Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: SQPR
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This is a sentence arrangement question that evaluates your ability to organise ideas into a logical and coherent paragraph. You are given four labelled sentences about water and conflict. Your task is to determine the sequence that best develops the topic from a general introduction to more specific points and a logical conclusion, using clues such as reference words, transitions and the scope of statements.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- P: And the victims are likely to be the poorest of the poor as well as the very sources of water – rivers, wetlands and aquifers.
- Q: In India, water conflicts are likely to worsen before they begin to be resolved.
- R: Till then they pose a significant threat to economic growth, security and health of the ecosystem.
- S: Water is radically altering and affecting political boundaries all over the world, between as well as within countries.
- Options for order: SQPR, PRQS, QRPS, PSQR.
Concept / Approach:
A coherent paragraph usually starts with a broad statement introducing the main topic, then narrows down to specific instances, consequences and details. Among the sentences, S clearly provides a global overview of how water is changing political boundaries worldwide and therefore functions well as an opening sentence. The next likely step is to focus on a particular country, which Q does by talking about water conflicts in India. R uses the pronoun they, referring to these conflicts, and describes the threats they pose until they are resolved. Finally, P, introduced by And, runs naturally after this explanation by identifying likely victims. This leads to the sequence S Q P R or S Q R P, so we must check which is better supported by connectors and logic.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Choose a suitable opening. S mentions water altering political boundaries all over the world, which is a broad introductory statement. None of the other sentences match this global scope, so S is the best opening.
Step 2: Move to a specific context. Q begins In India, water conflicts, which narrows the focus from global to national, a natural next step after S.
Step 3: Look for referents and connectors. R begins with Till then they pose, where they clearly refers to the water conflicts mentioned in Q, and Till then connects to the idea that conflicts will worsen before resolution.
Step 4: Examine P. It starts with And the victims are likely to be, clearly adding extra information about who suffers from these conflicts and tying back to the threats mentioned in R.
Step 5: Therefore the sequence S Q P R or S Q R P must be tested against the options. Only SQPR appears as an option and maintains the logical flow from global to India, then victims, then threats.
Verification / Alternative check:
Read the sequence SQPR as a continuous paragraph: Water is radically altering and affecting political boundaries all over the world, between as well as within countries. In India, water conflicts are likely to worsen before they begin to be resolved. And the victims are likely to be the poorest of the poor as well as the very sources of water – rivers, wetlands and aquifers. Till then they pose a significant threat to economic growth, security and health of the ecosystem. The ideas move smoothly from global to national, then to who suffers and finally to overall threats, making a coherent and meaningful paragraph.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
PRQS is wrong because it starts with And the victims, which cannot logically begin a paragraph and uses And without any prior statement.
QRPS is wrong because it opens with a sentence about India without the global context and ends with S, which then suddenly broadens the discussion again.
PSQR is wrong for the same reason as PRQS; it starts with And and introduces victims before even mentioning conflicts.
Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake in ordering questions is to focus only on content without paying attention to linking words like And, Till then and pronouns such as they. These small clues often indicate whether a sentence can start or must follow another. A good strategy is to first identify the global or most general statement for the opening, then look for sentences with connectors like And, But, Till then or pronouns that must refer back to something. Arranging sentences around these anchors usually leads to the correct order.
Final Answer:
The most logical order of the sentences is SQPR.
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