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Question

Difficulty: MediumSentence Reordering and Placement

The writer is considering adding the following sentence to the paragraph below:

'This extraction process was incredibly laborious, requiring thousands of snails to produce just one gram of dye.'

[1] In 1856, eighteen-year-old chemistry student William Henry Perkin was attempting to synthesize quinine, a treatment for malaria, in his home laboratory. [2] Instead of the clear cure he hoped for, his experiment resulted in a dark, sticky sludge. [3] Perkin noticed that the alcohol he used to clean the flask turned a beautiful purple color. [4] Recognizing the commercial potential of this vibrant hue, he patented the substance as 'mauveine,' the world's first synthetic organic dye. [5] Historically, purple dye had been a luxury reserved for royalty, as the pigment could only be harvested in tiny amounts from predatory sea snails.

To make the paragraph flow most logically, where should this sentence be placed?

  1. A
    after Sentence 2
  2. B
    after Sentence 3
  3. C
    after Sentence 4
  4. after Sentence 5Answer

Answer

after Sentence 5
Placing the sentence after Sentence 5 is correct because the sentence to be added begins with 'This extraction process,' which requires a clear, immediate antecedent. Sentence 5 establishes this connection by explaining that purple dye was historically 'harvested in tiny amounts from predatory sea snails.' The added sentence naturally elaborates on the difficulty of this harvest by noting that thousands of snails were needed for a single gram of dye.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence to be inserted for logical markers and pronouns.
The phrase 'This extraction process' serves as a crucial demonstrative link, indicating that the preceding sentence must describe a specific extraction or harvesting method.
Identifying transition markers helps establish the correct chronological and contextual sequence of the passage.
2
Scan the paragraph to find the sentence describing an extraction or harvesting process.
Sentence 5 is the only sentence that mentions harvesting, stating that the pigment 'could only be harvested in tiny amounts from predatory sea snails.'
Locating the antecedent for 'this extraction process' identifies the target insertion zone.
3
Verify the flow of the paragraph with the new sentence inserted after Sentence 5.
The transition from harvesting pigment from snails to detailing the laboriousness of the snail extraction process is cohesive and logical.
Ensuring the paragraphs flow naturally confirms the selected placement is the most logical option.

Key Concept

Identifying pronoun and demonstrative adjective antecedents to establish logical sentence placement.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Sentence Reordering and Placement

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