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ACT English: Organization and Cohesion (Drill 3)

Drill 3 · English · Organization and Cohesion

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About This Drill

ACT English: Organization and Cohesion (Drill 3) is a English practice drill covering Organization and Cohesion. It contains 5 original questions created by Brian Stewart, a Barron's test prep author with over 20 years of tutoring experience.

Organization and Cohesion questions ask you to reorder sentences, place new sentences logically, and choose transitions that improve paragraph flow. This drill emphasizes the "best placement for the following sentence" question type, where the new sentence must connect logically to both the sentence before and after its insertion point.

Questions & Explanations

Passage Context
[1] Engineers rely heavily on tensile strength data when selecting materials for bridges and aircraft. [2] A material's tensile strength determines how much pulling force it can withstand before breaking. [3] Steel, for example, has a much higher tensile strength than aluminum, making it preferred for load-bearing structural components. [4] Recent advances in carbon fiber composites have produced materials with tensile strength exceeding that of steel at a fraction of the weight.

The question asks whether sentence 2 should remain where it is or be moved.

Question 1. Where should sentence 2 be placed for the most logical flow?

  • A) Before sentence 1 ✓
  • B) Where it is now (after sentence 1)
  • C) After sentence 3
  • D) After sentence 4

Explanation: Choice A is correct. Sentence 2 defines tensile strength. Sentence 1 uses the term "tensile strength data" without defining it first. On the ACT, definitions of key terms should precede their use. By placing the definition (sentence 2) before the application (sentence 1), the paragraph begins with the concept established, then shows how it is used, then gives a specific example, then discusses recent advances. The ideal sequence is: definition then application then example then advancement. Choice B leaves the term used before it is defined; its current position. Choice C places the definition after the steel-versus-aluminum example, after the term has already been used twice. Choice D places the definition last, after the entire paragraph has depended on the reader already understanding it.

Passage Context
[1] For centuries, mapmakers depicted the oceans as empty expanses of blue. [2] Today, oceanographers have mapped thousands of underwater mountain ranges, trenches, and volcanic vents that rival the grandeur of any surface landscape. [3] These discoveries have revealed entire ecosystems thriving in conditions once thought impossible for life.

The writer wants to insert: Modern sonar technology and deep-sea submersibles have transformed our understanding of the ocean floor.

Question 2. Where is the best place to insert this sentence?

  • A) Before sentence 1
  • B) Between sentences 1 and 2 ✓
  • C) Between sentences 2 and 3
  • D) After sentence 3

Explanation: Choice B is correct. The new sentence explains the technology that enabled the shift from old maps (sentence 1) to modern discovery (sentence 2). It belongs between sentences 1 and 2, bridging the historical limitation and the modern achievement by explaining the how. This creates: old view (empty oceans) then enabling technology (sonar, submersibles) then what was discovered (mountains, trenches) then what those discoveries revealed (ecosystems). Choice A places technology before the old view is established, the contrast is lost. Choice C places it after the discoveries are described, making it explain something already stated. Choice D places it after all findings are presented, making it a retrospective explanation rather than a bridge.

Passage Context
An essay about the rise of photography has this paragraph order: [Para 1] Introduction, photography's cultural impact. [Para 2] Louis Daguerre and the daguerreotype in 1839. [Para 3] The transition from glass plates to flexible film in the 1880s. [Para 4] The Kodak camera and photography for the general public. [Para 5] Conclusion, photography in the digital age.

The question asks whether paragraph 3 is in the correct position.

Question 3. Where should paragraph 3 be placed for the best logical flow?

  • A) Before paragraph 2
  • B) Where it is now (between paragraphs 2 and 4) ✓
  • C) After paragraph 4
  • D) After paragraph 5

Explanation: Choice B is correct. The essay follows strict chronological order: daguerreotype (1839) then flexible film (1880s) then Kodak era then digital age. Paragraph 3 covers the 1880s transition to film, which falls between Daguerre's invention and the Kodak era. It belongs exactly where it is. The flexible film technology of paragraph 3 is what enabled the Kodak camera of paragraph 4, so paragraph 3 is a logical technological prerequisite to paragraph 4. Choice A places flexible film before the daguerreotype, reversing history. Choice C places the 1880s film paragraph after the Kodak era, out of chronological order. Choice D places it after the conclusion about the digital age, completely outside the historical narrative.

Passage Context
[1] Most hibernating animals experience a dramatic drop in body temperature during winter dormancy. [2] Bears, however, are a notable exception; their body temperature drops only a few degrees, yet they remain dormant for months. [3] True hibernators such as ground squirrels and bats can lower their body temperature to just above freezing. [4] This extreme drop slows their metabolism to a fraction of its normal rate, allowing them to survive on stored fat alone.

The question asks whether sentence 2 should remain where it is or be moved.

Question 4. Where should sentence 2 be placed for the most logical flow?

  • A) Before sentence 1
  • B) Where it is now (after sentence 1)
  • C) After sentence 3
  • D) After sentence 4 ✓

Explanation: Choice J is correct. Sentences 1, 3, and 4 form a complete, coherent explanation of true hibernation: the general rule (dramatic temperature drop) then specific examples (ground squirrels, bats) then the mechanism (slowed metabolism, stored fat). Sentence 2 about bears is an exception to this pattern. Exceptions belong after the rule and its explanation are complete, not interrupting them. Placing the bear exception after sentence 4 allows the reader to fully understand true hibernation before encountering the exception. Choice F places the exception before the rule is even stated. Choice G inserts the exception immediately after only the opening claim, before the rule is fully developed with examples and mechanism. Choice H places it between the examples and the metabolic explanation, interrupting the logical chain.

Passage Context
The paragraph below has sentences out of order:
[1] In 2019 alone, the restaurant served over 12,000 customers and received a Michelin star. [2] Chef Amara's culinary philosophy centers on using hyper-local, seasonal ingredients. [3] Her restaurant has become one of the most celebrated dining destinations in the region. [4] Every dish on her menu changes weekly to reflect whatever is freshest from nearby farms and fisheries.

Question 5. Which sequence creates the most logical general-to-specific flow?

  • A) 1, 3, 2, 4
  • B) 2, 4, 3, 1 ✓
  • C) 3, 1, 2, 4
  • D) 3, 2, 4, 1

Explanation: Choice B is correct. General-to-specific structure moves from broad philosophy to concrete practice to measurable results. Sentence 2 (Chef Amara's philosophy: hyper-local, seasonal ingredients) is the broadest statement. Sentence 4 (menu changes weekly based on what's fresh) is the specific practice enacting the philosophy. Sentence 3 (restaurant is a celebrated destination) is the general result. Sentence 1 (12,000 customers and Michelin star in 2019) is the most specific, quantified proof of that success. The sequence 2, 4, 3, 1 flows: philosophy then how it works in practice then general success then specific proof of success. Choice A begins with the specific data point before any philosophy or context is established. Choices C and D begin with the general success claim before explaining what the restaurant does or why it succeeds.