Read the following passage and answer the question that follows. How do we choose one discovery over any other? The physician Lewis Thomas made a choice. He bluntly asserts: “The greatest of all the accomplishments of 20th-century science has been the discovery of human ignorance.” The science writer Timothy Ferris agrees: “Our ignorance, of course, has always been with us, and always will be. What is new is our awareness of it, our awakening to its fathomless dimensions, and it is this, more than anything else, that marks the coming of age of our species.” It is an odd, unsettling thought that the culmination of our greatest century of discovery should be the confirmation of our ignorance. How did such a thing come about? Which of the following statements can be BEST concluded from the above passage?
Humans know more when they know they know very little.
Humans became scientists when they realized that they were ignorant.
Humans progressed because they knew that they knew very little.
The realization that humans are ignorant led them to invent new things.
That they do not know enough make humans seek to know more.
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Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understand the central idea of the passage. The passage emphasizes that the recognition of human ignorance is the greatest discovery of 20th-century science. This awareness is presented as a defining feature of humanity’s progress and curiosity. Step 2: Evaluate the options. - Option 1: Incorrect. The statement is philosophical but does not align directly with the conclusion drawn from the passage. - Option 2: Incorrect. While it hints at the relationship between ignorance and scientific inquiry, it oversimplifies the connection. - Option 3: Incorrect. This is partially true but fails to encapsulate the broader implication of awareness driving curiosity and progress. - Option 4: Incorrect. The passage does not focus on invention as a direct outcome of ignorance. - Option 5: Correct. The passage concludes that awareness of ignorance motivates humans to seek greater knowledge, marking their progress. Final Answer: (5)
