Given below are six sentences taken from a paragraph. The first and the last sentences are numbered S1 and S2 and are placed in the first and last positions respectively. The other four sentences between the first and last sentences are jumbled up and are numbered A, B, C, and D. Rearrange the jumbled sentences in a logical sequence keeping the unity and coherence of the paragraph intact. Choose the correct alternative that best describes the sequence.
S1. I'm doing fine, except I've got no appetite.
A. I keep hearing: "Goodness, you look awful!"
B. The atmosphere is stifling, sluggish, leaden.
C. My nerves often get the better of me, especially on Sundays; that is when I really feel miserable.
D. I must admit they're doing their best to keep me in condition: they're plying me with dextrose, cod-liver oil, brewer's yeast and calcium.
S2. Outside, you don't hear a single bird, and a deathly, oppressive silence hangs over the house and clings to me as if it were going to drag me into the deepest regions of the underworld.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
S1 (The Starting Point): "I'm doing fine, except I've got no appetite."
This sets the context: the speaker is talking about their physical health and appearance.
Sentence A follows S1: "I keep hearing: 'Goodness, you look awful!'"
This is a natural reaction to having "no appetite." If someone isn't eating, people will comment that they look unwell.
Sentence C follows A: "My nerves often get the better of me, especially on Sundays; that is when I really feel miserable."
After mentioning how others perceive them (looking awful), the speaker shifts to how they feel internally (miserable/nervous).
Sentence B follows C: "The atmosphere is stifling, sluggish, leaden."
This describes the environment that contributes to the "miserable" feeling mentioned in sentence C.
Sentence D follows B: "I must admit they're doing their best to keep me in condition: they're plying me with dextrose, cod-liver oil, brewer's yeast and calcium."
This refers back to the physical state mentioned in S1 and A, explaining what is being done to counteract the "awful" look and lack of appetite.
S2 (The Conclusion): "Outside, you don't hear a single bird, and a deathly, oppressive silence hangs over the house..."
This concludes the passage by expanding on the "stifling" atmosphere mentioned in B, moving from the internal house environment to the silence outside.
Correct sequence should be ACBD.
Answer given in the question file is (B) ADCB, which is incorrect.
Correct answer is (D) ACBD