The passage can be broken down to essentially mean: to understand X, we must understand the things that affected X. Or, to say it another way, to understand a later thing, we must understand how it was affected by an earlier thing.
(A) is incorrect as it is reversing the logic of the passage. This answer choice says: to understand X we must understand what it itself effects. It looks later in time, when we want to look earlier in time.
(B) is incorrect. This is a tricky one as it looks earlier in time. However, it does not comment on how the earlier period of time affected the later period in time.
(C) is incorrect. This does not tell us that the other languages influence or affect the French language, and therefore doesn't follow the pattern.
(D) is incorrect. This answer choice is telling us to look wider, not earlier.
(E) is correct. A mentor is someone who teaches another person, therefore it can generally be assumed that a mentor is someone who affects or influences that person. This answer choice is saying to understand Aristotle, you must look earlier in time and understand Plato, a person who had an affect on him. This follows the same pattern as the passage, which states, to understand Spanish artisans, you must look earlier in time and understand Arabic porcelain, because it had an affect on them.
