Question

Reorder the sentences in (1) – (5) such that they form a coherent paragraph.
(1) In fact, dozens of languages today have only one native speaker still living, and that person's death will mean the extinction of the language: It will no longer be spoken, or known, by anyone on earth.
(2) Many languages are falling out of use and are being replaced by others that are more widely used in the region or nation, such as English in Australia or Portuguese in Brazil.
(3) Many other languages are no longer being learned by new generations of children or by new adult speakers.
(4) An endangered language is one that is likely to become extinct in the near future.
(5) Unless the trends are reversed, these endangered languages will become extinct by the end of the century. (Adapted from What is an Endangered Language by A. Woodbury.)

• A. 2 3 1 4 5
• B. 2 3 5 4 1
• C. 4 1 5 2 3
• D. 4 2 3 1 5

Hint:

When solving sentence arrangement questions, first identify the sentences that introduce and define the topic. Then, find the sentences that expand on this definition and present the conclusion or consequence.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

We need to arrange the sentences in a logical order to form a coherent paragraph. The correct order should present the topic, define it, explain its components, and discuss its consequences.
Step 1: Analyze each sentence.
- (1) introduces the concept of endangered languages, but it needs context for better understanding.
- (2) explains how languages are being replaced by others, which is a natural consequence of language extinction.
- (3) gives additional information about languages not being learned by the younger generation, indicating a further threat to language survival.
- (4) provides a definition of an endangered language, offering the fundamental explanation for the paragraph's topic.
- (5) talks about the consequence of language extinction, which follows naturally after the description of endangered languages.
Step 2: Organize logically.
The paragraph starts by defining an endangered language (4). Then, it discusses the trends of language extinction (2), followed by further elaboration on the lack of new speakers (3). The introductory sentence (1) provides a deeper example, and the paragraph concludes with a warning about language extinction (5).
Step 3: Conclusion.
The correct order is: 4 2 3 1 5.
Final Answer: (D) 4 2 3 1 5