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. When the short days of winter came, dusk fell before we had well eaten our dinners.
A. Our shouts echoed in the silent street.
B. When we met in the street the houses had grown sombre.
C. The space of sky above us was the colour of ever-changing violet and towards it the lamps of the street lifted their feeble lanterns.
D. The cold air stung us and we played till our bodies glowed.
S2. The career of our play brought us through the dark muddy lanes behind the houses, where we ran the gauntlet of the rough tribes from the cottages, to the back doors of the dark dripping gardens where odours arose from the ashpits, to the dark odorous stables where a coachman smoothed and combed the horse or shook music from the buckled harness.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Logical Sequence of Sentences:
S1 (The Starting Point): 'When the short days of winter came, dusk fell before we had well eaten our dinners.'
This sets the scene at the onset of evening.
C (Initial Observation): 'The space of sky above us was the colour of ever-changing violet and towards it the lamps of the street lifted their feeble lanterns.'
This follows S1 by describing the visual transition of the sky and the lighting of street lamps as dusk deepens.
D (Physical Sensation): 'The cold air stung us and we played till our bodies glowed.'
After describing the environment (the sky and lamps), the focus shifts to the children's physical reaction to the winter evening.
A (Sound and Setting): 'Our shouts echoed in the silent street.'
This transition from the 'glow' of their bodies to the auditory experience of their play in the now-dark street.
B (Deepening Night): 'When we met in the street the houses had grown sombre.'
This marks the final stage of the evening's setting before they move into the more specific, darker locations mentioned in S2.
S2 (The Conclusion): 'The career of our play brought us through the dark muddy lanes...'
This summarizes the movement and specific areas they explored during their play.
The correct sequence is CDAB.