Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: 35412
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
You are given five words starting with P and asked to arrange them in dictionary order: Pragmatic, Protect, Pastel, Postal and Pebble. Because they share the same initial letter, you must rely on the next letters to determine their correct sequence. This is a classic alphabetical ordering question, which tests systematic comparison rather than intuitive judgment based on word familiarity.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
To find dictionary order, compare the second letters of the words first. Then, among words with the same first two letters, compare the third letters, and so forth. It helps to group words by common prefixes such as Pa, Pe, Po and Pr. Once the words are written in a correct alphabetical list, replace each with its original number to identify the matching option in the choices.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Write the words with their second letters: Pastel (Pa), Pebble (Pe), Postal (Po), Pragmatic (Pr), Protect (Pr).
In alphabetical order of the second letter: a comes before e, which comes before o, which comes before r, so Pastel (3) is first, then Pebble (5), then Postal (4), followed by the two Pr words Pragmatic (1) and Protect (2).
Now order the Pr words. Both start with Pra and Pro respectively, and after Pr, a comes before o, so Pragmatic (1) comes before Protect (2).
Combining these results gives the full dictionary order: Pastel (3), Pebble (5), Postal (4), Pragmatic (1), Protect (2).
Expressing this as a numeric code yields 35412, which must be the correct option.
Verification / Alternative check:
Write the words in the derived order: Pastel, Pebble, Postal, Pragmatic, Protect. Check quickly against dictionary rules. Pastel and Pebble: a as the second letter precedes e, so this is correct. Pebble and Postal: e as the second letter precedes o, consistent with the placement. Postal and Pragmatic: o as the second letter comes before r, so Postal is correctly earlier. Pragmatic and Protect: within the Pr group, a after Pr precedes o after Pr, so Pragmatic comes before Protect. Each adjacent pair preserves alphabetical order, confirming the sequence.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A, 43521, starts with Postal instead of Pastel, which ignores that words beginning with Pa must come before those beginning with Po. Option C, 34512, reverses the order of Pastel and Pebble, even though a clearly precedes e. Option D, 43512, similarly misorders these early words and misplaces Pragmatic and Protect. Option E, None of these, is incorrect because option B matches exactly the correct order 35412.
Common Pitfalls:
Candidates sometimes assume that Pragmatic and Protect belong near the start of the list simply because they are familiar words, neglecting that Pa and Pe words must precede Po and Pr words alphabetically. Another frequent mistake is not checking the second letter carefully and instead relying on how the words sound. A clear stepwise comparison, starting from the second letter and grouping words logically, ensures accurate results in such ordering tasks.
Final Answer:
The correct dictionary order is Pastel, Pebble, Postal, Pragmatic, Protect, which corresponds to the code 35412.
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