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. For several weeks before Christmas, my father worked after supper in the cellar of our house.
A. My brother Laird and I sat on the top step and watched.
B. The naked, slippery bodies were collected in a sack and buried in the dump.
C. My father removed the pelt inside-out from the body of the fox, which looked surprisingly small, mean, and rat-like, deprived of its arrogant weight of fur.
D. The cellar was whitewashed and lit by a hundred-watt bulb over the worktable.
S2. One time the hired man, Henry Bailey, had taken a swipe at me with this sack, saying, "Christmas present!"
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
Sequence of the Sequence:
S1 (The Starting Point): "For several weeks before Christmas, my father worked after supper in the cellar of our house."
Why: This sets the scene (time and location).
D (Establishing the Setting): "The cellar was whitewashed and lit by a hundred-watt bulb over the worktable."
Why: This sentence provides a physical description of the "cellar" mentioned in S1, maintaining the flow of the narrative.
A (The Observers): "My brother Laird and I sat on the top step and watched."
Why: Now that the scene is set, the narrator introduces the characters watching the action.
C (The Action): "My father removed the pelt inside-out from the body of the fox, which looked surprisingly small, mean, and rat-like, deprived of its arrogant weight of fur."
Why: This describes the specific task the children were watching (the skinning of a fox).
B (The Aftermath): "The naked, slippery bodies were collected in a sack and buried in the dump."
Why: This logically follows the skinning process (the "naked bodies" are what remains after the pelt is removed). It also introduces the "sack."
S2 (The Conclusion): "One time the hired man, Henry Bailey, had taken a swipe at me with this sack, saying, 'Christmas present!'"
Why: The mention of "this sack" in S2 directly refers back to the sack mentioned in sentence B, bringing the paragraph to a cohesive end.
DACB is the correct sequence.