Explanation
Correct answer: C.
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of testing hypotheses regarding usage by means of text corpora. In this context, "supposition" refers to an assumption or hypothesis that is not yet proven. The text explains that text corpora can be used for "empirical testing of hypotheses regarding the frequency of typical word usage" and then provides a specific example of using corpus analysis to support a claim about the word "get." The word "supposition" precisely conveys this idea of an assumption or hypothesis about word frequency that can then be tested against empirical data.
Why the other choices are wrong
Choice A
Choice A is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that someone has a "recognition" that the word "get" has a high incidence in English. Recognition implies acknowledging something already established as true or valid, but the text indicates that corpus analysis is needed to support the claim about "get," suggesting its high frequency wasn’t already established or previously known.
Choice B
Choice B is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that someone has a "scheme" that the word "get" has a high incidence in English. A scheme is a plan or systematic arrangement, but the context indicates what’s needed is a preliminary hypothesis that can be tested with corpus data, not a plan related to word frequency.
Choice D
Choice D is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that someone has a "synopsis" that the word "get" has a high incidence in English. A synopsis is a summary or outline, but the text is discussing an initial hypothesis about word frequency that requires testing, not a condensed statement of existing information.