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Question

Difficulty: HardSentence Reordering and Placement

The following paragraph is from an essay about maritime archaeology.

[1] For centuries, the ancient Egyptian port city of Thonis-Heracleion was shrouded in myth, buried under the silt of the Mediterranean Sea. [2] Consequently, many scholars doubted whether the legendary trade hub had ever actually existed. [3] In 2000, French archaeologist Franck Goddio made a breakthrough discovery when he located the submerged ruins. [4] Subsequent excavations at the underwater site revealed colossal statues, gold coins, and massive temple structures. [5] These artifacts, remarkably preserved by the marine sediment, provided unprecedented insights into ancient maritime commerce.

The writer wants to add the following sentence to the paragraph:

'Until this discovery, historians had only known of the port through sparse mentions in classical Greek texts.'

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

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

Answer

After Sentence 3
The correct option is the one placing the sentence after Sentence 3. Sentence 3 introduces the 'breakthrough discovery' made by Franck Goddio. Placing the target sentence immediately after Sentence 3 provides the essential antecedent for the phrase 'this discovery' and logically explains the limited state of knowledge that existed before Goddio's work. Furthermore, this placement avoids breaking the cohesive tie between the list of ruins in Sentence 4 and the reference to 'These artifacts' in Sentence 5.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the target sentence to identify structural or logical clues.
The target sentence contains the phrase 'this discovery,' which requires a previously mentioned discovery to serve as its antecedent.
Demonstrative pronouns like 'this' must refer back to a noun or concept introduced immediately prior in the text.
2
Scan the paragraph to locate where a 'discovery' is first introduced.
Sentence 3 introduces the discovery, stating that Franck Goddio made a 'breakthrough discovery' when he located the ruins.
This establishes the necessary context and grammatical antecedent for the phrase 'this discovery.'
3
Check the surrounding sentences to ensure no other logical connections are disrupted.
Sentence 4 lists artifacts ('colossal statues, gold coins, and massive temple structures'), which are referred to in Sentence 5 as 'These artifacts.' Placing the target sentence after Sentence 3 keeps the connection between Sentence 4 and Sentence 5 intact.
Inserting sentences between a list and its demonstrative reference disrupts paragraph cohesion and readability.

Key Concept

Sentence Reordering and Placement
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Topics

Sentence Reordering and Placement

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