Question

Directions for sentence exclusion: Five sentences are given below; out of these, four come together to form a coherent paragraph, but one sentence does not fit into the sequence. Choose the sentence that does not fit into the sequence.

• A. The legal status of resources mined in space remains ambiguous; and while the market for asteroid minerals is currently nonexistent, this is likely to change as technical hurdles diminish.
• B. Outer space is a commons, and all of it is open for exploration, however, space law developed in the 1950s and 60s is state-centric and arguably ill-suited to a commercial future.
• C. Laws adopted by the US and Luxembourg are first steps, but they only protect firms from competing claims by their compatriots; a Chinese company will not be bound by US law.
• D. Critics say the US is conferring rights that it has no authority to confer; Russia in particular has condemned this, citing the US’ disrespect for international law.
• E. At issue now is commercial activity, as private firms—rather than nation states—look to space for profit.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

The provided sentences address legal issues and the commercialization of space. To isolate the sentence that disrupts paragraph coherence, analyze each sentence's alignment with the central theme.

The central theme appears to be the evolution of space law and its impact on commercial ventures.

1. Sentence 1: Addresses the legal uncertainty and future market potential of space resources.
2. Sentence 2: Points out the inadequacy of current space law given projected commercial activities.
3. Sentence 3: Discusses national legislative actions and their international constraints.
4. Sentence 5: Details the transition from government-led exploration to private sector investment in space.

Conversely, Sentence 4 focuses on international disapproval of the US' stance on space law, rather than the commercialization and legal development of space. This sentence deviates from the core topic by emphasizing geopolitical criticism.

Therefore, the sentence that disrupts the paragraph's flow and coherence is: Critics say the US is conferring rights that it has no authority to confer; Russia in particular has condemned this, citing the US’ disrespect for international law.