Question

Select the correct words to complete the passage: "While early astronomers believed that planets orbited the Earth, modern observations have _________ this theory, demonstrating that planets actually revolve around the Sun."

• A. Corroborated
• B. Upheld
• C. Refuted
• D. Validated
• E. Dismissed

Hint:

In Text Completion, pay attention to transition words. "While," "Although," and "However" signal a contrast or shift in idea, whereas "Therefore," "Because," and "Since" signal a cause-and-effect or continuation of an idea.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Sentence Context
The sentence presents a contrast between an old belief (geocentric model: planets orbit Earth) and a modern, proven fact (heliocentric model: planets orbit the Sun). The word "While" at the beginning signals this contrast. The blank needs a word that describes what modern observations did to the old theory.
Step 2: Analyzing the Options

(A) Corroborated: Means to confirm or give support to. This is the opposite of what happened.
(B) Upheld: Means to support or maintain. This is also the opposite.
(C) Refuted: Means to prove a theory or statement to be wrong or false. This fits perfectly, as modern observations proved the geocentric theory was incorrect.
(D) Validated: Means to check or prove the accuracy of something. This is another opposite.
(E) Dismissed: Means to treat as unworthy of consideration. While the theory was eventually dismissed, "refuted" is a stronger, more precise word in a scientific context, as it implies proof and evidence, which is mentioned ("demonstrating that...").
Step 3: Final Answer
The correct word is "Refuted" because modern astronomical observations and evidence have actively proven the old geocentric theory to be false.