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Question

Difficulty: MediumSentence Reordering and Placement

The following paragraph contains numbered sentences.

[1] For decades, scholars believed that the Maya hieroglyphs carved into stone monuments represented only abstract ideas or astronomical calculations. [2] This consensus began to shift in the late 1950s due to the meticulous work of Tatiana Proskouriakoff, an art historian and architect. [3] By analyzing the repeating patterns of glyphs alongside the dates inscribed on the monuments, she made a groundbreaking discovery. [4] She proposed that the carvings actually recorded the historical lives, reigns, and dynasties of Maya rulers. [5] Proskouriakoff's historical approach revolutionized the field of Mesoamerican archaeology, transforming monuments from mere calendars into rich historical records.

For the sake of the logic and coherence of the paragraph, where is the best place to insert the following sentence?

"Specifically, she realized that the intervals between these dates closely corresponded to the typical length of a human lifespan."

  1. A
    Before Sentence 1
  2. B
    After Sentence 1
  3. C
    After Sentence 2
  4. After Sentence 3Answer

Answer

After Sentence 3
Placing the sentence after Sentence 3 provides the most logical flow. The phrase 'these dates' in the target sentence has a clear referent in Sentence 3 ('the dates inscribed on the monuments'), and the pronoun 'she' refers to Tatiana Proskouriakoff from Sentence 2. Additionally, the reference to 'human lifespan' in the target sentence provides a necessary logical bridge to Sentence 4, which discusses the 'historical lives' of Maya rulers.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the target sentence for logical, grammatical, and transition markers.
The target sentence contains the pronoun 'she,' the demonstrative adjective phrase 'these dates,' and the concept of 'human lifespan.'
Identifying these markers helps determine what must precede and follow the target sentence.
2
Identify the antecedents and conceptual links in the paragraph.
The pronoun 'she' must refer to Tatiana Proskouriakoff (introduced in Sentence 2). The phrase 'these dates' must refer to the 'dates' mentioned in Sentence 3. The concept of 'human lifespan' must connect to the 'historical lives' mentioned in Sentence 4.
This establishes the necessary order of sentences: Sentence 3 must come before the target sentence, and Sentence 4 should come after it.
3
Evaluate the flow of the paragraph with the target sentence inserted after Sentence 3.
The progression is logical: Sentence 3 introduces the dates, the target sentence explains what she realized about those dates (they match a human lifespan), and Sentence 4 builds on this realization by stating her proposal that the carvings recorded historical lives.
Confirming the flow ensures that the insertion point creates a coherent narrative.

Key Concept

Sentence Reordering and Placement
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Topics

Sentence Reordering and Placement

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