READTHEORY Passage and Questions

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• Reading Comprehension Assessment
Directions: Read the passage. Then answer the questions below.

A Theory of Humorism
Ancient Greek doctors relied heavily on the theory of
humorism, a belief that the body was essentially balanced by four
substances known as humors and that any ailment was simply the
result of an imbalance of these humors. The four substances—black
bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood—were all found in the body, and
each was associated with a different element—air, fire, earth, and
water, respectively; too much of one would cause disease. An excess
of black bile in your body, for instance, meant you were melancholic;
too much blood made you amorous and sanguine. While it is easy
today to sneer at such beliefs, theories like this one, though ludicrous,
matter historically. The beauty of the ancient wisdom is not that it was
actually wise but that the logic behind it opened the door for future scientific inquiry. Thus, while my cough
might not be caused by a lack of blood, I can thank Hippocrates and his cohorts for encouraging later
doctors to find the actual source of my cough.

1) According to the passage, which of the following correctly matches a humor to its element?

A. phlegm : fire
B. black bile : water
C. yellow bile : fire
D. blood : earth
E. yellow bile : water

2) As used near the end of the passage, the phrase "sneer at" most nearly means

A. deplore
B. deride
C. debunk
D. decline
E. debase

3) It can be inferred from the passage that Hippocrates was

A. an ancient philosopher
B. a disease researcher
C. a modern humanist
D. a Greek physician
E. a medical doctor

4) Which of the following would be the most appropriate subtitle for this passage?

A. Ancient Humor, Modern Applications

B. Greek Philosophy and the Origin of Science
C. The Humorists and the Scientists
D. Imbalanced Body, Unbalanced Mind
E. The Humors and Why They Matter
 READTHEORY Questions

5) It can be inferred from the penultimate (second-to-last) sentence of the passage that the author
believes the humors

A. deserve to be studied today for historical reasons

B. are laughably inaccurate as explanations for ailments
C. can offer alternative treatment for diseases
D. should continue to be taught in medical schools
E. have been disproven by modern scientific inquiry

6) The author mentions that "it is easy today to sneer" at antiquated beliefs. Which of our contemporary
beliefs do you suspect future civilizations might sneer at? Why?

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7) Near the end of the passage, the author writes that "The beauty of the ancient wisdom is not that it
was actually wise but that the logic behind it opened the door for future scientific inquiry." Aside from
medicine, what other field(s) of inquiry have benefited from "ancient wisdom?" What changes,
specifically, resulted from the scientific inquiry that followed?

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 READTHEORY Answers and Explanations

1) C
Question Type: Detail
The passage mentions that humorism involved four substances: “black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood.” It then states that “each
was associated with a different element—air, fire, earth, and water, respectively.” The “respectively” at the end of that sentence
explains that the order of the humors corresponds with the order of elements. Thus, since “yellow bile” and “fire” are both listed
second in their respective lists, they must match. Therefore, choice (C) is correct. Choice (A) is incorrect because the passage
implies that phlegm corresponds to earth, not fire. Choice (B) is incorrect because the passage implies that black bile corresponds
to air, not water. Choice (D) is incorrect because the passage implies that blood corresponds to water, not earth. Choice (E) is
incorrect because the passage implies that yellow bile corresponds to fire, not water.

2) B
Question Type: Vocabulary
sneer (verb): to smile or speak in a contemptuous or mocking manner.
In the passage, the author writes that “it is easy today to sneer at… beliefs” such as humorism because they are “ludicrous.” Thus,
the author implies that the theories we sneer at are insane or unbelievable, meaning we might be likely to make fun of them or laugh
at them. Thus, it follows that sneer means to deride, so choice (B) is correct. Though the author does say that we might “sneer at”
the theory of humorism, he or she does not imply that we would necessarily hate or strongly denounce the theory. Instead, we might
simply mock it for being “ludicrous.” Thus, sneer does not mean deplore, and choice (A) is incorrect. Though the author makes it
clear that humorism is not actual science, he or she does not imply that it is easy for us to debunk it or disprove it. Instead, that
debunking has long been done, so we might laugh at the theory due to it being “ludicrous.” As such, sneer does not relate to
debunk, and choice (C) is incorrect. Though the author does say that we might “sneer at” the theory of humorism, he or she does
not imply that we would necessarily turn down the theory. Instead, we might simply mock it for being “ludicrous,” as it has already
been proved wrong. Thus, sneer does not mean decline, and choice (D) is incorrect. Though the author does say that we might
“sneer at” the theory of humorism, he or she does not imply that we would reduce its value. Instead, we might simply mock it for
being “ludicrous,” even though it is historically valuable. Thus, sneer does not mean debase, and choice (E) is incorrect.

3) D
Question Type: Inference
The author ends the passage by stating that the “logic behind” the humors “opened the door for future scientific inquiry.” He or she
then suggests that he thanks “Hippocrates and his cohorts for encouraging later doctors,” implying that Hippocrates is someone who
“opened the door.” It would follow, then, that Hippocrates was a Greek physician who believed in the humors. Choice (D) is, as
such, correct. Though the passage does imply that Hippocrates lived in ancient times, it does not suggest he was a philosopher.
The passage never discusses philosophy, as it is only concerned with medicine. Thus, choice (A) is incorrect. Though the author
implies that future disease researchers were inspired by “Hippocrates and his cohorts,” he or she does not suggest that Hippocrates
himself was a disease researcher. Rather, the author implies that Hippocrates helped “open the door” to future scientific research.
Thus, choice (B) is incorrect. Though the passage mentions humorism, and though it implies that Hippocrates believed in humorism,
it does not imply that Hippocrates lived in modern times. The author makes it clear that Hippocrates helped encourage “later
doctors,” not his colleagues. Additionally, the word “humorist” would actually imply that Hippocrates was a comedian, not a doctor.
For these reasons, choice (C) is incorrect. Though the passage does suggest that Hippocrates helped inspire medical research, it
does not actually state that he was a medical doctor. A medical doctor would generally be someone practicing medicine in more
modern times, but the passage implies Hippocrates was an Ancient Greek. Thus, choice (E) is incorrect.

4) E
Question Type: Global
The passage as a whole is about humorism, and the author uses most of the passage to describe the theory. However, he or she
ends the passage by arguing that the humors are worth studying today, writing that theories such as humorism “matter historically”
and “opened the door for future scientific inquiry.” A good subtitle would capture the essence of both of these parts of the essay, so
choice (E) is correct. A good subtitle describes the main topics of a passage. The subtitle provided by choice (A) would imply that
the author describes the ways humors can be used in today’s world. However, the author only describes the humors and explains
why we should study or understand them today. A good subtitle describes the main topics of a passage. The subtitle provided by
choice (B) would imply that the author discusses Greek philosophy in general and the origins of science. However, the author only
describes one Greek theory, that of the humors, and explains why we should study or understand them today. Choice (B) is, thus,
incorrect, because its subtitle is too general. A good subtitle describes the main topics of a passage. The subtitle provided by choice
(C) would imply that the author describes the people who believed in the humors and modern scientists. However, the author only
describes the humors and explains why we should study or understand them today; he or she does not describe the people who
believed in the theory. A good subtitle describes the main topics of a passage. The subtitle provided by choice (D) would imply that
the author attempts to explain how the humors can be used to explain ailments today. However, the author only describes the
humors and explains why we should study or understand them today; he or she does not actually suggest we should apply the
theory of humorism in today’s world.

5) A
Question Type: Inference
The penultimate sentence of the passage states that, “The beauty of the ancient wisdom is not that it was actually wise but that the
logic behind it opened the door for future scientific inquiry.” This sentence explains in further detail what the author means by the
sentence preceding it, in which he or she argues that “theories like [humorism] matter historically.” Thus, it can be inferred that the
author believes the humors deserve to be studied today but only for historical reasons, namely their import in future scientific
discoveries. Choice (A) is, therefore, correct. Though the sentence before the penultimate one does say “it is easy today to sneer at
such beliefs” as humorism, the penultimate sentence does not mention anything like this. Thus, choice (B) is incorrect. At no point in
the passage, including the penultimate sentence, does the author suggest that humorism can be used in today’s world to help cure
diseases. Choice (C) is, therefore, incorrect. Though the penultimate sentence of the passage does imply that humorism deserves
 READTHEORY Answers and Explanations

to be studied and understood today, the author does not imply that it necessarily needs to be taught in medical schools. After all,
teaching it in medical schools would imply that the theory had scientific merit, but the author only suggests the theory matters
historically. Therefore, choice (D) is incorrect. Though the author implies throughout the passage that humorism is not rooted in
science, the last few sentences of the passage do not make this point. Rather, they argue that, even though the theory is not
scientific, it should be understood historically for its role in helping shape future scientific inquiry. Thus, choice (E) is incorrect.