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Question

Difficulty: HardSentence Reordering and Placement

The following passage describes the reception of the potato in Europe.

[1] When Spanish conquistadors first brought the potato to Europe in the sixteenth century, the unfamiliar tuber was met with suspicion. [2] Many Europeans feared the vegetable because it was not mentioned in the Bible, and others suspected it of causing leprosy. [3] In France, the crown even went so far as to ban potato cultivation entirely in 1748. [4] Recognizing the crop's potential to combat famine, French army pharmacist Antoine-Augustin Parmentier set out to change public perception. [5] He established heavily guarded potato patches near Paris, instructing the guards to accept bribes and look the other way when locals tried to steal the "royal" plants.

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

"This clever reverse-psychology campaign succeeded in generating curiosity and ultimately popularized the crop."

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

Answer

after Sentence 5
Placing the target sentence after the final sentence of the paragraph is the most logical choice because 'This clever reverse-psychology campaign' directly refers to the strategy detailed in the fifth sentence (guarding the patches but allowing thefts). This placement allows the target sentence to serve as a conclusion to the anecdote by stating the outcome of the campaign.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the target sentence for logical and transitional clues.
The target sentence begins with the demonstrative noun phrase 'This clever reverse-psychology campaign,' indicating it must immediately follow a description of a specific campaign or action that utilizes reverse psychology.
Identifying transition markers and pronoun/determiner referents is essential for determining correct sentence placement.
2
Evaluate the paragraph's sentences to find where the campaign is described.
Sentence 5 describes Parmentier setting up heavily guarded potato patches and instructing guards to look the other way when locals tried to steal them, which is a classic example of reverse psychology.
Locating the antecedent for 'This clever reverse-psychology campaign' ensures the narrative flow remains logical.
3
Test the proposed placement to ensure chronological and thematic coherence.
Placing the target sentence at the end of the paragraph (after Sentence 5) allows it to function as a logical conclusion, detailing the success of the campaign described in Sentence 5.
Verifying that the chosen insertion point does not disrupt other parts of the paragraph confirms the correct placement.

Key Concept

Sentence Reordering and Placement
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Sentence Reordering and Placement

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