Directions: Rearrange the following five sentences (A), (B), (C), (D), and (E) in a proper sequence to form a meaningful paragraph, then answer the question.

(A) Nevertheless, fast-food corporations continue to defend the safety of these synthetic additives.
(B) Over the past few decades, metabolic disorders in children have risen significantly.
(C) Numerous scientific studies point to the trace presence of potential metabolic disruptors in processed foods.
(D) According to these studies, everyday convenience meals contain preservatives that have not undergone rigorous long-term safety testing.
(E) Artificial food additives are highly suspected of being a major driver of this trend.

Which of the following sentences should come fourth when the passage is rearranged in a logical sequence?

The correct answer is D.

To find the correct sequence of the sentences, we need to analyze the logical flow and transition keywords connecting each sentence:
1. Sentence (B) serves as the introductory statement. It sets up the main topic by highlighting a broad trend: "Over the past few decades, metabolic disorders in children have risen significantly."
2. Sentence (E) logically comes second because it links directly to sentence (B) using the pronoun phrase "this trend", referring back to the rise in childhood metabolic disorders: "Artificial food additives are highly suspected of being a major driver of this trend."
3. Sentence (C) introduces supporting evidence for sentence (E) by referencing scientific research: "Numerous scientific studies point to the trace presence of potential metabolic disruptors in processed foods."
4. Sentence (D) must follow sentence (C) because it opens with the demonstrative phrase "According to these studies...", which directly refers back to the "scientific studies" mentioned in (C): "According to these studies, everyday convenience meals contain preservatives that have not undergone rigorous long-term safety testing."
5. Sentence (A) acts as a concluding sentence, using the transition word "Nevertheless" to introduce a contrasting response from fast-food corporations.

Thus, the logical and coherent arrangement of the sentences is B ⇒ E ⇒ C ⇒ D ⇒ A.

Counting the positions in this order:
• First sentence: (B)
• Second sentence: (E)
• Third sentence: (C)
• Fourth sentence: (D)
• Fifth sentence: (A)

Therefore, the sentence that should come fourth is (D).