PrepTest 104, Section 2, Question 26
In The Dynamics of Apocalypse, John Lowe attempts(441 more words not shown)
The author of the passage(22 more words not shown)
- AWith careful analysis,(15 more words not shown)
- BArchaeological evidence is(14 more words not shown)
- CThe accuracy of(16 more words not shown)
- DThe archaeological record(11 more words not shown)
- EHistoric activity can(17 more words not shown)
Reading the passage
Archaeological evidence helps us reconstruct what happened, but how do we know the reconstruction is accurate? That's the concern in the final paragraph. We can test a theory against the best available record, yet better evidence might change our picture dramatically. The answer should preserve both its usefulness and that limit.
Working the answers
- A
Careful analysis doesn't settle whether the surviving evidence accurately reflects events. Lowe examines the record in detail, yet the writer still questions the resulting reconstruction. A leaves out that problem.
- B
There is no comparison between reconstructing daily activities and reconstructing long-term trends.
- C
Nothing ties the record's accuracy to how long a civilization lasted. The reference to a complex civilization doesn't establish a rule about duration.
- D
Imperfect evidence can still be appropriate evidence. The writer uses the archaeological record to assess Lowe's theory and says a hypothesis can be tested only against the best available data. That isn't a rejection of archaeology.
- ECorrect
We can build a reconstruction from the record without being able to confirm that it fully matches the historical reality. The final paragraph says it is difficult to know how accurately the record reflects events and warns that better data might radically alter our understanding. The point is uncertainty about the reconstruction, not that further investigation is useless.
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