Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: ii, iv, iii, i
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This dictionary order question uses four common English words that all begin with the letter A but diverge quickly in the second and third letters. You must place Abysmal, Accrue, Agility, and Arise in the order in which they would appear in a standard dictionary.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
All words start with A, so we compare the second letter, then third letter, and so on until the first difference:
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Write the words: Abysmal, Accrue, Agility, Arise.
Step 2: Compare second letters after A. Abysmal has B, Accrue has C, Agility has G, and Arise has R.
Step 3: In the alphabet, B comes before C, which comes before G, which comes before R. So the overall order based only on second letters is Abysmal (ii), Accrue (iv), Agility (iii), Arise (i).
Step 4: Since all second letters are different, we do not need to go further to third or later letters to decide the order.
Step 5: Thus the dictionary sequence is Abysmal (ii), Accrue (iv), Agility (iii), Arise (i). Hence the correct code is ii, iv, iii, i.
Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify by writing them as they would appear in a dictionary list: Abysmal, Accrue, Agility, Arise. This sequence reads naturally from B to C to G to R and confirms that the derived code is correct.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option ii, i, iv, iii would place Arise after Abysmal, which is incorrect because the second letter R in Arise is much later in the alphabet than C and G.
Option iii, iv, ii, i starts with Agility, even though its second letter G is later than both B and C.
Option ii, iv, i, iii mispositions Arise relative to Agility, again ignoring the second letter rule.
Option iv, ii, iii, i starts with Accrue rather than Abysmal, failing to respect the alphabetical ordering of B before C.
Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates may focus on word length or familiarity rather than the strict alphabetical comparisons. Another frequent mistake is overcomplicating the problem by checking too many letters even when differences at earlier positions are clear. Always start from the leftmost letters and stop as soon as you find a difference.
Final Answer:
The correct dictionary order is Abysmal, Accrue, Agility, Arise, which corresponds to the code ii, iv, iii, i.
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