Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: QPRS
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This sentence arrangement question deals with economic interdependence between the food market and the labour market. The four statements P, Q, R and S are parts of a short explanatory paragraph. The learner must arrange them in an order that makes sense logically and grammatically, showing how the idea of interdependence is introduced, explained and illustrated. Understanding the meaning of each fragment and the function of connectors such as similarly is essential to find the correct sequence.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Q states that interdependence of food and labour market is important for the development process.
- P explains that the magnitude of this interdependence depends on the technique of production causing shifts in the food supply curve.
- S says that an upward shift in the food supply curve results in an upward shift in the labour demand curve.
- R begins with similarly and states that an upward shift in the food supply curve shifts up the food demand curve.
- We need a smooth flow from general statement to detailed explanation and then to illustrations.
Concept / Approach:
In jumbled paragraph questions, the usual pattern is to start with a broad theme sentence, follow with an explanation of factors or mechanisms, and then present specific consequences or examples. Also, cohesive markers like similarly are used to link two parallel points, so the sentence that uses such a marker should follow another sentence with a similar structure. We identify the sentence most suitable as an opening and then place the others so that each new idea flows naturally from the one before.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Sentence Q is clearly introductory. It states in general that interdependence of the food and labour markets is important for development. It does not refer back to any earlier idea, so Q should be the first sentence.
Step 2: Sentence P explains what determines the magnitude of that interdependence. It speaks about the technique of production and how it causes shifts in the food supply curve. This explanation logically follows the general claim in Q.
Step 3: Sentence S describes a specific consequence of an upward shift in the food supply curve: an upward shift in the labour demand curve. This shows one channel through which interdependence works. Therefore S should come after P.
Step 4: Sentence R begins with similarly and talks about another consequence of the same upward shift in the food supply curve, namely a shift in the food demand curve. The word similarly signals that it should follow another sentence describing a similar effect, that is, S.
Step 5: Combining these links gives the order Q P S R, which corresponds to option B, written as QPRS.
Verification / Alternative check:
Read the reconstructed paragraph: Interdependence of food and labour market is important for the development process. The magnitude of the interdependence depends on the technique of production causing the shifts in the food supply curve. An upward shift in the food supply curve would simultaneously result in an upward shift in the labour demand curve. Similarly, an upward shift in the food supply curve shifts up the food demand curve. This paragraph is logically consistent and grammatically smooth. Any other arrangement would either place similarly without a prior parallel statement or would present examples before the general idea is stated.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A (QSPR): Placing S directly after Q and then P breaks the natural flow from explanation to example and separates S from its parallel sentence R.
Option C (PSRQ): Beginning with P ignores the need for an introductory sentence that explains why interdependence matters, and putting Q last makes the paragraph end with a general statement instead of a specific effect.
Option D (SPQR): Starting with S and then P is not logical because S uses the shift in food supply without first explaining why or how it matters, and R without S immediately before makes the connector similarly less meaningful.
Common Pitfalls:
Students often focus only on technical terms like food supply curve and labour demand curve and ignore the discourse markers. The word similarly is a strong clue that two adjacent sentences must describe parallel results of the same cause. Another pitfall is to pick an order that keeps all technical details together but starts with an explanation instead of a clear topic sentence, which reduces coherence. Always identify the broad topic sentence and then use logical connectors to guide the remaining order.
Final Answer:
The most coherent sequence is QPRS, so option B is correct.
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