Question

Difficulty: MediumParagraph Reordering and Placement

[1]
In 1964, anticipation of a gasoline shortage prompted the DuPont company to search for a new, lightweight fiber to replace the steel wire in automobile tires. Chemist Stephanie Kwolek was assigned to the project. She began analyzing long chains of molecules called polyamides, hoping to find a fiber that was both strong and lightweight.

[2]
Initially, her supervisors were skeptical, believing the cloudy mixture would damage the delicate spinneret machine. However, Kwolek persisted, and when the solution was finally spun into fibers, the results were astonishing. The new material, later named Kevlar, was five times stronger than steel on an equal-weight basis.

[3]
The breakthrough occurred when Kwolek created a liquid crystalline solution that was unusually thin and cloudy, unlike the thick, clear mixtures typically produced in her lab. Instead of discarding this seemingly defective batch, she decided to test its properties by spinning it into fiber.

[4]
Today, Kevlar is used in everything from bulletproof vests and racing sails to bicycle tires and spacecraft. Kwolek's discovery, which began as a search for a tire component, ultimately revolutionized personal safety and materials science.

For the sake of the logic and cohesion of this essay, where should Paragraph 3 be placed?

  1. A
    where it is now
  2. B
    before Paragraph 1
  3. after Paragraph 1Answer
  4. D
    after Paragraph 4

Answer

after Paragraph 1
Placing the paragraph after Paragraph 1 is correct because it introduces Kwolek's creation of the 'unusually thin and cloudy' solution immediately after she begins her research. This sequence ensures that the reference to 'the cloudy mixture' in the subsequent paragraph has a clear and logical antecedent.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the connections between the paragraphs, focusing on transition words and pronoun/noun references.
Identify that Paragraph 2 references 'the cloudy mixture' and 'the solution was finally spun,' which requires a prior explanation of what this mixture is.
Establishing logical antecedents is necessary for reader comprehension.
2
Locate where 'the cloudy mixture' is first introduced in the essay.
Paragraph 3 introduces this mixture, stating that Kwolek created a solution that was 'unusually thin and cloudy' and decided to test it by spinning.
This establishes that Paragraph 3 must be placed before Paragraph 2.
3
Verify the chronological and narrative flow of the entire sequence.
The sequence [1], [3], [2], [4] follows a perfect logical path: assigning the project in 1964 ([1]), creating the cloudy solution in the lab ([3]), overcoming skepticism to spin it into fiber ([2]), and concluding with Kevlar's modern applications ([4]). Placements before Paragraph 1 or after Paragraph 4 disrupt this flow.
Testing all options ensures that the selected position is the only logical fit.

Key Concept

Paragraph Reordering and Placement
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