Question

Five sentences related to a topic are given below in a jumbled order. Four of them form a coherent and unified paragraph. Identify the odd sentence that does not go with the four. Key in the number of the option that you choose.

• A. Socrates told us that ‘the unexamined life is not worth living’ and that to ‘know thyself’ is the path to true wisdom
• B. It suggests that you should adopt an ancient rhetorical method favored by the likes of Julius Caesar and known as ‘illeism’ – or speaking about yourself in the third person.
• C. Research has shown that people who are prone to rumination also often suffer from impaired decision making under pressure and are at a substantially increased risk of depression.
• D. Simple rumination – the process of churning your concerns around in your head – is not the way to achieve self-realization.
• E. The idea is that this small change in perspective can clear your emotional fog, allowing you to see past your biases.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

To identify the odd sentence that does not fit with the others, we need to evaluate each sentence for thematic consistency and relevance to construct a coherent paragraph. The given sentences are:

1. Socrates told us that ‘the unexamined life is not worth living’ and that to ‘know thyself’ is the path to true wisdom.
2. It suggests that you should adopt an ancient rhetorical method favored by the likes of Julius Caesar and known as ‘illeism’ – or speaking about yourself in the third person.
3. Research has shown that people who are prone to rumination also often suffer from impaired decision making under pressure and are at a substantially increased risk of depression.
4. Simple rumination – the process of churning your concerns around in your head – is not the way to achieve self-realization.
5. The idea is that this small change in perspective can clear your emotional fog, allowing you to see past your biases.

Let's analyze the sentences:

• Sentence 1 introduces a philosophical view regarding self-examination and wisdom. This is distinct both thematically and conceptually from the other sentences.
• Sentence 2 discusses adopting the rhetorical method of ‘illeism’ and proposes a change in perspective.
• Sentence 3 points out the link between rumination and negative outcomes like impaired decision making and depression.
• Sentence 4 explains that simple rumination is ineffective for self-realization.
• Sentence 5 builds on the idea of changing perspective as a means to overcome biases.

Sentences 2, 3, 4, and 5 revolve around the theme of rumination, perspective, and self-improvement. Sentence 1, which focuses on philosophical wisdom and self-examination by reference to Socrates, is thematic outlier.

Thus, the odd sentence that does not form a coherent paragraph with the others is: Sentence 1.