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.
Paragraph: ___ (1) ___ At the core of development economics lies the idea of 'productive dualism': that poor countries' economies are split between a narrow 'modern' sector that uses advanced technologies and a larger 'traditional' sector characterized by very low productivity ___ (2) ___ . While this distinction between developing and advanced economies may have made some sense in the 1950s and 1960s, it no longer appears to be very relevant. A combination of forces have produced a widening gap between the winners and those left behind ___ (3) ___ . Convergence between poor and rich parts of the economy was arrested and regional disparities widened ___ (4) ___ . As a result, policymakers in advanced economies are now grappling with the same questions that have long pre-occupied developing economies: mainly how to close the gap with the more advanced parts of the economy.
Sentence: Dualism was long held as the defining feature of developing countries in contrast to developed countries, where frontier technologies and high productivity were assumed to prevail.
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.
Paragraph: ___ (1) ___ At the core of development economics lies the idea of 'productive dualism': that poor countries' economies are split between a narrow 'modern' sector that uses advanced technologies and a larger 'traditional' sector characterized by very low productivity ___ (2) ___ . While this distinction between developing and advanced economies may have made some sense in the 1950s and 1960s, it no longer appears to be very relevant. A combination of forces have produced a widening gap between the winners and those left behind ___ (3) ___ . Convergence between poor and rich parts of the economy was arrested and regional disparities widened ___ (4) ___ . As a result, policymakers in advanced economies are now grappling with the same questions that have long pre-occupied developing economies: mainly how to close the gap with the more advanced parts of the economy.
Sentence: Dualism was long held as the defining feature of developing countries in contrast to developed countries, where frontier technologies and high productivity were assumed to prevail.
Solution
Step-by-step approach: Find where the missing sentence fits best by understanding what it adds to the paragraph flow.
From passage: "At the core of development economics lies the idea of 'productive dualism': that poor countries' economies are split between a narrow 'modern' sector that uses advanced technologies and a larger 'traditional' sector characterized by very low productivity"
Thought process: The missing sentence talks about dualism as a defining feature of developing vs developed countries -> This needs to come right after dualism is introduced -> Then the passage can explain why this view is outdated -> Perfect logical flow.
Option elimination strategy:
π΄ Option 1 -> placement-error -> Puts definition before concept introduction. Like defining "photosynthesis" before saying "plants make food" - backwards logic.
π’ Option 2 -> perfect-fit -> Sentence 1 introduces dualism -> Missing sentence explains traditional view of dualism -> Sentence 2 says this view is outdated. Clean logical bridge.
π Option 3 -> timing-error -> Comes after saying dualism is "no longer relevant" - why explain the old view after dismissing it? Like describing horse carriages after saying cars replaced them.
π Option 4 -> context-shift -> Talks about traditional economic theory when paragraph is ending with current policy challenges - completely different focus.
Key insight: The missing sentence is a bridge that explains the traditional view right after the concept is introduced, setting up why that view became outdated.