Question

the following text is adapted from daniel defoes 1704 nonfiction book the storm. if i judge right, tis the duty of an historian to set everything in its own light, and to convey matter of fact upon its legitimate authority, and no other: i mean thus, (for i would be as explicit as i can) that where a story is vouched to him with sufficient authority, he ought to give the world the special testimonial of its proper voucher, or else he is not just to the story: and where it comes without such sufficient authority, he ought to say so; otherwise he is not just to himself. which choice best states the main idea of the text? a because no memories can be trusted, all historians are forced to admit that some records of events may be, in part, false. b the only figures that a historian should quote are those who are widely viewed as credible. c it is difficult for historians to be completely accurate, and eventually they will feel remorse for some of their work. d historians should clearly indicate the extent to which each of their sources is trustworthy.

Explanation:

The text emphasizes that historians should present facts with proper authority - either their own or from a reliable source. They should indicate the trust - worthiness of their sources. Option D captures this main idea as it focuses on historians clearly showing the reliability of their sources.

Answer:

D. Historians should clearly indicate the extent to which each of their sources is trustworthy.