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 should be the SECOND sentence after rearrangement?

The correct answer is E.

To identify the correct position of each sentence, let us analyze the thematic links and logical flow of the given sentences step-by-step:
1. Introductory Sentence - Sentence (B): "Over the past few decades, metabolic disorders in children have risen significantly."
This sentence introduces a general topic and factual observation regarding a rising health issue. It does not rely on any preceding context, making it the ideal opening sentence (1st sentence).
2. Second Sentence - Sentence (E): "Artificial food additives are highly suspected of being a major driver of this trend."
The pronoun phrase "this trend" directly refers to the rising incidence of child metabolic disorders stated in sentence (B). Therefore, sentence (E) naturally follows sentence (B) as an explanation for the observed phenomenon (2nd sentence).
3. Third Sentence - Sentence (C): "Numerous scientific studies point to the trace presence of potential metabolic disruptors in processed foods."
This sentence introduces scientific evidence supporting the suspicion regarding food additives introduced in sentence (E) (3rd sentence).
4. Fourth Sentence - Sentence (D): "According to these studies, everyday convenience meals contain preservatives that have not undergone rigorous long-term safety testing."
The phrase "these studies" directly connects to the "Numerous scientific studies" mentioned in sentence (C), elaborating further on their findings (4th sentence).
5. Fifth Sentence - Sentence (A): "Nevertheless, fast-food corporations continue to defend the safety of these synthetic additives."
The transition word "Nevertheless" introduces a contrast between the scientific warnings described in (C) and (D) and the defensive stance of corporations, serving as the logical conclusion (5th sentence).

Complete Coherent Sequence: B ⇒ E ⇒ C ⇒ D ⇒ A

Thus, sentence (E) is the second sentence after rearrangement.