In a jungle racing event involving five animals — deer, dog, elephant, lion and tiger — the dog ran faster than the elephant but slower than the tiger. The deer was the fastest of all. The lion ran faster than the tiger. Which animal finished second in the race?

Introduction / Context:

This is a classic ordering and comparison question framed in a story about animal racing. We are given relative speeds and must determine the finishing order. The aim is to identify the animal that comes second in the race. Such problems train candidates to convert verbal comparisons into a clear ranked sequence.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Animals in the race: deer, dog, elephant, lion and tiger.
• The dog ran faster than the elephant but slower than the tiger.
• The deer was the fastest among all five animals.
• The lion ran faster than the tiger.
• No two animals tied; all rankings are strict.

Concept / Approach:

Speed order translates directly into finishing positions: the fastest animal finishes first, the second fastest finishes second, and so on. From the given comparisons, we build an inequality chain of speeds. After constructing the complete order, we read off which animal is second in that list.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

We can quickly verify that all given relations are satisfied by this order. The deer is indeed first. The dog is faster than the elephant but slower than the tiger. The lion is placed above the tiger, so it is faster than the tiger. Consequently, this order is consistent and unique.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

The deer is explicitly the fastest and thus finished first, not second.

The dog appears in the middle of the order, slower than both lion and tiger, so it cannot be second.

The elephant is the slowest animal according to the chain and must finish last, not second.

Common Pitfalls:

Candidates may misread “faster than” versus “slower than” and accidentally reverse the order of two animals. It is helpful to write inequalities in one direction, for example always from fastest to slowest, to prevent this common mistake.

Final Answer:

The animal that finished second in the race is the lion.