Directions: The opening sentence (S1) and closing sentence (S2) of a paragraph are given. Arrange the four intervening sentences (A, B, C, and D) in the most coherent order.

S1 Arjun remained outside the community hall after the neighbourhood meeting had ended.

A. He understood that continuing to avoid the conversation would solve nothing.
B. A light rain began to tap steadily against the empty pavement.
C. He gathered his papers and walked across the courtyard toward his home.
D. The sudden shower brought back the evening when he had promised his father that he would speak honestly.

S2 Before he reached the front gate, he knew exactly what he needed to do.

The correct order is BDAC.

To determine the most coherent sequence between opening sentence S1 and closing sentence S2, we can trace the logical flow and transition keywords:

1. Link between S1 and B: S1 establishes that Arjun remains outside the community hall after the meeting ends. Sentence B ("A light rain began to tap steadily against the empty pavement.") directly sets the immediate atmospheric environment outside.
2. Link between B and D: Sentence D refers to "The sudden shower", which directly connects back to the "light rain" mentioned in B. This rain reminds him of an evening when he promised his father to speak honestly.
3. Link between D and A: In D, he remembers the promise to speak honestly. Sentence A ("He understood that continuing to avoid the conversation would solve nothing.") follows his internal reflection about that upcoming conversation.
4. Link between A, C, and S2: After resolving his thoughts, sentence C shows him physically taking action ("gathered his papers and walked across the courtyard toward his home"). This seamlessly connects to closing sentence S2 ("Before he reached the front gate, he knew exactly what he needed to do"), as the front gate is part of his arrival at home.

Therefore, the coherent paragraph order is S1 → B → D → A → C → S2.