Given an input, a machine generates pass codes for six batches each day as follows:
Input: These icons were taken out from the sea
Batch I: from sea the out taken were icons these
Batch II: from icons these were taken out the sea
Batch III: from icons out sea the taken were these
Batch IV: from icons out sea these were taken the
and so on.
On a certain day, the pass code for Batch I was ‘he so used to sell the surplus items’. What was the input on that day?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Cannot be determined
Compare each batch with the one before it. In every batch the machine takes the word that comes first in dictionary order among the words not yet arranged, puts it after the words already arranged, and writes all the other words in reverse order.
Batch I: ‘from’ comes first in dictionary order; the other words of the input, these icons were taken out the sea, reversed are sea the out taken were icons these
Batch II: ‘icons’ comes next; the rest, sea the out taken were these, reversed are these were taken out the sea
Batch III: ‘out’ comes next; the rest, these were taken the sea, reversed are sea the taken were these
Batch IV: ‘sea’ comes next; the rest, the taken were these, reversed are these were taken the
Now work backwards from the Batch I code he so used to sell the surplus items.
Of the eight words, ‘he’ comes first in dictionary order, so it is the word the machine put in front
The other seven words are the rest of the input in reverse order, so in the input they read items surplus the sell to used so
The machine puts ‘he’ in front wherever it stood in the input, so the code does not show its place
Any input with items surplus the sell to used so in this order and ‘he’ at any of the eight places gives the same Batch I code, so the input cannot be determined.
Why the other options are incorrect
Option (1) items surplus the sell to used so he — Incorrect. It gives this Batch I code, but so does Option (2), so it is not the only possible input.
Option (2) he items surplus the sell to used so — Incorrect. It also gives this code, but so does Option (1), so it cannot be fixed as the input.
Option (3) so used to sell the surplus items he — Incorrect. Its other seven words reversed give the Batch I code he items surplus the sell to used so, not the given one.