Multiple choice

Directions: The following passage consists of six sentences. The first and sixth sentences are given in the beginning as S1 and S2, respectively. The middle four sentences in each have been jumbled up. These are labelled P, Q, R and S. You are required to find out the proper sequence of the four sentences and indicate your answer accordingly.

S1: The first principal use of whale oil was as an illuminant in lamps and as candle wax. S2: And before general refining of crude oil commenced in Oil Creek Valley and elsewhere. P: It did not have a disagreeable odour like the oil from right whales did. Q: The whale fishery, however, was in a declining state and had been so a decade or more before Drake struck petroleum in his drilled well. R: In the 1700's, it was noted that the burning oil from sperm whales glowed brightly and clearly S: The sperm whale was the main whale being sought for its oil when the petroleum industry opened in 1859.

  1. PQSR

  2. SPQR

  3. RPSQ

  4. QPRS

  5. .
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct option. The first sentence of the passage introduces the first use of whale oil. This connects directly with the segment R which reasons why whale oil was popular as an illuminant (because it glowed brightly and clearly). This connects with segment P as this further expounds the benefits of whale oil (it did not have a disagreeable odor). This connects logically with segment S as this goes on to tell us more about the source of the whale oil (Sperm whale). This connects with Q which follows Segment S as it next moves onto the decline of the industry and this is logically connected to the segment S2 which begins with the conjunction ‘and’ and connects the two coordinating clauses which discuss the same topic and gives additional information on Q. Thus, this sequence logically connects all the sentences.

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