Question

I can think of no serious prose play that has survived the generation that gave it birth.
A. They are museum pieces.
B. They are revived now and then because a famous part tempts a leading actor, or a manager in want of a stop-gap thinks he will put on a play on which he has no loyalties to pay.
C. A few comedies have haphazardly traveled down a couple of centuries or so.
D. The audience laugh at their wit with politeness and at their farce with embarrassment.
6. They are not held nor taken out of themselves.

• A. CDBA
• B. CBAD
• C. ABDC
• D. BACD

Hint:

In sequencing questions, look for a flow from general statement to specific examples, then to explanations or reasons, and finally to a summarizing remark or conclusion.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

We start with the opening line which declares that no serious prose play has survived beyond the generation that produced it. This sets a tone of limitation and rarity.
Among the given sentences, C — "A few comedies have haphazardly traveled down a couple of centuries or so." — directly connects to the idea of survival over time, acting as an example to slightly qualify the opening claim. It keeps the focus on plays and their limited endurance.
Following C, sentence D — "The audience laugh at their wit with politeness and at their farce with embarrassment." — logically follows because it describes the reaction of contemporary audiences to these rare surviving comedies, highlighting that these plays do not inspire genuine enjoyment but rather mild, polite responses mixed with awkwardness.
After D, sentence B fits next: "They are revived now and then because a famous part tempts a leading actor, or a manager in want of a stop-gap thinks he will put on a play on which he has no loyalties to pay." This explains the practical and opportunistic reasons why such plays are occasionally brought back, linking the audience reaction with the motives of production.
Finally, sentence A — "They are museum pieces." — works as a concluding remark. It labels such plays as relics of the past, admired for their age or history rather than for their living appeal. This metaphor reinforces the initial idea that such works are not part of a vibrant contemporary theatrical tradition.
Thus, the best sequence is C → D → B → A, which matches option (a) CDBA.