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Difficulty: MediumParagraph Reordering and Placement

[1]
In 1856, Eunice Foote, an American scientist and women's rights campaigner, conducted a series of simple yet groundbreaking experiments. Using an air pump, two glass cylinders, and four thermometers, she tested the effects of sunlight on different gases. She discovered that a cylinder filled with carbon dioxide became much hotter than one filled with common air, and that it took far longer to cool down.

[2]
Consequently, Foote’s contributions were largely overlooked for over a century, while John Tyndall, an Irish physicist who published similar findings three years later, was long credited with discovering the greenhouse effect. It was not until 2011, when a retired geologist stumbled upon Foote’s paper in an annual scientific journal from 1856, that her pioneering role was finally recognized.

[3]
Based on her observations, Foote reached a prophetic conclusion. She wrote that an atmosphere of carbon dioxide would give our Earth a high temperature, effectively describing the fundamental mechanism of what we now call the greenhouse effect.

[4]
However, despite the significance of her findings, Foote was not permitted to read her own paper at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; instead, it was read aloud by a male colleague.

To make the essay most logical and cohesive, where should Paragraph 2 be placed?

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

Answer

after Paragraph 4
The correct answer is the option that places Paragraph 2 after Paragraph 4. This order establishes a logical progression: Paragraph 1 introduces the experiment, Paragraph 3 details the prophetic conclusion reached from the observations in Paragraph 1, Paragraph 4 describes how Foote was barred from presenting those findings, and Paragraph 2 concludes by stating that 'Consequently' (due to this lack of presentation and recognition) her contributions were overlooked for a century.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the transition words and reference pronouns at the beginning of each paragraph to determine the logical relationships.
Paragraph 2 begins with the transition 'Consequently,' signaling a cause-and-effect relationship. Paragraph 3 begins with 'Based on her observations,' which directly refers to the experimental observations detailed in Paragraph 1. Paragraph 4 begins with 'However, despite the significance of her findings,' which references the conclusions mentioned in Paragraph 3.
Identifying transition markers and pronoun references helps establish the relative order of paragraphs.
2
Determine the correct logical sequence of the other paragraphs to see where Paragraph 2 fits best.
Paragraph 1 introduces the experiments. Paragraph 3 details the observations and conclusion. Paragraph 4 explains the barrier she faced in presenting these findings (she was not allowed to read them). The logical sequence is Paragraph 1, followed by Paragraph 3, followed by Paragraph 4.
Establishing the core sequence ensures that we can place the misplaced paragraph where it logically links cause and effect.
3
Determine where the transition in Paragraph 2 ('Consequently, Foote’s contributions were largely overlooked...') logically fits.
The fact that Foote was not allowed to read her own paper (Paragraph 4) is the direct cause of her contributions being overlooked in favor of John Tyndall (Paragraph 2). Thus, Paragraph 2 must follow Paragraph 4.
This positioning creates a cohesive chronological and cause-and-effect flow for the essay.

Key Concept

Paragraph Reordering and Placement
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Topics

Paragraph Reordering and Placement

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