Prevailing scholarly opinion holds that modern science began with the great achievements of the scientific revolution of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Modern science should not, however, be identified with any particular set of scientific achievements. Rather, modern science should be identified with a particular way of approaching the study of nature, and many important elements of this approach were already in place and articulated as early as the fourteenth century. Jean Buridan, a prominent fourteenth-century Parisian scholar, argued that science is predicated on the assumption of the "common course of nature." This profound assumption represented a major shift in scholarly focus from the theological investigation of the uncommon or miraculous to the attempted explanation of the regular structure and operation of the world in purely rational and secular terms. Buridan also advocated the application of Occam’s razor, the principle that science should seek the simplest possible explanation that fits the evidence. The one important ingredient of modern science that was missing prior to the sixteenth century was the widespread use of experiments, and the scientific revolution of the sixteenth century began when scientists started to use experiments to discover new answers to questions that had already been pondered for several centuries.
1) The primary purpose of the passage is to:__________.
a) qualify an established scholarly viewpoint regarding a certain issue.
b) summarize prevailing scholarly opinion regarding a certain issue.
c) delineate the historical events that led to a change in scholarly opinion.
d) reconcile conflicting viewpoints in a debate.
e) recommend further inquiry into a particular topic.
2) According to the passage, which of the following constitutes prevailing scholarly opinion regarding the beginning of modern science?
A) Many important elements of the modern approach to science were already in place in the fourteenth century.
B) The development of modern science was initiated by the pioneering work of Jean Buridan.
C) Modern science began with the widespread application of the principle of Occam's razor.
D) Modern science began with a shift in focus from investigation of the miraculous to investigation of the regular operation of the world.
E) Modern science began with certain major achievements made during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
3) It can be inferred from the passage that the author would be most likely to agree with which of the following statements concerning modem science?
A) The use of experiments is the crucial factor enabling scientists to engage in what can properly be described as modem science.
B) A certain set of scientific achievements had to be accomplished before scientists could engage in modem science.
C) The scientific revolution of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries marks the beginning of what should be considered modem science.
D) The origins of modern science can be traced back to the articulation of a particular approach to the study of nature.
E) Any scientific experiments conducted before the sixteenth century were unlikely to reflect a focus on modem science.