Question

It is assumed that scientists will avoid making ---- claims about the results of their experiments because of the likelihood that they will be exposed when other researchers cannot ---- their findings.

• A. hypothetical.. evaluate
• B. fraudulent.. duplicate
• C. verifiable.. contradict
• D. radical.. contest
• E. extravagant.. dispute

Hint:

In two-blank sentence completion, look for the logical relationship between the two parts of the sentence. Here, the fear of the second action (failure to duplicate) causes the avoidance of the first action (making fraudulent claims).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This is a sentence completion question. We need to find two words that logically and idiomatically fit into the blanks to complete the meaning of the sentence. The sentence describes a self-correcting mechanism in science.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The sentence structure suggests a cause-and-effect relationship. Scientists avoid making a certain type of claim (\textit{first blank}) because they fear being exposed if other researchers are unable to do something to their findings (\textit{second blank}).
The key idea is "exposure" due to the work of "other researchers". In science, the process of confirming results is central. If a scientist makes a claim, other scientists will try to replicate the experiment. If they cannot get the same results, the original claim is questioned.
Let's look at the blanks with this in mind. - The second blank should describe what other researchers do to confirm findings. Words like "duplicate," "replicate," "verify," or "confirm" would fit. - The first blank should describe a negative type of claim that would be "exposed" by a failure to confirm. Words like "false," "fraudulent," or "unfounded" would fit. Now let's evaluate the options:

(A) hypothetical.. evaluate: Scientists often make hypothetical claims; that's part of the process. And others can usually evaluate them. This doesn't fit the negative context of "being exposed."
(B) fraudulent.. duplicate: This pair fits perfectly. Scientists would avoid making fraudulent (deceitful) claims because they know they will be exposed when other researchers cannot duplicate (reproduce) their results. This describes the peer review and replication process accurately.
(C) verifiable.. contradict: If a claim is verifiable, why would a scientist avoid making it? This is illogical.
(D) radical.. contest: Scientists often make radical claims. While others might contest them, this is part of normal scientific debate, not necessarily "exposure" in a negative sense.
(E) extravagant.. dispute: Similar to (D), making extravagant claims might lead to dispute, but this is not as precise as the relationship between fraud and the inability to duplicate results.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The words "fraudulent" and "duplicate" create the most logical and contextually appropriate sentence, describing how the scientific method's requirement for reproducibility discourages dishonesty.