Examkin

Question

Difficulty: HardSentence Reordering and Placement

The following paragraph may or may not be in the most logical order.

[1] For centuries, scholars believed that Mayan hieroglyphs were purely ideographic, representing abstract concepts rather than specific spoken sounds. [2] This consensus began to crumble in the 1950s when Soviet linguist Yuri Knorozov proposed that the glyphs functioned primarily as a phonetic syllabary. [3] His Western peers, however, rejected this hypothesis, dismissing it as politically motivated propaganda. [4] Decades later, art historian Linda Schele built upon this phonetic foundation to reconstruct the dynastic histories inscribed on the ruins of Palenque. [5] Despite this skepticism, Knorozov established the phonetic system that would eventually allow researchers to read the texts aloud.

For the sake of logic and cohesion, Sentence 5 should be placed:

  1. A
    where it is now.
  2. B
    after Sentence 1.
  3. C
    after Sentence 2.
  4. after Sentence 3.Answer

Answer

after Sentence 3.
Placing Sentence 5 after Sentence 3 creates a logical sequence of events and satisfies grammatical dependencies. The phrase 'this skepticism' at the beginning of Sentence 5 directly references the peers' rejection of Knorozov's hypothesis in Sentence 3. Once Sentence 5 is in this position, it introduces the phonetic system, which then serves as the logical referent for the phrase 'this phonetic foundation' at the beginning of Sentence 4.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze grammatical clues in Sentence 5.
Sentence 5 begins with the phrase 'Despite this skepticism,' which requires a preceding sentence that details skepticism or rejection.
Identifying demonstrative phrases helps locate the logical antecedent in the paragraph.
2
Locate the source of the skepticism in the paragraph.
Sentence 3 describes how Knorozov's Western peers 'rejected this hypothesis, dismissing it as politically motivated propaganda,' which represents the skepticism referred to in Sentence 5.
This establishes that Sentence 5 must follow Sentence 3.
3
Analyze grammatical clues in Sentence 4 to verify the placement.
Sentence 4 begins with 'Decades later' and mentions 'this phonetic foundation.' Placing Sentence 5 (which explains how Knorozov 'established the phonetic system') immediately before Sentence 4 provides the necessary context and antecedent for 'this phonetic foundation.'
Verifying subsequent sentences ensures that the paragraph's cohesive and chronological flow is fully maintained.

Key Concept

Sentence reordering requires identifying cohesive links, such as pronouns, transition phrases, and chronological markers, to ensure ideas flow logically from one sentence to the next.
Estimated Time:1m 15s
Rate this question

Topics

Sentence Reordering and Placement

More questions from this topic