The writer wants to arrange the following sentences to logically trace how a highly classified military surveillance technology unexpectedly became an invaluable tool for marine biologists. What is the most logical order for these sentences?
- 1In the early 1950s, the United States Navy deployed the Sound Surveillance System (SOSUS), a secretive network of underwater hydrophones designed to detect Soviet submarines.
- 2Operating in the deep ocean's sound channel, these sensitive listening posts immediately began picking up strange, low-frequency hums that military analysts could not identify.
- 3For decades, these recordings remained classified, but in the late 1980s, the Navy finally permitted select marine scientists access to the underwater audio data.
- 4Biologists quickly recognized these mystery signals as the long-distance communication of blue and fin whales, transforming a Cold War espionage tool into a window for ecological research.
Answer
The most logical order is to start with the introduction of SOSUS, followed by the detection of mysterious sounds, then the transition when scientists were granted access to the classified recordings, and finally the discovery that the signals were whale songs.
The correct order follows a clear chronological and logical progression. First, the Sound Surveillance System (SOSUS) is introduced along with its military purpose. Second, the text explains that these underwater hydrophones ('these sensitive listening posts') picked up mysterious hums. Third, it recounts that these audio files ('these recordings') were classified until the late 1980s when scientists were given access. Finally, it describes the outcome of that access: biologists identifying the signals as whale songs, which fulfills the rhetorical goal.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Logical sentence sequencing using reference words (pronouns, demonstratives) and narrative structure to achieve specific rhetorical goals.