A word arrangement machine, when given an input line of words, rearranges them step by step following a particular rule. An illustration of an input and its rearrangement is given below.
Input: owl flute helmet stadium telephone calendar
Step I: telephone owl flute helmet stadium calendar
Step II: telephone calendar owl flute helmet stadium
Step III: telephone calendar stadium owl flute helmet
Step IV: telephone calendar stadium helmet owl flute
Step V: telephone calendar stadium helmet flute owl
Step V is the last step of this input.
Input: saw orange volcano grill butterfly elephant
Following the same rule, which of the following will be Step II for this input?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → butterfly elephant saw orange volcano grill
Compare each step of the illustration with the one before it. In each step, the longest of the words not yet arranged moves to the next place from the left end, and all the other words keep their order.
Step I: ‘telephone’ has 9 letters, the most among the words left, so it moves to the first place from the left
Step II: ‘calendar’ has 8 letters, the most among the words left, so it moves to the second place from the left
Step III: ‘stadium’ has 7 letters, the most among the words left, so it moves to the third place from the left
Step IV: ‘helmet’ has 6 letters, the most among the words left, so it moves to the fourth place from the left
Step V: ‘flute’ has 5 letters, the most among the words left, so it moves to the fifth place from the left
After Step V the words stand from the longest to the shortest, so the arrangement is complete.
Apply the same rule to the input saw orange volcano grill butterfly elephant.
Step I: ‘butterfly’ has 9 letters, the most among the words left, so it moves to the first place from the left, giving butterfly saw orange volcano grill elephant
Step II: ‘elephant’ has 8 letters, the most among the words left, so it moves to the second place from the left, giving butterfly elephant saw orange volcano grill
So Step II is butterfly elephant saw orange volcano grill.
Why the other options are incorrect
Option (1) butterfly elephant volcano saw orange grill — Incorrect. This is Step III, where ‘volcano’ has also been moved.
Option (2) butterfly elephant orange volcano grill saw — Incorrect. Here ‘elephant’ changes places with ‘saw’; the machine moves ‘elephant’ up and the other words keep their order.
Option (3) butterfly saw orange volcano grill elephant — Incorrect. This is Step I; in Step II ‘elephant’ must also move.