Question

Directions for sentence exclusion: Five sentences are given below; out of these, four come together to form a coherent paragraph, but one sentence does not fit into the sequence. Choose the sentence that does not fit into the sequence.

• A. The legal status of resources mined in space remains ambiguous; and while the market for asteroid minerals is currently nonexistent, this is likely to change as technical hurdles diminish.
• B. Outer space is a commons, and all of it is open for exploration, however, space law developed in the 1950s and 60s is state-centric and arguably ill-suited to a commercial future.
• C. Laws adopted by the US and Luxembourg are first steps, but they only protect firms from competing claims by their compatriots; a Chinese company will not be bound by US law.
• D. Critics say the US is conferring rights that it has no authority to confer; Russia in particular has condemned this, citing the US’ disrespect for international law.
• E. At issue now is commercial activity, as private firms—rather than nation states—look to space for profit.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

The given sentences discuss the topic of legal matters and the commercialization of space. To identify the sentence that does not fit into a coherent paragraph, we should analyze how well each aligns with the central theme.

The coherent topic seems to be regarding the future of space law and its implications on commercial activities:

1. Sentence 1 explains both the legal ambiguity and future market possibilities of space resources.
2. Sentence 2 highlights the outdated nature of space law in the face of future commercial prospects.
3. Sentence 3 discusses legislative steps taken by some countries and the limitations of these laws on the international stage.
4. Sentence 5 outlines the shift from state exploration to private sector interest in space profit.

Meanwhile, Sentence 4 mentions criticism of the US' approach toward space law, implying international discontent. This does not align with the exploration of commercialization and legal expansion but instead focuses on geopolitical critique.

Thus, the sentence that does not fit into the sequence and disrupts the coherence is: Critics say the US is conferring rights that it has no authority to confer; Russia in particular has condemned this, citing the US’ disrespect for international law.