The Paragraphs of the Following Essay Have Been Scrambled So

question 5

Short Answer

The paragraphs of the following essay have been scrambled so that they are out of order. Read them and then answer the question(s) that follow.
Two Childhoods
_____ (1) Just as our lifestyles differed, so too did our personalities. (2) Relatives say that my mother was a loving, caring child who was always willing to help. (3) She was praised for being clever and vibrant, levelheaded and respectful to others. (4) My mother was strong-willed and spoke her mind when she saw fit, but she placed few demands on her parents for toys or fancy clothes. (5) Somehow her environment, which had instilled in her an appreciation of nature and living things, was enough.
_____ (6) My childhood, on the other hand, was spent in New York City, without animals, scenic surroundings, or close-knit neighbors. (7) Mine was a lifestyle of fast activity crammed into a tight schedule. (8) Nature was replaced by shops and businesses, trees by tall buildings. (9) My knowledge was not based on the simple things at hand, but on expensive toys, the latest clothes, and the newest sneakers. (11) Compared to my mother's country existence, my city childhood seems humdrum ⎯ a constant series of trips to the park or movies, visits to the grocery store or shopping center, picnics at the amusement park or beach, and a few birthday parties thrown in.
_____ (12) When I was young, my mother told me stories about her childhood. (13) I loved her tales and still think of them. (14) It was intriguing to hear about life thirty years ago before mine began. (15) What fascinated me most, however, were the differences between her youth and mine.
_____ (16) I, on the other hand, was considered a bit too extroverted, selfish, and stubborn. (17) I reveled in being petulant, pigheaded, demanding, and unstable. (18) Although I could be loving, I cleverly used this trait to my advantage in an attempt to manipulate my parents and get the beautiful toys and clothes I wanted. (19) After all, these gave me all the aesthetic appreciation I needed. (20) In fact, I was a brazenfaced brat.
_____ (21) Looking back, I think it would have been nice as a child to have fallen off a few trees or driven a scooter at maniacal speeds or even milked a cow or crushed some coffee beans in a mortar. (22) Yes, that would have been nice. (23) It really would have been.
_____ (24) My mother grew up in the country. (25) She spent most of her young years on a farm in South Carolina, surrounded by animals, orchards, cane fields, and agricultural machinery. (26) By the time she was six, she was a walking agricultural textbook. (27) Hers was a simple, serene, and comfortable life within a close-knit, neighborly environment. (28) My mother's days were filled with swimming in nearby rivers and lakes, climbing and falling off trees, scooter-riding down country lanes, playing marbles with siblings and friends, bird watching and mending of wings, and building fences and tree houses.
⎯ Cheryl Parris, Student
Part A: Select the letter of the answer that numbers the paragraphs in the order they should appear in the essay.
a. 5, 1, 3, 4, 2, 6
b. 4, 3, 1, 5, 6, 2
c. 1, 2, 4, 6, 5, 3
Part B: Which paragraph in the reordered sequence begins with a transitional expression that indicates this pattern?
a. paragraph 2
b. paragraph 3
c. paragraph 6
Part C: What pattern does the writer use to arrange the main points in her essay?
a. time order
b. alternating back and forth between the two subjects
c. order of importance

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Definitions:

Dorsalis Pedis Pulse

is the pulse located on the top of the foot, which can be felt over the dorsalis pedis artery, indicating blood flow to the area.

Femoral Pulse

The palpable beat of the heart that can be felt over the femoral artery, usually in the groin area, used to assess circulation to the lower body.

Popliteal Pulse

The pulse felt at the back of the knee, an indicator of blood flow through the popliteal artery and into the lower leg.

Systolic Auscultation Gap

Refers to a phenomenon where, during blood pressure measurement, sounds disappear for a while between the systolic and diastolic pressures.