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Practice Reading: Re-order Paragraphs ID: #34783 Mass transportation
Instructions ›
The text boxes in the left panel have been placed in a random order. Restore the original order by dragging the text boxes from the left panel to the right panel.
* Move & order all paragraphs in the right field

Paragraph list

Mass transportation revised the social and economic fabric of the American city in three fundamental ways.
The new accessibility of land around the periphery of almost every major city sparked an explosion of real estate development and fueled what we now know as urban sprawl.
Now those who could afford it could live far removed from the old city center and still commute there for work, shopping, and entertainment.
In 1850, for example, the borders of Boston lay scarcely two miles from the old business district; by the turn of the century the radius extended ten miles.
It catalyzed physical expansion, it sorted out people and land uses, and it accelerated the inherent instability of urban life. By opening vast areas of unoccupied land for residential expansion, the omnibuses, horse railways, commuter trains, and electric trolleys pulled settled regions outward two to four times more distant form city centers than they were in the pre-modern era.

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AI explanationShows the answer. Tap to open.

First sentence: Why this is the first line? This paragraph is the first line because it introduces the main topic of the text. It gives a broad overview of how mass transportation changed American cities. It does not refer to any previous information, so it stands alone. This follows the rule of Topic Sentence. Why other lines are not chosen? Paragraph 2 starts with 'It', which is a pronoun that refers back to something. Paragraph 3 starts with 'In 1850', which gives a specific time and does not introduce the main topic. Paragraph 4 starts with 'Now', which shows a change and does not stand alone. Paragraph 5 starts with 'The new accessibility', which uses 'the' and assumes prior knowledge.

Concluding sentence: Why this is the last line? This paragraph is the last line because it wraps up the main ideas of the text. It shows the result of the changes discussed in the previous paragraphs. This follows the Summary Style rule, as it brings together the earlier points about mass transportation and urban development.

Paragraph pairs:

  • Pair 1 (Paragraph 1 → Paragraph 2): Paragraph 2 connects to Paragraph 1 because it explains the three ways mentioned in the first paragraph. This follows the Broader to Specific Strategy. The first paragraph gives a general idea, and the second paragraph gives specific details about how mass transportation changed cities.
  • Pair 2 (Paragraph 2 → Paragraph 3): Paragraph 3 connects to Paragraph 2 because it gives an example of the physical expansion mentioned in the second paragraph. This follows the Topic Example Strategy. The second paragraph talks about expansion, and the third paragraph shows how this happened in Boston.
  • Pair 3 (Paragraph 3 → Paragraph 4): Paragraph 4 connects to Paragraph 3 because it explains what happened after the expansion of Boston. This follows the Logical Order Strategy. The third paragraph gives a historical fact, and the fourth paragraph shows the result of that fact.
  • Pair 4 (Paragraph 4 → Paragraph 5): Paragraph 5 connects to Paragraph 4 because it explains why people could live far from the city center. This follows the Cause and Effect Relationship Strategy. The fourth paragraph shows the situation, and the fifth paragraph explains the reason behind it.

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