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. Tensions and sometimes conflict remain an issue in and between the 11 states in South East Asia (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam).
2. China’s rise as a regional military power and its claims in the South China Sea have become an increasingly pressing security concern for many South East Asian states
3. Since the 1990s, the security environment of South East Asia has seen both continuity and profound changes.
4. These concerns cause states from outside the region to take an active interest in South East Asian security.

• A. 3124
• B. 4321
• C. 1234
• D. 2314

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

(3) Since the 1990s, the security environment of South East Asia has seen both continuity and profound changes.
(1) Tensions and sometimes conflict remain an issue in and between the 11 states in South East Asia (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam). 
(2) China’s rise as a regional military power and its claims in the South China Sea have become an increasingly pressing security concern for many South East Asian states. 
(4) These concerns cause states from outside the region to take an active interest in South East Asian security.

So, the correct option is (A): 3124.

Answer 2

When organizing the sentences of the paragraph, we should identify grammatical or contextual connections between them:

Sentence 3 will be the first, it stands alone, introducing the subject of the security environment in South East Asia. This implies that within South East Asia, both stability and significant changes have transpired in the security landscape.
Sentence 1 will be the second, addressing the security environment issue across 11 states in South East Asia.
Sentence 2 will be the third, providing insight into the underlying reasons for the security environment issue in the states of South East Asia.
Sentence 4 will be the last, as it begins with 'these concerns,' referencing 'China's rise as a regional military power and its claims in the South China Sea'.

So, the correct option is (A): 3124.