that Priestley
A. climbed to the pinnacle of science
B. fought his way to the top
C. escaped the confines of traditional ideas
D. achieved success in a difficult endeavor
E. clawed his way up against opposition
8. The attitude of both the passages to Priestley’s scientific work could be described as
A. firm disapproval
B. wholehearted praise
C. qualified approval
D. determined neutrality
E. ambivalence
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