CDS 2026 (I) English, question 31

Topic: Ordering of sentences

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Directions · Q31 to Q40

In this section each item consists of six sentences that comprise a passage. The first and sixth sentences are given in the beginning as S1 and S6. The sequence of the four sentences in the middle, labelled as P, Q, R, and S, has been jumbled. You are required to find the proper sequence of the four jumbled sentences and mark your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly.

Q31

S1 : The word science originates from the Latin verb Scientia meaning “to know”.

S6 : By the middle of the twentieth century, science had become a truly international enterprise, with many cultures and countries contributing to its rapid growth.

P : Science, in a broad sense, is as old as the human species.

Q : From the sixteenth century onwards, great strides were also made in science in Europe.

R : The early civilisations of Egypt, India, China, Greece, Mesopotamia and many others made vital contributions to its progress.

S : The Sanskrit word Vijñāna and the Arabic word Ilm convey a similar meaning, namely knowledge.

  1. (a) QPRS
  2. (b) SPRQCorrect answer
  3. (c) SQRP
  4. (d) SQPR

Solution.

Answer: (b) SPRQ

  1. S must follow S1 because “a similar meaning” refers back to the definition of science.
  2. P then introduces its long history; R identifies early civilisations; Q moves forward to sixteenth-century Europe before S6 reaches the twentieth century.
  3. Sequence: S → P → R → Q.
  4. Read the complete passage as definitions followed by chronological development.