Question 18

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: The brain isn’t organized the way you might set up your home office or bathroom medicine cabinet.

Paragraph: ___(1)___. You can’t just put things anywhere you want to. The evolved architecture of the brain is haphazard and disjointed, and incorporates multiple systems, each of which has a mind of its own. ___(2)___. Evolution doesn’t design things and it doesn’t build systems—it settles on systems that, historically, conveyed a survival benefit. There is no overarching, grand planner engineering the systems so that they work harmoniously together. ___(3)___. The brain is more like a big, old house with piecemeal renovations done on every floor, and less like new construction. ___(4)___.

Solution

Let’s evaluate each option:

Option 1
: The given sentence works well as an introduction. It sets the stage by comparing the brain’s organization to familiar spaces like a home office or medicine cabinet. This analogy smoothly transitions into the next sentence about the brain's "haphazard and disjointed" architecture, making it a natural fit here.

Option 2
: Inserting the sentence here would disrupt the flow. This part focuses on the brain's evolved systems and how evolution works. The analogy to home offices feels out of place and does not connect coherently with the subsequent sentences.

Option 3
: This gap already includes a metaphor—the brain as "a big, old house with piecemeal renovations." Adding the sentence here would be redundant, as it repeats the idea of disorganization without adding new insight.

Option 4
: This section discusses how evolution doesn’t design harmonious systems. The sentence about the brain’s organization doesn’t align well with this abstract explanation, making it feel disjointed and out of context.

Option 1 is the best fit
as it introduces the idea clearly, aligns with the paragraph's theme, and transitions seamlessly into the discussion of the brain's complexity.


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