The seventeenth-century physicist Sir Isaac Newton is remembered chiefly for his treatises on motion and gravity. But Newton also conducted experiments secretly for many years based on the arcane theories of alchemy, trying unsuccessfully to transmute common metals into gold and produce rejuvenating elixirs. If the alchemists of the seventeenth century had published the results of their experiments, chemistry in the eighteenth century would have been more advanced than it actually was.
Which one of the following assumptions would allow the conclusion concerning eighteenth-century chemistry to be properly drawn
A．Scientific progress is retarded by the reluctance of historians to acknowledge the failures of some of the great scientists.
B．Advances in science are hastened when reports of experiments, whether successful or not, are available for review by other scientists.
C．Newton’s work on motion and gravity would not have gained wide acceptance if the results of his work in alchemy had also been made public.
D．Increasing specialization within the sciences makes it difficult for scientists in one field to understand the principles of other fields.
E．(E) The seventeenth-century alchemists could have achieved their goals only if their experiments had been subjected to public scrutiny.
参考答案：B
解析： 本题的结论是18世纪的化学将会比它实际上更为先进，结论成立的前提是如果17世纪的炼丹家发表了他们的试验结果。17世纪的炼丹家只有发表了他们的试验结果，别的科学家才有借鉴这些试验结果的可能，尽管这些结果可能是错误的。由此我们可以推出，不管17世纪的炼丹家的试验成功与否，有关这些试验的报道若能被其他科学家借鉴，将会促进科学的进步，即(B)选项为正确答案。(A)、(C)、(D)和(E)均不能从本题的论证中推出。