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Practice Reading: Re-order Paragraphs ID: #44012 Marion Petrie
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

Darwin argued that living creatures came to be the way they are by evolution, rather than by special creation; and that the principal mechanism of evolution was natural selection.
The zoologist Marion Petrie and her colleagues of the Open University are now exploiting the quasi-wild conditions of Whipsnade to try, a century after Darwin's death, to settle the matter.
They re-enact the mystery that tormented Charles Darwin to his dying day: how in this competitive world, where nature as Tennyson said is red in tooth and claw, could birds have evolved such an obvious extravagance? How do they get away with it?
That is, in a crowded and hence competitive world, the individuals best suited to the circumstances - the 'fittest' are the most likely to survive and have offspring.

Your order

Result:

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. It talks about a mystery that Darwin thought about. This is a broad overview of the subject. It does not refer to any previous information. Why other lines are not chosen? Paragraph 2 starts with 'The zoologist Marion Petrie...' which uses 'the' and refers to a specific person, so it is not independent. Paragraph 3 starts with 'Darwin argued...' which uses 'Darwin' and assumes prior knowledge. Paragraph 4 starts with 'That is...' which is a transitional phrase, so it is not independent.

Concluding sentence: Why this is the last line? This paragraph is the last line because it wraps up the ideas. It summarizes Darwin's theory of natural selection. It gives a clear conclusion about survival in nature.

Paragraph pairs:

  • Pair 1 (Paragraph 1 → Paragraph 2): Paragraph 2 connects with Paragraph 1 because it continues the discussion about Darwin. The phrase 'a century after Darwin's death' links back to the mystery mentioned in Paragraph 1. This shows a logical order of ideas.
  • Pair 2 (Paragraph 2 → Paragraph 3): Paragraph 3 connects with Paragraph 2 because it explains what Darwin argued. It gives evidence for the work that Marion Petrie is doing. This shows a logical order from the current research to Darwin's ideas.
  • Pair 3 (Paragraph 3 → Paragraph 4): Paragraph 4 connects with Paragraph 3 because it explains Darwin's idea of 'natural selection'. It gives more detail about how the 'fittest' survive. This shows a broader to specific strategy.

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