PrepTest 124, Section 4, Question 10
In England the burden of history weighs heavily(428 more words not shown)
It can be inferred from(21 more words not shown)
- ACommon law is(18 more words not shown)
- BThe "text" of(16 more words not shown)
- CWithout the public's(13 more words not shown)
- DWhile rich in(16 more words not shown)
- EThe common law(13 more words not shown)
Reading the passage
Goodrich's view appears in the final paragraph. He wants us to see common law as a developing tradition: inherited forms are preserved, passed on, and rewritten for current circumstances. I'll look for a consequence of that continuing development, rather than give him every view mentioned elsewhere.
Working the answers
- A
A relic suggests something left over from the past. Goodrich's point is that this tradition continues to be used and reworked, not that it should be treated as a historical object instead of law.
- B
Change doesn't establish deterioration. Goodrich doesn't describe a decline from an originally clear system into a worse, incoherent one.
- C
The earlier political discussion concerns public confidence. Goodrich isn't quoted making this claim, and it goes further by saying the legal system cannot continue without that belief.
- D
Rewriting inherited forms for contemporary circumstances connects common law to modern life. The literary comparison doesn't make it largely inapplicable to that life.
- ECorrect
The final sentence describes the “continuous rewriting” of inherited forms. If that process continues, future generations will receive a changed version. That's a direct consequence of the development Goodrich emphasizes.
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