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 and are fixed in their positions. 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. One day in autumn on my way back from a remote part of the country I caught cold and fell ill.
A. He prescribed me the usual sudorific, ordered a mustard plaster to be put on, very deftly slid a five-ruble note up his sleeve, coughing drily and looking away as he did so, and then was getting up to go home, but somehow fell into talk and remained.
B. I was exhausted with feverishness; I foresaw a sleepless night and was glad of a little chat with a pleasant companion.
C. Fortunately, the fever attacked me in the district town at the inn; I sent for the doctor.
D. In half an hour the district doctor appeared, a thin, dark-haired man of middle height.S2. Tea was served.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
S1 (Fixed Start): 'One day in autumn on my way back from a remote part of the country I caught cold and fell ill.'
Establishes the situation: The narrator is sick while traveling.
Sentence C: 'Fortunately, the fever attacked me in the district town at the inn; I sent for the doctor.'
This naturally follows S1 by explaining where the narrator was when the illness hit and the first action they took (calling a doctor).
Sentence D: 'In half an hour the district doctor appeared, a thin, dark-haired man of middle height.'
This follows C because it describes the arrival of the doctor who was just sent for.
Sentence A: 'He prescribed me the usual sudorific... and then was getting up to go home, but somehow fell into talk and remained.'
This describes the doctor's actions after arriving. Note that 'He' refers to the doctor mentioned in D.
Sentence B: 'I was exhausted with feverishness; I foresaw a sleepless night and was glad of a little chat with a pleasant companion.'
This explains why the narrator was happy that the doctor 'remained' for a talk (as mentioned at the end of A).
S2 (Fixed End): 'Tea was served.'
This concludes the scene where the narrator and the doctor are now sitting together for a chat.
Therefore, the correct sequence is CDAB.