新GRE小短文阅读练习题六十三

会计考友

Historical inquiry is a rational discipline only because of common stan-
2 s* W- Y  y# x( t/ x% A" Gdards by which competing historical theories can be judged.  Some
$ c' B1 J+ O: U. s+ B- o- x, lhistorians   claim that their theories are exempt from these standards,
since the theories can explain away any evidence that might be brought
. X# X" T* |/ s+ U1 [against them.  No truly rational account, however, would be immune in
this way to rational refutation.
+ w+ c& x4 b/ o+ x! I, R+ T! z
4 J! e( D  Q% e$ ^% F The passage is structured to lead to the conclusion that
7 U- K, ~: g+ D* z* Z$ Z     A  the existence of historical theories that cannot be refuted using the
- c1 D5 {$ Z0 u1 {$ {0 Y8 L) y       normal standards of historical inquiry shows that historical inquiry
       is not rational  
     B  a historical theory that can account for any conceivable or actual con-
       trary evidence is not a rational historical theory  
      C one can only be sure that a historical theory is rational once it has
       been refuted  
& P3 F/ j' {8 ]: y" a      D the rationality of historical inquiry depends on certain kinds of histori-
       cal theories never receiving serious consideration by historians  
) m( j% j7 H- T3 @  d+ L, e       all that has to be done in order to prove the irrationality of a historical
       E  theory is to ignore the standards by which historical theories can be
       judged  
, \* R; m0 T1 h9 O- f答案B