PrepTest 124, Section 4, Question 8
In England the burden of history weighs heavily(428 more words not shown)
It can be inferred that(21 more words not shown)
- AModern jurisprudence misinterprets(6 more words not shown)
- BThe history of(16 more words not shown)
- CThe history of(25 more words not shown)
- DMainstream theories of(11 more words not shown)
- EMainstream theories of(21 more words not shown)
Reading the passage
The writer thinks history matters to understanding common law, yet modern academic approaches emphasize a coherent set of rules. That gives us a supported criticism: those approaches miss something important about the kind of tradition they're studying.
Working the answers
- ACorrect
Treating the tradition chiefly as a logical system leaves out its continuing historical development. That's why the writer regards the usual approach as a misunderstanding, rather than merely a different preference.
- B
Old doesn't mean irrelevant here. The opening stresses the continuing effect of centuries-old customs, so dismissing the original forms as irrelevant goes against the reason for studying their history.
- C
This favors the rules-based approach over the literary comparison. Goodrich's developing-text comparison is offered as the useful alternative, not something that must be abandoned to make history applicable.
- D
The criticism is that these theories emphasize coherence at history's expense. They aren't overlooking an orderly legal history that the writer wants them to appreciate.
- E
This reverses the political explanation. Presenting law as logical is supposed to protect confidence and morale; suggesting otherwise is what the writer says could be dispiriting. The mainstream theories aren't being criticized for demoralizing everyone.
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