Question:

There is a sentence that is missing in the paragraph below. Look at the paragraph and decide where (option 1, 2, 3, or 4) the following sentence would best fit.
Sentence: Many have had to leave their homes behind, with more than 1.3 million people being displaced due to the drought.
Passage: Somalia has been dealing with an enormous humanitarian catastrophe, driven by the longest and most severe drought the country has experienced in at least 40 years. ___(1)___. Five consecutive rainy seasons have failed, causing more than 8 million people - almost half of the country’s population – to experience acute food insecurity. ___(2)___. More than 43,000 people are believed to have lost their lives, with half of the lives lost likely being children under five. The damage the drought has caused is far-reaching. ___(3)___. Farmers have lost all their agricultural income, while pastoralists have lost more than 3 million livestock, impoverishing entire communities, and leaving them on the brink of famine. ___(4)___. Some, like the pastoralists, may never be able to go back as their livelihoods have been irreversibly wiped out.

Updated On: Jul 21, 2025
  • Option 4
  • Option 2
  • Option 1
  • Option 3
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

To determine where the sentence fits best within the passage, we need to consider the logical flow and content of the existing text. Let's examine each option:
  • Option 1: "Somalia has been dealing with an enormous humanitarian catastrophe, driven by the longest and most severe drought the country has experienced in at least 40 years. Many have had to leave their homes behind, with more than 1.3 million people being displaced due to the drought..." Inserting the sentence here disrupts the introduction of the humanitarian catastrophe caused by the drought, which sets the context for the entire passage.
  • Option 2: "...Five consecutive rainy seasons have failed, causing more than 8 million people - almost half of the country’s population – to experience acute food insecurity. Many have had to leave their homes behind, with more than 1.3 million people being displaced due to the drought..." Placing the sentence here interrupts the transition from the broader impact on food security to the specifics of life loss and infrastructure damage.
  • Option 3: "...More than 43,000 people are believed to have lost their lives, with half of the lives lost likely being children under five. The damage the drought has caused is far-reaching. Many have had to leave their homes behind, with more than 1.3 million people being displaced due to the drought..." Adding the sentence here overlaps with information about casualties and damage, potentially interrupting the coherence.
  • Option 4: "...Farmers have lost all their agricultural income, while pastoralists have lost more than 3 million livestock, impoverishing entire communities, and leaving them on the brink of famine. Many have had to leave their homes behind, with more than 1.3 million people being displaced due to the drought. Some, like the pastoralists, may never be able to go back as their livelihoods have been irreversibly wiped out." This placement effectively follows the mention of loss of livelihood and precedes the discussion of irreversible changes to communities, maintaining logical continuity.
Thus, the optimal placement of the sentence is after the discussion of the impact on agriculture and livestock but before contemplating the permanence of these effects on the communities, making Option 4 the best fit.
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