Question

Four hills H1, H2, H3, and H4 are present in an area. The following observations are made about them:
i. Neither H2 nor H3 is the easternmost hill.
ii. Neither H2 nor H3 is the westernmost hill.
iii. Neither the easternmost hill nor the westernmost hill is the southernmost hill.
iv. Two hills are located to the west of H2.
v. The southernmost hill has at least two hills to its east.
The southernmost hill is .

• A. H1
• B. H2
• C. H3
• D. H4

Hint:

First fix the east-west order using clues (i), (ii) and (iv) alone, which pins H2 to the third position and H3 to the second; then use clue (v) to see which of the two middle hills can have at least two hills to its east.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Test each of the four answer choices directly against all five clues.
Suppose H1 is the southernmost hill. Clue (iii) rules this out since H1 sits at an extreme position.
Suppose H4 is the southernmost hill. The same reasoning rules this out.
Suppose H2 is the southernmost hill. Clue (iv) places H2 third from the west, with only one hill to its east, failing clue (v).
Suppose H3 is the southernmost hill. From clues (i), (ii) and (iv), H3 sits second from the west, satisfying clue (iii), and both H2 and the easternmost hill lie to its east, satisfying clue (v).
Since H1 and H4 are ruled out by clue (iii), and H2 is ruled out by clue (v), only H3 survives every clue.