"Hypotheses ," said Medawarin 1964, "are imaginative and inspirational in character"; they are "adventures of the mind". He was arguing in favour of the position taken by Karl Popper that the nature of scientific method is hypothetico-deductive and not, as is generally believed, inductive. The myth of scientific method is that it is inductive: that the formulation of scientific theory starts with the basic, raw evidence of the senses -- simple, fair, unprejudiced observation. Out of these sensory data -- commonly referred to as "facts" -- generalisations will form. The myth is that from a disorderly collection of factual information an orderly, relevant theory will somehow come out. However, the starting point of induction is an impossible one. There is no such thing as an unprejudiced observation. Every act of observation we make is a function of what we have seen or otherwise experienced in the past. All scientific work of an experimental or exploratory nature starts with some expectation about the outcome. This expectation is a hypothesis. Hypotheses provide the motivation for the inquiry and influence the method. It is in the light of an expectation that some observations are held to be relevant and some irrelevant, that one method is chosen and others abandoned, that some experiments are conducted and others are not. Hypotheses arise by guesswork, or by inspiration, but having been started they can and must be tested thoroughly, using the appropriate method. If the predictions you make as a result of deducing certain consequences from your hypothesis are not shown to be correct then you abandon or adjust your hypothesis. If the predictions turn out to be correct then your hypothesis has been supported and may be kept until such time as some further test shows it not to be correct. Once you have arrived at your hypothesis, which is a product of your imagination, you then move on to a strictly logical and thorough process, based upon deductive argument -- therefore the term "hypothetico-deductive". So... Which of the following about a hypothesis is right? A) It functions as a guide in the process of a scientific research. B) It works as a means that can help make unprejudiced observations. C) It is an expectation unrelated to guesswork and inspiration. D) It is a prediction which will be arrived at sooner or later.
A
(Question)
At the age of 16, Clara Barton was advised to become a teacher since she was quite shy. She taught in Massachusetts for ten years, and was invited to Bordentown, New Jersey to teach in a school. She saw that these communities needed _ education for their citizens, and she took action by creating a free school, one of the first in her state. But later, ignoring her, officials named a male instead as the head teacher. Disappointed, she left her job and moved to Washington D.C., becoming the first woman employed by the US Patent Office. Clara Barton was forever changed by her experience with the army in the Civil War. She saw doctors use leaves when dealing with injuries since they had nothing else. The medical supplies were well behind the army, who were moving faster than their medical supply lines. She brought in a truck of medical supplies that she collected personally some years ago. Miss Barton continued to work on the battlefields throughout the war. She helped in the identification of 13,000 dead Union soldiers. This non-stop work made her fully exhausted, and upon recommendation by her physicians, she traveled to Europe where she recovered energy and enriched herself. While in Europe, and still in poor health, Miss Barton was moved by the hardship on people brought about by the France-Prussia war. She helped in their relief effort, which encouraged her to create the Red Cross, which served the whole army and common people under a neutral flag. Clara Barton returned to America and then began the establishment of the American Red Cross. The US government did not think there would ever be another war after the Civil War. But she convinced them that the Red Cross would be valuable to serve in times of natural disasters as well. This was her lasting legacy , an agency that still provides aid to all people today. The US government agreed to establish the Red Cross because Clara Barton _ . A) gave a lot of her legacy B) said there might be wars in the future C) explained it would help people in peacetime as well. D) claimed it could save people from the France-Prussia war.
(Answer)
C
Ques: A British company has proposed releasing genetically modified(GM) diamondback moths, which would reduce the population of the vegetable-eating insects. Males carrying a deadly gene would be released, which would cause their young ones to die immediately. Then the fall in their numbers could help increase production for farmers. Oxitec, the company which came up with the idea, hopes to begin trials next year, but some groups are saying no to them,, saying the untested technology could threaten wildlife and human health. "Mass releases of GM insects into the British countryside would be impossible to recall if anything went wrong. Changing one part of an ecosystem can have knock-on-effects on others in ways that are poorly understood. This could include an increase in different types of pests. Wildlife that feeds on insects could be impaired if there are changes to their food supply," said Dr Helen Wallace, the director of Gene-Watch UK. Hadyn Parry, Oxitec's chief executive, said that there was demand from farmers for the technology and that using GM insects to kill the pests that feed on food crops is better for the environment than chemical sprays. The firm is developing a number of GM insects that would be used in Britain and around the world to protect crops and fight disease in humans. Oxitec has contacted the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to ask what controls should be put in place around GM moth trials. A spokesman said that while its officials and advisers have discussed Oxitec's plans, there has not been a formal application for a trial. As a result, the department has not reached a view on whether it should go ahead. What is the purpose of releasing GM insects into the British countryside? A) To kill pests feeding on crops. B) To help some natural insects survive. C) To prevent the use of chemical sprays. D) To prove that GM technology is helpful.
Ans: A
Ques:Here is a true story about a famous man who worked in the White House and a criminal. They once faced the same thing: their mother gave them apples when they were young. The criminal said: one day, my mother brought some apples and asked my brother and me: "Which do you want?" "The reddest and biggest one," my little brother said. My mother stared at him and said to him angrily: "You should learn to give the good things to others; you shouldn't always think of yourself." Seeing this, I suddenly changed my idea and then said to my mother: "Mum, please give me the smaller one and give the bigger one to my little brother." Hearing my words, my mother was very happy. She kissed me on my face and gave the reddest and biggest apple to me as a prize. From then on, I learned to tell lies, fight, steal and rob. In order to get what I wanted, I played hard. As a result, I was sent into prison. The famous man from the White House said: One day, my mother brought some apples. She said to my brother and me: "You all want the reddest and biggest one, right? Well, let's have a competition. Now I divide the grassland in front of the gate into two and I will give one to each of you and you must shear it well. And I will give the reddest and biggest apple to him who does it the most quickly and best." After the competition, I won and I got the biggest apple. In our family, as long as you want to get the best things, you must take part in competition. I think it is fair. No matter what you want, you must pay lots of efforts. The writer tells the story by _ . A) organizing it in the order of time B) making a comparison between two men C) providing some scientific information D) describing it in the order of space

Ans:
B