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.

Correct Option (B)

The passage states that scientific research is "probably never completely valueless." It further emphasizes that even seemingly "silly and insignificant" research, or work by "uninspired but industrious researchers," presents "always a chance that the results may be of value to the investigator of talent." This implies that for an intelligent investigator, the inherent potential for value in scientific research is consistently present, enabling them to utilize collected facts as a foundation for fruitful generalization. Therefore, from the perspective of an intelligent investigator's capacity to derive insight, a research result is always valuable.

Incorrect Options:

• Option 1: not many research results can be of value to an intelligent investigator
  This statement contradicts the passage's assertion that scientific research is "probably never completely valueless" and that there is "always a chance" for results to be valuable to a talented investigator. This indicates a broad potential for value, not a limited one.

• Option 3: any research result can be of value to an intelligent investigator
  While this option appears plausible as it aligns with "always a chance that the results may be of value," Option B (a research result is always valuable to an intelligent investigator) is a stronger and more comprehensive interpretation of the author's emphasis. The passage highlights the inherent, albeit sometimes latent, value of scientific research when approached by a capable investigator. The phrase "probably never completely valueless" combined with the consistent potential for an intelligent investigator to find value suggests that the value is perpetually available to such an individual, rather than merely a possibility.

• Option 4: a research result must always be of some value to an intelligent investigator
  The word "must" implies an absolute certainty or obligation, which is stronger than what the passage conveys. The text uses phrases like "probably never completely valueless" and "always a chance," indicating a high probability or consistent potential rather than an absolute guarantee that every single result will definitively yield value for an intelligent investigator.