Question

In the context of the passage as a whole, the author’s discussion of Eddy’s study in the sixth and seventh paragraphs primarily serves to
A)applaud a researcher’s contributions to improving a common treatment method



B)impugn the motives of doctors who experiment with new and untested techniques



C criticize physicians for their skeptical approach to alternative medical theories



D)demonstrate the need to reconsider ideas previously dismissed as pseudoscience



E

Answer 1

Answer:

Answer E: undermine the traditional basis of a claim about conventional medicine’s legitimacy

Explanation:

Correct. The author discusses Eddy’s study in the context of elaborating on the question she asked in the fourth paragraph, “But how scientific is conventional ‘scientific’ medicine anyway?” This question challenges the perspective on conventional medicine described in the first paragraph, which sees conventional medicine as “scientific” and alternative medicine as “pseudoscience.” Since Eddy’s study concluded that conventional medical decision making was not based on strong scientific evidence, it provides evidence that refutes the traditional argument for the legitimacy of conventional medicine.