Question

Difficulty: MediumFulfilling Specific Rhetorical and Writing Goals

The writer is drafting an essay about the history of currency and wants to organize the following sentences to logically explain the transition from using physical metal coins to using paper credit. To achieve this goal, in what order should the sentences be arranged?

  1. 1During the Tang Dynasty, commerce flourished to the point where merchants had to carry thousands of stringed copper coins to conduct large transactions.
  2. 2This massive amount of coinage was not only extremely heavy but also highly vulnerable to theft along trade routes.
  3. 3To solve this problem, merchants began depositing their heavy metal coins with trustworthy agents in exchange for paper receipts.
  4. 4These receipts, which could be traded directly for goods without retrieving the underlying metal, represented the birth of paper currency.

Answer

The correct order begins with the sentence introducing commerce during the Tang Dynasty and the use of copper coins, followed by the sentence describing the weight and vulnerability of this coinage, then the sentence introducing the solution of depositing coins for paper receipts, and ending with the sentence defining these receipts as the birth of paper currency.
The correct sequence begins by introducing Tang Dynasty merchants and their reliance on copper coins. The next sentence follows by describing the weight and vulnerability of 'this massive amount of coinage.' The third sentence resolves this issue by introducing the solution of depositing coins for 'paper receipts.' The final sentence completes the sequence by identifying 'these receipts' as the birth of paper currency. This order maintains precise logical flow and clear pronoun-antecedent relationships throughout.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the introductory sentence that establishes the context.
The sentence about commerce during the Tang Dynasty and the need for merchants to carry copper coins is the only one that does not rely on prior information.
It introduces the topic of the passage without any demonstrative pronouns or transitional phrases that require an antecedent.
2
Trace the noun-pronoun and demonstrative adjective connections to find the second sentence.
The sentence beginning with 'This massive amount of coinage' logically follows the mention of 'thousands of stringed copper coins.'
The demonstrative adjective phrase 'This massive amount of coinage' directly refers to the specific coins introduced in the first sentence.
3
Locate the sentence addressing the problem introduced in the second sentence.
The sentence starting with 'To solve this problem' describes the system of depositing coins in exchange for paper receipts.
The phrase 'this problem' refers directly to the weight and vulnerability of the coinage described in the previous step.
4
Identify the concluding sentence that resolves the sequence.
The sentence starting with 'These receipts' explaining the birth of paper currency is the final sentence.
The demonstrative pronoun 'These receipts' connects to the 'paper receipts' mentioned in the third sentence, and it completes the rhetorical goal of explaining the transition to paper currency.

Key Concept

Logical paragraph organization using transitional cues and pronoun referents to fulfill a writing goal.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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