**Directions:** Read the following information carefully and answer the questions that follow. There is a matrix that contains four rows (I, II, III, and IV) from top to bottom and four columns (I, II, III, and IV) from left to right. Words will be formed when we read left to right in a row and top to bottom in a column. **Conditions:** I. No letter is repeated in any row or column. II. If a letter appears in a particular row or column, it should not appear again in that row or column. III. Each row must form a meaningful English word of four letters. IV. Alphabets are coded as A = 1, B = 2, C = 3, ..., Z = 26. V. The sum of the positional values of the letters in any row or column must be an even number. VI. Some letters are given at specific positions in the matrix. Row I, Column II contains 'A'. Row II, Column IV contains 'E'. Row III, Column IV contains 'D'. Row IV, Column I contains 'M'. Which of the following words can be formed in Row III?

### Concept & Logic This is an advanced matrix arrangement puzzle. The key insight is to realize that the options provided in this very question list the exact four words that form the rows of the matrix: BATS, LINE, CORD, and MELT. By placing these words into the rows according to the given letter constraints, we can satisfy all conditions perfectly. ### Step-by-Step Solution * **Given Constraints:** * Row I, Col II = 'A' * Row II, Col IV = 'E' * Row III, Col IV = 'D' * Row IV, Col I = 'M' * **Word Deduction:** We need to find which word from the options fits Row III. * We know that Row III, Column IV contains the letter **'D'**. This means the 4-letter word in Row III must end with the letter 'D'. * Looking at the options: * BATS ends in 'S'. * LINE ends in 'E'. * **CORD** ends in **'D'**. * MELT ends in 'T'. * Therefore, the only valid word from the options that can be placed in Row III is **CORD**. * Let's verify the positional sum to ensure it meets Condition V: C(3) + O(15) + R(18) + D(4) = 40. Since 40 is an even number, the condition is met. ### Exam Strategy & Shortcut When a question asks "Which of the following words...", check the strict positional constraints first. Since we were given that Row III ends in 'D', we can immediately eliminate any option that does not end in 'D'. ### Common Pitfall A common mistake is trying to build a word from scratch for Row III without utilizing the provided multiple-choice options. The options themselves are the biggest clue to solving the entire matrix. ### Final Answer Therefore, the correct answer is **CORD**.