- Why are the alchemists not favorably regarded today?
(F) Their secret techniques have mostly been forgotten.
(G) The results of all their experiments were disproved.
(H) The Europeans were not interested in an Eastern art form.
(J) Their use of astrology seems superstitious to scientists.
(K) Many of their apparatuses and procedures are out-of-date.
- What did the alchemists believe about metals such as copper and lead?
(A) They were imperfect forms of gold.
(B) They were the noblest of all metals.
(C) They consisted primarily of air and water.
(D) They were heavier than other metals.
(E) They originated in China, India, and Greece.
- What does the passage imply about the process of “purifying” metals?
(F) It was perfected by Isaac Newton.
(G) It was distorted in translations of Arabic works.
(H) The alchemists believed it had a spiritual parallel.
(J) It was discovered in the twelfth century.
(K) Few people realized its commercial value.
- Which of the following questions is not answered in the passage?
(A) What constituted favorable astrological conditions for purifying base metals?
(B) Did alchemists make theoretical contributions to modern chemistry?
(C) When was alchemy finally discredited as a science?
(D) What did alchemists believe about the relationship between humanity and the natural world?
(E) What was responsible for the European wave of interest in alchemy?
- With which of the following statements about alchemy would the author most likely agree?
