Read the following paragraph and answer the question that follows.
A. The treaty tests of a budget deficit no bigger than 3% of the GDP and a public debt converging towards a ceiling of 60% of a GDP seemed impossible for Italy to pass by 1999.
B. That Belgium also had a public debt above 100 percent of GDP helped, as did a special euro tax Mr. Prodi introduced.
C. Into the uncompromising environment came the first of a series of external shocks. One of the earliest was entry into the European single currency, the euro, in 1999.
D. But when it became clear in 1997 that Spain was determined to join from the start, Romano Prodi, then Italian prime minister, decided that Italy, as a founder member of the bloc, must be there too.
E. Germany had more or less designed the 1992 Maastricht treaty’s convergence criteria to keep out a profligate, chronically indebted Italy.
Which of the following sequences is the MOST logically ordered?
Answer: E
We must find the most logical order of the five sentences.
- C opens. It introduces "the first of a series of external shocks": Italy's entry into the euro in 1999.
- E gives the background. Germany designed the Maastricht criteria to keep out an indebted Italy.
- A states those criteria (deficit no bigger than 3%, debt near 60% of GDP) and says Italy seemed unable to meet them by 1999.
- D marks the turn with "But". When Spain was set on joining, Prodi decided Italy must join too.
- B lists what helped. Belgium also had debt above 100% of GDP, and Prodi brought in a euro tax.
Order: C-E-A-D-B. Options 1 and 4 open with E, which leaves "Into the uncompromising environment came…" stranded later. Option 3 puts the criteria before Germany's motive and the euro context. Option 2 puts the Belgium detail before Prodi's decision.
Answer: Option 5