To encourage research is one of the functions of a university. Contemporary universities have encouraged research, not only in those cases where research is necessary, but on all sorts of entirely unprofitable subjects as well. Scientific research is probably never completely valueless. However silly and insignificant it may seem, however mechanical and unintelligent the labours of the researchers, there is always a chance that the results may be of value to the investigator of talent, who can use the facts collected for him by uninspired but industrious researchers as the basis of some fruitful generalization. But where research is not original, but consists in the mere rearrangement of existing materials, where its object is not scientific but literary or historical, then there is a risk of the whole business becoming merely futile.

71. The author's assumption about scientific research is that

• (a) it is never very valuable
• (b) it is sometimes very valuable
• (c) it is never without some value
• (d) it is always very valuable

72. According to the author

• (a) not many research results can be of value to an intelligent investigator
• (b) a research result is always valuable to an intelligent investigator
• (c) any research result can be of value to an intelligent investigator
• (d) a research result must always be of some value to an intelligent investigator