CAT 2017 Slot 2 — VARC Question 29
The five sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) given in this question, when properly sequenced, from a coherent paragraph. Each sentence is labelled with a number. Decide on the proper order for the sentences and key in this sequence of five numbers as your answer.
- Before plants can take life from atmosphere, nitrogen must undergo transformation similar to once that food undergoes in our digestive machinery.
- In its aerial form nitrogen in insoluble , unusable and is in need of transformation.
- Lightning starts the series of chemical reactions that need to happen to nitrogen, ultimately helping it nourish our earth.
- Nitrogen-an essential food for plants-is an abundant resource, with about 22million tons of it floating over each square mile of earth.
- One of the most dramatic examples in nature of ill wind that blows goodness is lightning.
Answer & solution
Correct answer: 53421
Answer: 53421
Easy
A five-sentence para-jumble (key in the order). Spot the mandatory pairs first, then decide which block opens. Two tight pairs emerge here: 5–3 (lightning, and what lightning does) and 4–2 (nitrogen as abundant, and its aerial form). The opener should be the most striking, general hook.
Opener — 5. "One of the most dramatic examples in nature of an ill wind that blows goodness is lightning." This is a vivid, general topic-setter naming the central agent, lightning. It opens the paragraph.
5 → 3. Sentence 3 explains how lightning is good: it "starts the series of chemical reactions... ultimately helping it nourish our earth." This directly cashes out the "ill wind blows goodness" idea of 5. So the pair is 5, 3.
3 → 4. Sentence 3 mentions nitrogen for the first time; sentence 4 then elaborates — "Nitrogen — an essential food for plants — is an abundant resource..." Introduction (3) precedes elaboration (4). So 5, 3, 4.
4 → 2. Sentence 2 picks up nitrogen's "aerial form" — "In its aerial form nitrogen is insoluble, unusable and is in need of transformation." This follows naturally from 4's description of nitrogen floating over the earth. So 5, 3, 4, 2.
Closer — 1. Sentence 2 ends on the "need of transformation"; sentence 1 completes the thought — "Before plants can take life from the atmosphere, nitrogen must undergo transformation similar to... our digestive machinery." It elaborates the required transformation and closes the paragraph.
The coherent order is 5 – 3 – 4 – 2 – 1. Key in 53421.
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