Before internal-combustion engines were

[Volcano1985]

(I) Before internal-combustion engines were invented in the mid 19th century, gasoline was sold in small bottles as a treatment against lice and their eggs. (II) At that time, the word Petrol was a trade name. (III) This treatment method is no longer common, because of the inherent fire hazard and the risk of dermatitis. (IV) In the U.S., gasoline was also sold as a cleaning fluid to remove grease stains from clothing. (V) Before dedicated filling stations were established, early motorists would buy gasoline in cans to fill their tanks.

A) I B) II C) III D) IV E) V

Which is out of paragraph?

I think B

[emsr2d2]

(I) Before internal-combustion engines were invented in the mid 19th century, gasoline was sold in small bottles as a treatment against lice and their eggs. (II) At that time, the word Petrol was a trade name. (III) This treatment method is no longer common, because of the inherent fire hazard and the risk of dermatitis. (IV) In the U.S., gasoline was also sold as a cleaning fluid to remove grease stains from clothing. (II) Before dedicated filling stations were established, early motorists would buy gasoline in cans to fill their tanks.

A) I B) II C) III D) IV E) V

Which is out of paragraph?

I think B

Is the question meant to be "Which of the sentences is out of place in this paragraph?"

[Volcano1985]

Yes

[emsr2d2]

Why do you think it's B?

[Volcano1985]

I thought petrol is irrelevant to the paragraph.

[Ouisch]

I thought petrol is irrelevant to the paragraph.

You are correct. The topic sentence describes gasoline being used as a medical treatment. All the other statements relate somewhat to that subject except for the sentence about petrol becoming a trademarked word.

[5jj]

Ousich is correct - for speakers of AmE,

However, for a speaker of BrE, B might not be irrelevant. It is slightly awkwardly placed, but serves to explain to us why the word 'gasoline' is used instead of the word with which we are familiar.

[SoothingDave]

III starts with "this treatment method" referring back to sentence I. With II in there, the flow is interrupt for no good reason. The information in II, while potentially useful, belongs elsewhere.