Rearrange the following sentences in the proper sequence to form a meaningful…
2024
Rearrange the following sentences in the proper sequence to form a meaningful paragraph; then answer the questions given below them.
(A) The government has therefore employed authorities to conduct fumigations, as the situation continues to escalate.
(B) Despite efforts to contain the situation, the bed bugs have infested public transport, popular tourist destinations, and even airports.
(C) Paris, a global tourist destination, has recently faced a troubling resurgence of bed bugs across various neighborhoods and popular attractions in the city.
(D) This outbreak has raised concerns not only among residents but also tourists, many of whom worry that the pests could travel with them back to their countries.
(E) Experts suggest that international travel and dense urban environments have facilitated the rapid spread of this infestation.
(F) Furthermore, bed bugs have become a common sight in metros and airports, making control measures even more challenging.
Which of the following should be the FIRST sentence after rearrangement?
- A.
D
- B.
A
- C.
B
- D.
E
- E.
C
Attempted by 2 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: E
Concept
In a sentence-rearrangement (para-jumble), the OPENING sentence is the one that introduces the topic independently — it names the subject and the central situation without depending on any other sentence. The remaining sentences then add cause, consequence, detail, or response, and so contain back-references ("this", "therefore", "despite", "furthermore") that only make sense once the topic is already on the table.
Application
Test each candidate for self-sufficiency — can it stand as the first line with nothing before it?
Sentence (C) introduces a fresh subject and event from scratch: "Paris... has recently faced a troubling resurgence of bed bugs." It needs no prior context, so it can open the paragraph.
Every other sentence presupposes that the outbreak has already been introduced: (A) says the government "therefore" acted, (B) speaks of efforts "to contain the situation", (D) refers to "This outbreak", and (E) explains why "this infestation" spread — each points back to an event named earlier.
Cross-check
Building the full chain confirms it: C (Paris faces a resurgence) → E (experts explain the rapid spread) → B (it has infested transport, attractions, airports) → F ("Furthermore", common in metros and airports) → D ("This outbreak" raised concerns) → A (the government "therefore" began fumigations). The chain only holds if it starts with the topic-introducing sentence.
Hence the first sentence after rearrangement is the one beginning "Paris, a global tourist destination, has recently faced a troubling resurgence of bed bugs."