Digital PSAT Reading and Writing Practice Question 192: Answer and Explanation

Question: 192

In 1950, Enrico Fermi posited the question Where is everybody? when considering the apparent contradiction between high estimates of the likelihood of the existence of extraterrestrial life and humankind's lack of contact with, or evidence for, such civilizations. Later referred to as the Fermi Paradox, his provocative query was founded on the assumption that since the sun is quite typical, other Earth-like planets surely exist and have intelligent life, and by now, should have visited or contacted Earth. Extraterrestrial intelligence, or ETI, refers to hypothetical intelligent civilizations that are assumed to exist based on the existence of human intelligence and the vast size of the universe. While popular and scientific opinion on ETI varies greatly-from certainty to skepticism to downright incredulity-the search for alien intelligence is extensive and substantive.

According to the passage, the general scientific attitude toward the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence is best described as

• A. deeply passionate and mostly certain.
• B. quite interested but currently unsettled.
• C. somewhat pessimistic and rather fearful.
• D. fundamentally skeptical but always dogmatic.

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

(B) The author allows that the search is extensive, but that opinion varies "from certainty to skepticism to downright incredulity," giving evidence for (B). The other options inaccurately indicate that there is a scientific agreement of some sort.