Question 5 - 8 are based on the following passage

    Mass market history textbooks suffer from a number of deficiencies. Even with judicious editing and some stunning omissions, the typical high school history textbook is over one thousand pages long. Part of the problem lies in the publishers' desire to construct a book that appeals to as many regional markets as possible. In order to do so, the publisher must include details that are relatively little historical significance but evoke a degree of local pride in readers. But the sheer volume of information available in textbooks is not, in and of itself, the greatest difficulty with these textbooks. The most pressing problem is the textbook writers' philosophical approach to this information.

    The manner in which most treat history textbooks the story of Columbus "discovery" of America offers a telling example. First, there is a copious historical record indicating that a multitude of explorers had reached North America long before Columbus This record consists of a diversity of sources, including genetic similarities between North American populations and populations in Africa, Asia, and Europe; homogenous social structures and art forms; and even oral histories and legends of various peoples. While historians argue over the value and reliability of this evidence, it is generally accepted that travelers from Siberia, Japan, China, Polynesia, West Africa, and Iceland most likely arrived in North America long before Colombus did. Textbook authors could simply present all of his evidence to students and let them come to their own conclusions about the discovery and settlement of America-in fact, that is how professional historians work. Instead, textbook authors decide to craft a simple narrative around certain historical events at the expense of the true complexities of history. By treating history as a series of settled facts instead of a sequence of ongoing debates and interpretations, textbook authors do a great disservice to both their students and to the educational process. In their quest to portray history as a story, textbook authors have unwittingly deprived the subject of some of its most vibrant and interestng aspects. It is no wonder that high school students in the United States rank history as one of ther least favorite subjects.

The passage implies which of the following about high school history textbooks?