The given sentence is missing in the paragraph below. Decide where it best fits among the options 1, 2, 3, or 4 indicated in the paragraph.
Sentence: Historically, silver has been, and still is, an important element in the business of 'show' visible in private houses, churches, government and diplomacy.
Paragraph:
(1) . Timothy Schroder put it succinctly in suggesting that electric light and eating in the kitchen eroded this need. As he explained to the author, ‘Silver, when illuminated by flickering candlelight, comes alive and almost dances before the eyes, but when lit by electric light it becomes flat and dead.’ (2) . Domestic and economic changes may have worked against the market, but the London silver trade remained buoyant, thanks to the competition of collectors seeking grand display silver at the top end, and the buyers of ‘collectables’, like spoons and wine labels and ‘novelties’, at the bottom. (3) . Another factor that came into play was the systematic collection building of certain American museums over the period. Boston, Huntington Art Gallery and Williamsburg, among others, were largely supplied by London dealers. (4) .

Question

There is a sentence that is missing in the paragraph below. Look at the paragraph and decide where (option 1, 2, 3, or 4) the following sentence would best fit.
Sentence: Understanding central Asia’s role helps developments make more sense not only across Asia but in Europe, the Americas and Africa.
Paragraph: The nations of the Silk Roads are sometimes called ‘developing countries’, but they are actually some of the world’s most highly developed countries, the very crossroads of civilization, in advanced states of disrepair. ___(1)___. These countries lie at the centre of global affairs: they have since the beginning of history. Running across the spine of Asia, they form a web of connections fanning out in every direction, routes along which pilgrims and warriors, nomads and merchants have travelled, goods and produce have been bought and sold, and ideas exchanged, adapted and refined. ___(2)___ .They have carried not only prosperity, but also death and violence, disease and disaster. ___(3)___. The Silk Roads are the world’s central nervous system, connecting otherwise far-flung peoples and places…. ___(4)___. It allows us to see patterns and links, causes and effects that remain invisible if one looks only at Europe, or North America.

Answer 1

Approach: Lean on a single connector. The sentence after Gap 3 begins 'Another factor...,' and 'another' is a back-reference word \(-\) it demands a stated factor before it. Find which gap's insertion satisfies that demand.

Step 1: 'Another factor that came into play was the systematic collection building of American museums' presupposes a first factor for keeping silver important already named. Scan what precedes each gap to see where that first factor is supplied.

Step 2: If the orphan \(-\) silver 'has been, and still is, an important element in the business of show' \(-\) goes into Gap 3, it states silver's continuing importance right before the 'Another factor' sentence. Now 'Another' has something to be 'another' to. The chain reads: collectors keep the market buoyant, silver still matters for display (orphan), and another factor on top is American museum buying. Clean.

Step 3: Test the rivals. Gap 1 puts an 'it still matters' claim at the very start, immediately undercut by the electric-light erosion that follows \(-\) jarring. Gap 2 lands mid-flow in the decline-versus-survival discussion. Gap 4 is terminal, leaving the 'Another factor' sentence with no antecedent at all. Only Gap 3 makes the connector work.

Answer: Option 3

Show Hint

The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

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