Bunuel wrote:
After the publication of Origin of Species, Charles Darwin sent a copy to his friend and former tutor Adam Sedgwick, an early geologist who strenuously opposed the idea of natural selection. Sedgwick’s response to Darwin was both cautious and kind: he encouraged his friend and one-time pupil to beware of embracing natural selection and claimed that the theory had no scientific proof to back it up. In a later letter to another friend, however, Sedgwick was far more candid about his views. He claimed to be appalled by Darwin’s theories and stated forthrightly that they were, without a doubt, untrue and even dangerous.
Based on the information provided in the passage, which of the following best accounts for the difference in tone between Sedgwick’s letter to Darwin and his later letter to a friend?
(A) Sedgwick was a notorious flatterer and was more interested in maintaining his friendship with Darwin than in telling him the truth about his own views.
(B) Darwin was acquainted with the recipient of Sedgwick’s letter, but Sedgwick was not aware of this and did not know that Darwin would find out eventually.
(C) Sedgwick became angrier about the popularity of Darwin’s theories over time and chose to vent his feelings in the later letter.
(D) Sedgwick was hesitant to use his position as a former teacher in order to chide Darwin so openly.
(E) Darwin’s response to Sedgwick’s original letter was one of open disagreement, and Sedgwick responded by dismissing Darwin’s theories to another friend.
OFFICIAL EXPLANATION
Overview: Question records an account of Charles Darwin’s relationship with his friend and former tutor Adam Sedgwick, particularly after the publication of Darwin’s Origin of Species. Sedgwick was not a supporter of natural selection, a theory that Darwin developed and propounded in Origin of Species. (The student should note that this is not stated outright but is implied in the statement, “…he encouraged his friend and one-time pupil to beware of embracing natural selection,” which suggests the topic of Darwin’s book.) In writing to Darwin, Sedgwick’s response was “both cautious and kind,” and he warned Darwin against the theory. When he wrote to another friend about the book, however, Sedgwick chose stronger words and vehemently opposed Darwin’s theories as “untrue and even dangerous.” The question then asks the student to identify an answer choice that explains—based on the information in the passage—why Sedgwick’s response to Darwin was less candid. The student should recognize immediately that there is a limited amount of information in the passage to account for the differences in Sedgwick’s remark. The passage claims that Sedgwick “strenuously opposed” natural selection and that he was a “friend and former tutor” to Darwin. This leaves the student with only two real options: (1) Sedgwick was so opposed to the theory of natural selection that he shared his feelings honestly with his friend, or (2) Sedgwick always opposed the idea but still respected Darwin as a friend and former student and thus felt the need to maintain that respect despite the different opinion. Option 1 provides an explanation in part, while option 2 provides an explanation in full. The correct answer should reflect the second option.
The Correct Answer:D Based on the information provided in the Overview above, answer choice (D) best explains Sedgwick’s different comments to Darwin. As a personal friend and as a one-time figure of authority to Darwin, Sedgwick was concerned about using that position to express his full criticism of Darwin’s theory. Answer choice (D) is correct.
The Incorrect Answers:A Answer choice (A) would only be a good explanation if the passage had provided enough information to justify it. As it stands, however, the author of the passage is silent on the question of Sedgwick’s ability to flatter. Answer choice (A) assumes too much, therefore it is incorrect.
B Again, answer choice (B) assumes information that cannot possibly be inferred from the information in the passage, so it should be eliminated at once.
C Answer choice (C) is tricky, because it provides a perfectly valid situation: Sedgwick might have written to Darwin initially with a tone of kindness but grew more frustrated over time and vented his irritation to a friend. The problem with this, however, is that the passage does not explain how much time elapsed between the letter to Darwin and the letter to the unnamed friend. It was simply “later,” which could have been a matter of hours, days, weeks, and so forth. What is more, the passage does not contain enough detail to suggest that Sedgwick’s feelings about the theory grew more strongly in opposition over time. In fact, the author of the passage makes it clear from the start that Sedgwick always opposed the theory of natural selection, so the reader cannot infer that he grew increasingly upset about it. Answer choice (C) cannot be correct.
E The author of the passage provides no information about Darwin’s response (if any) to Sedgwick’s letter, so it is impossible to infer what Sedgwick’s reaction to such might have been. Answer choice (E) is clearly incorrect, so it may be eliminated.