Question

The four sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3, 4) below, when properly sequenced would yield a coherent paragraph. Decide on the proper sequencing of the order of the sentences and key in the sequence of the four numbers as your answer:

1. Relying on narrative structure alone, indigenous significances of nineteenth century San folktales are hard to determine.
2. Using their supernatural potency, benign shamans transcend the levels of the San cosmos in order to deal with social conflict and to protect material resources and enjoy a measure of respect that sets them apart from ordinary people.
3. Selected tales reveal that they deal with a form of spiritual conflict that has social implications and concern conflict between people and living or dead malevolent shamans.
4. Meaning can be elicited, and the tales contextualized, by probing beneath the narrative of verbatim, original-language records and exploring the connotations of highly significant words and phrases.

• A. 1432
• B. 1234
• C. 1423
• D. 3241

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

To determine the correct sequence of the sentences, let's analyze each one in the context of building a coherent paragraph.

Sentence 1: "Relying on narrative structure alone, indigenous significances of nineteenth century San folktales are hard to determine." serves as an introductory sentence, highlighting the challenge in understanding these folktales.

Sentence 4: "Meaning can be elicited, and the tales contextualized, by probing beneath the narrative of verbatim, original-language records and exploring the connotations of highly significant words and phrases." logically follows Sentence 1 by suggesting a way to understand the tales beyond their surface narratives.

Sentence 3: "Selected tales reveal that they deal with a form of spiritual conflict that has social implications and concern conflict between people and living or dead malevolent shamans." introduces specific content of the tales, emphasizing their social and spiritual aspects.

Sentence 2: "Using their supernatural potency, benign shamans transcend the levels of the San cosmos in order to deal with social conflict and to protect material resources and enjoy a measure of respect that sets them apart from ordinary people." expands on the shamanic practices and their societal roles, providing detailed context to the conflicts mentioned in Sentence 3.

Thus, the correct sequence is 1432.

Answer 2

Sentence (1) serves as the most suitable introductory statement, providing clarity on the subject of the tales mentioned in subsequent sentences—the nineteenth-century San folktales. It states that determining the significance of these tales is "hard to determine." Following (1), Sentence (4) elaborates on how the meaning can be extracted, thus logically succeeding (1). Sentence (2) introduces the concept of "shamans," with their nature clarified in Sentence (3), which describes them as deceased and malevolent.

So, the correct sequence is option (A): 1432