Transitions
Transitions questions ask you to pick the word or phrase that best expresses the relationship between two sentences or ideas. You'll recognize them by the prompt: "Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?"
What They Look Like
In 1885, Chinese-born California resident Mary Tape became a hero of the Asian American civil rights movement. In January of that year, she won an antidiscrimination case in the California Supreme Court. ______ in April, she wrote an open letter criticizing her local board of education for discrimination. Both actions are remembered today as historic stands against racism.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Later,
B) For instance,
C) In other words,
D) Rather,
What to Know
Approach
Name the relationship between the two sentences before you look at the choices — same direction, left turn, cause/effect, example, confirmation, or other.
Don't memorize individual transition words. The SAT doesn't care whether you pick "also" or "in addition" — those mean the same thing. What matters is recognizing the category the blank needs. Get the category right, and the answer becomes obvious.
Transition Categories
| Category | When to Use | Common Words |
|---|---|---|
| Same Direction | Second idea adds to, continues, or parallels the first | also, moreover, furthermore, additionally, likewise, similarly |
| Left Turn | Second idea opposes, contradicts, or concedes | however, but, instead, by contrast, nevertheless, nonetheless, that said |
| Cause/Effect | Second idea is a result of the first | therefore, thus, consequently, as a result, hence, accordingly |
| Example | Second idea is a specific case of the first | for example, for instance, specifically, in particular |
| Confirmation | Second idea proves or emphasizes the first | indeed, in fact |
| Other | Time sequence, listing, summary | then, later, first/second/finally, in sum, in short |
Training
Generally, sleek vehicles are more aerodynamic than bulkier ones. The streamlined nose of the F-104 Starfighter jet, ________ helps it glide through wind with relative ease, while a boxy pickup truck encounters more wind resistance, making it less aerodynamic.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) however,
B) meanwhile,
C) for instance,
D) additionally,
Show answer
Step 1: The passage states a general rule (sleek vehicles are more aerodynamic). The jet-vs-truck pair is a specific case of that rule — an Example.
Step 2: Check the answers:
| Answer | Verdict |
|---|---|
| A) however, | ✗ Left Turn — the case agrees with the rule; nothing is opposed. |
| B) meanwhile, | ✗ Other (simultaneous time) — the relationship is illustration, not two things at once. |
| C) for instance, | ✓ introduces the example — the jet/truck is a case of the general claim. |
| D) additionally, | ✗ Same Direction — this would ADD a separate point; here the second part illustrates the first. |
Answer: C
Note: D is the trap — Example and Same Direction both move forward. The split: "for instance" gives a CASE of the claim; "additionally" adds a NEW point. When the second sentence is a case of the first, it’s "for instance."
On March 3, 1991, Switzerland's government lowered the minimum voting age for its citizens from 20 to 18 years old. ______ many people in Switzerland gained a new opportunity to participate in their country's political process.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Nevertheless,
B) As a result,
C) By contrast,
D) Similarly,
Show answer
Step 1: First the government lowered the voting age; then more people could vote. The second is the result of the first — Cause/Effect.
Step 2: Check the answers:
| Answer | Verdict |
|---|---|
| A) Nevertheless, | ✗ Left Turn — the outcome follows naturally; nothing is opposed. |
| B) As a result, | ✓ the consequence — lowering the age caused more people to gain the vote. |
| C) By contrast, | ✗ Left Turn — not an opposing case; it’s the effect. |
| D) Similarly, | ✗ Same Direction — no second parallel case; it’s a cause→effect chain. |
Answer: B
Note: The whole test for Cause/Effect is one question: does the second part happen BECAUSE of the first? Here, more voters is the direct result of the lower age — “as a result.”
Niger ratified the Outer Space Treaty, an international agreement with over 100 signing nations that acts as the foundation for the laws of space, on February 1, 1967. Jordan, ______ has yet to officially ratify the treaty; it only signed it.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) in contrast,
B) specifically,
C) for example,
D) similarly,
Show answer
Step 1: Niger ratified the treaty; Jordan has not (it only signed). The two nations pull in opposite directions — a Left Turn.
Step 2: Check the answers:
| Answer | Verdict |
|---|---|
| A) in contrast, | ✓ signals the opposition — one ratified, the other didn’t. |
| B) specifically, | ✗ narrowing to a detail — but Jordan isn’t a sub-point of Niger; it’s an opposing case. |
| C) for example, | ✗ Example — Jordan isn’t a case of ratifying; it’s the opposite. |
| D) similarly, | ✗ Same Direction — the statuses are opposite, not alike. |
Answer: A
Note: D is the trap if you only notice “both sentences are about treaty status.” But the statuses are opposite — ratified vs. not — so it’s contrast, not parallel.
The Hornbostel-Sachs system classifies musical instruments by how they produce sound. For example, an instrument that is popular in Norway called the hardingfele produces sound primarily through the vibration of its strings. ________ under the Hornbostel-Sachs system, the hardingfele is a chordophone.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Instead,
B) Furthermore,
C) Thus,
D) Similarly,
Show answer
Step 1: Same Cause/Effect move as the Swiss voting example — but harder, because the “cause” here is applying a definition. The system classifies by sound; the strings vibrate; therefore it’s a chordophone.
Step 2: Check the answers:
| Answer | Verdict |
|---|---|
| A) Instead, | ✗ Left Turn (correction) — the label follows from the vibration, not against it. |
| B) Furthermore, | ✗ Same Direction — not a separate added point; it’s the consequence of the prior fact. |
| C) Thus, | ✓ the result — string vibration + the system’s rule → chordophone. |
| D) Similarly, | ✗ Same Direction — no second parallel case; it’s a logical consequence. |
Answer: C
Note: “Furthermore” (B) tempts you if you read the chordophone label as just MORE information. It isn’t — it’s what FOLLOWS from how the instrument makes sound. Same cause→effect test as the voting-age item, just with a definition doing the causing.
In a 1948 article titled "The Language of Lines," Brazilian photographer José Yalenti argued that black-and-white photography's distinctive—and in his view, superior—use of lines is what elevates the medium to the status of fine art. ______ Yalenti insisted that conveying perspective through linear forms is photography's "indisputable and exclusive domain," creating a visual language surpassing even celebrated painters' works.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Indeed,
B) In any case,
C) However,
D) Even so,
Show answer
Step 1: First Yalenti argues lines make photography fine art; then he insists lines are its “exclusive domain,” surpassing painters — the same claim, only stronger. The second reinforces the first — Confirmation.
Step 2: Check the answers:
| Answer | Verdict |
|---|---|
| A) Indeed, | ✓ drives the claim home harder — emphasis on the same point. |
| B) In any case, | ✗ dismissal — sets the prior point aside as beside the point, but the second sentence builds on it. |
| C) However, | ✗ Left Turn — nothing is opposed; the second claim strengthens the first. |
| D) Even so, | ✗ Left Turn (concession) — concedes a point against the first idea, but here the second reinforces it. |
Answer: A
Note: Confirmation is the trickiest “same-direction” relationship because the second sentence can sound like a turn. Test it: does the second part REINFORCE the first (→ “indeed”) or push AGAINST it (→ “however”/“even so”)? Here Yalenti only gets more emphatic.
Long thought to be sessile (immobile), adult Chelonibia testudinaria, barnacles that adhere to sea turtle shells, have been observed to shift slightly in position over time—a phenomenon that has been attributed to the barnacles' passive displacement by water currents. ______ a research team found that adult C. testudinaria moved toward the heads of their sea turtle hosts and thus against the prevailing water flow, behavior consistent with self-initiated locomotion.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Confirming this hypothesis,
B) Drawing a similar conclusion,
C) Undermining this explanation,
D) Contrary to this phenomenon,
Show answer
Step 1: There’s no connective word here — the choices are all phrases. Translate each into the relationship it performs:
- Confirming this hypothesis = support
- Drawing a similar conclusion = agree
- Undermining this explanation = weaken
- Contrary to this phenomenon = oppose the movement itself
Step 2: What does the finding DO? The shifting was “attributed to passive displacement by water currents,” but the team found the barnacles move against the current — on their own. That weakens the passive-displacement explanation.
Step 3: Match:
| Answer | Verdict |
|---|---|
| A) Confirming this hypothesis, | ✗ support — but the evidence contradicts the drift account. |
| B) Drawing a similar conclusion, | ✗ agree — the finding opposes the prior explanation. |
| C) Undermining this explanation, | ✓ weaken — moving against the current cuts against passive displacement. |
| D) Contrary to this phenomenon, | ✗ mis-targets — contrary to the explanation, not the movement. |
Answer: C
Note: When all four choices are phrases like “Confirming this…” / “Undermining this…,” there’s no signpost word to look up. Translate each phrase into what it DOES, then ask what the second sentence does to the first. The discrimination is the same as every other transition — you just have to do it without a connective.
Practice Questions
In most deer species, males grow antlers, and females don't. ______ reindeer are different. They are the only deer species in which the females grow antlers, too.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Similarly,
B) Next,
C) However,
D) Thus,
Show answer
Answer: C
Before the blank, “males grow antlers, and females don't”; after it, reindeer are “the only deer species in which the females grow antlers” — the relationship is a contrast between the general rule and an exception, so a contrast transition is needed.
A — “Similarly” signals agreement, but reindeer break the pattern rather than matching it.
B — “Next” signals a sequence, yet no series of steps or events is being listed.
D — “Thus” signals a consequence, but the reindeer exception is not caused by the general rule.
Laetitia Ky's hair is her art. Inspired by hairstyles from various African tribes, the Ivorian artist uses wire and thread to sculpt her hair into all kinds of shapes. ______ she once made her hair into the shape of the continent of Africa—including the island of Madagascar!
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Soon,
B) Elsewhere,
C) For example,
D) However,
Show answer
Answer: C
Before the blank the artist “uses wire and thread to sculpt her hair into all kinds of shapes”; after it, the single Africa-shaped hairstyle is one instance of that general claim — the relationship is illustration, so an example transition is needed.
A — “Soon” signals a time sequence, but the second sentence is an instance of the general claim, not a later event.
B — “Elsewhere” signals a shift to a different place, yet no contrasting location is introduced.
D — “However” signals contrast, but the Africa shape confirms the general claim rather than opposing it.
In 1949, Frank Zamboni developed an ice rink resurfacing machine. As Zamboni’s machine moved along the rink’s surface, it first scraped off the top layer of ice. ______ it sprayed water into the deep grooves left behind by customers’ skates. Lastly, it smoothed over the newly formed ice.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) For example,
B) Next,
C) Similarly,
D) In contrast,
Show answer
Answer: B
Before the blank the machine “first scraped off the top layer of ice”; after it, it sprays water, then “Lastly” smooths the ice — the relationship is a step in an ordered sequence, so a sequence transition is needed.
A — “For example” signals an illustration, but spraying water is the next step, not an instance of scraping.
C — “Similarly” signals a parallel comparison, yet these are distinct stages of one process, not comparable cases.
D — “In contrast” signals opposition, but the steps build on one another rather than conflicting.
In Spain, citizens must be at least 18 years old to vote in their country's elections. ______ citizens in Ecuador need only be 16 years old to cast their vote.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) For example,
B) Firstly,
C) Therefore,
D) By comparison,
Show answer
Answer: D
Before the blank, Spanish citizens “must be at least 18 years old to vote”; after it, Ecuadorians “need only be 16 years old” — the relationship places two countries' voting ages side by side, so a comparison transition is needed.
A — “For example” signals an illustration, but Ecuador is a separate case being weighed against Spain, not an instance of it.
B — “Firstly” signals the first item in a sequence, yet no ordered list is being enumerated.
C — “Therefore” signals a consequence, but Ecuador's voting age is not caused by Spain's.
Phytoplankton play a crucial role in the ocean's uptake of carbon from the atmosphere. When alive, these tiny marine organisms absorb atmospheric carbon via photosynthesis. ______ after they die, the phytoplankton sink to the seafloor, where the carbon in their cells gets stored in sediment, preventing it from cycling back into the atmosphere.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Specifically,
B) By contrast,
C) Nevertheless,
D) Then,
Show answer
Answer: D
Before the blank the organisms “absorb atmospheric carbon via photosynthesis” while alive; after it, they die and sink — the relationship is a time sequence of one stage following another, so a sequence transition is needed.
A — “Specifically” signals narrowing to a detail, but dying and sinking is a later stage, not a detail of photosynthesis.
B — “By contrast” signals opposition, yet both stages serve the same carbon-storage function rather than conflicting.
C — “Nevertheless” signals a concession, but the sinking does not happen despite the absorption; it follows it.
The eruption of Rusty Geyser in Yellowstone National Park is caused by a sequence of events. First, water seeps down through narrow channels in the bedrock. ______ magma heats the water and turns it into steam. That steam builds up enough pressure in the narrow channels to force the water above it to burst out of the ground.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Similarly,
B) On the contrary,
C) First of all,
D) Next,
Show answer
Answer: D
Before the blank, “water seeps down through narrow channels”; after it, magma heats that water, then “Finally” the steam bursts out — the relationship is a step in an ordered sequence, so a sequence transition is needed.
A — “Similarly” signals a parallel comparison, but heating the water is the next event, not a comparable case.
B — “On the contrary” signals opposition, yet the events build toward the eruption rather than conflicting.
C — “First of all” signals the opening step, but the passage already marked that with “First,” so the blank is the second step.
Generally, sleek vehicles are more aerodynamic than bulkier ones. For example, the streamlined nose of the T‑38 Talon jet helps it glide through wind with relative ease. ______ a boxy semitruck encounters more wind resistance, making it less aerodynamic.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) As a result,
B) Specifically,
C) In conclusion,
D) On the other hand,
Show answer
Answer: D
Before the blank, the streamlined jet “helps it glide through wind with relative ease”; after it, a boxy semitruck “encounters more wind resistance” — the relationship is a contrast between an aerodynamic and a non-aerodynamic example, so a contrast transition is needed.
A — “As a result” signals cause-effect, but the semitruck's resistance is not caused by the jet's ease.
B — “Specifically” signals narrowing, yet the semitruck is an opposing case, not a detail of the jet example.
C — “In conclusion” signals a summary, but the second clause introduces a new contrasting example rather than wrapping up.
Imagine a magazine that a reader has thrown away. This magazine is post-consumer waste, as it became waste after reaching the consumer. ________ the paper scraps left over from printing the magazine are pre-consumer waste, as they became waste before reaching the consumer.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) For example,
B) As a result,
C) By contrast,
D) Specifically,
Show answer
Answer: C
Before the blank, a thrown-away magazine “became waste after reaching the consumer”; after it, paper scraps “became waste before reaching the consumer” — the relationship is a contrast between two opposite waste types, so a contrast transition is needed.
A — “For example” signals an illustration, but pre-consumer waste is an opposing category, not an instance of post-consumer waste.
B — “As a result” signals cause-effect, yet the scraps' status is not caused by the magazine's.
D — “Specifically” signals narrowing to a detail, but the second sentence presents a contrasting type, not a sub-detail.
Mexico’s Alondra de la Parra took over as conductor for the Queensland Symphony Orchestra in 2017. ______ Colombia’s Lina Gonzalez-Granados did the same for the Los Angeles Opera in 2022.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) in addition,
B) lastly,
C) granted,
D) for instance,
Show answer
Answer: A
Both sentences describe a conductor taking over an orchestra; the second adds a parallel case to the first, so a same-direction addition transition is needed.
B — “Lastly” implies a sequence or list that isn't present here.
C — “Granted” is a concession word, signalling the wrong direction.
D — “For instance” needs a general statement before it; here the first sentence is itself a specific case, not a general claim.
When using sumac for dyeing cloth, textile artists first soak it in water to release its color. Then, they add the cloth to the dyebath and simmer it for hours, perhaps even days. ______ they will remove the cloth, at which point it will have turned a vibrant red color.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Nevertheless,
B) Likewise,
C) Eventually,
D) In other words,
Show answer
Answer: C
Before the blank textile artists “add the cloth to the dyebath and simmer it for hours”; after, “they will remove the cloth” once it has turned red — the relationship is sequence in time, the blank introducing the final step of a process, so a time transition is needed.
A — “Nevertheless” signals contrast, but removing the cloth is the next step, not a reversal.
B — “Likewise” signals similarity or addition, not the next stage of a sequence.
D — “In other words” signals restatement, yet the clause adds a new step rather than rephrasing the prior one.
Because of its bulky body, the world’s first airplane, the 1903 Wright Flyer, was not very aerodynamic. Modern planes, like the Northrop F-5 jet, have much sleeker, more streamlined bodies. _____ they are much more aerodynamic.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) However,
B) Lastly,
C) Nevertheless,
D) For this reason,
Show answer
Answer: D
Before the blank modern planes “have much sleeker, more streamlined bodies”; after, “they are much more aerodynamic” — the relationship is cause-effect, the streamlined body being the cause and the aerodynamics the result, so a cause-effect transition is needed.
A — “However” signals contrast, but the two ideas agree rather than conflict.
B — “Lastly” signals sequence or order, of which there is none here.
C — “Nevertheless” signals contrast against expectation, yet the aerodynamics follow naturally from the streamlined body.
Newer offshore wind turbines often outperform older models. For example, Denmark's offshore wind farm, built in 1991, had wind turbines that generated about 0.5 megawatts (MW) of electricity each. ____ Denmark's Kriegers Flak offshore wind farm, built in 2021, has turbines that can generate about 8 MW of electricity each.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) In contrast,
B) Granted,
C) Eventually,
D) For this reason,
Show answer
Answer: A
Idea before: the 1991 wind farm's turbines generated about 0.5 MW each. Idea after: the 2021 wind farm's turbines generate about 8 MW each. Relationship: contrast (old, low output vs. new, high output — illustrating that newer turbines outperform older). "In contrast" encodes that opposition.
B — (granted) is the wrong category — no concession is being made.
C — (eventually) is the wrong category — this is a direct old-vs-new comparison, not a sequence over time.
D — (for this reason) is the wrong category — the 2021 figures are not a consequence of the 1991 figures.
In studying whether jellyfish sleep, researchers Michael Abrams, Claire Bedbrook, and Ravi Nath attempted to answer three questions. ______ is there a period each day when the pulse rates of jellyfish decline? Second, do jellyfish respond more slowly to stimuli during that period? Finally, if prevented from sleeping, are jellyfish adversely affected?
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) As a result,
B) First,
C) Additionally,
D) However,
Show answer
Answer: B
Before the blank, researchers “attempted to answer three questions”; after it, the questions run blank, then “Second” and “Finally” — the relationship is the opening item of an enumerated sequence, so a first-item transition is needed.
A — “As a result” signals a consequence, but the questions are the research agenda, not an effect of the prior sentence.
C — “Additionally” signals an extra added point, yet the blank introduces the first of three, not a further one.
D — “However” signals contradiction, but the questions simply lay out what was investigated rather than opposing the prior sentence.
The traditional process of Turkish paper marbling (ebru) generally proceeds like this: First, the artisan fills a shallow tray with a water bath solution. Next, the artisan adds inks or paints to the solution, which can then be manipulated into intricate designs. ______ the artisan slips paper in and out of the liquid, transferring the design onto the paper.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Nevertheless,
B) Therefore,
C) Actually,
D) Finally,
Show answer
Answer: D
Before the blank, the artisan “adds inks or paints to the solution” after the “First” and “Next” steps; after it, the artisan transfers the design onto paper — the relationship is the concluding step of an ordered sequence, so a sequence-ending transition is needed.
A — “Nevertheless” signals a concession, but the last step builds on the prior ones rather than opposing them.
B — “Therefore” signals a consequence, yet slipping the paper in is the next step, not a logical result.
C — “Actually” signals a correction, but nothing prior is being corrected.
In 2005, notoriously shy American singer-songwriter Ray LaMontagne saw his life change with the success of his hit single "Trouble." That year, he performed more than thirty live sets, including at Avalon in Los Angeles, United States, and Théâtre Outremont in Montreal, Canada; _____ he'd performed fewer than a dozen times in 2004.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) similarly,
B) on the other hand,
C) additionally,
D) often,
Show answer
Answer: B
Before the blank, in 2005 LaMontagne “performed more than thirty live sets”; after, “he'd performed fewer than a dozen times in 2004” — the relationship is a contrast between a busy year and a sparse prior one, so a contrast transition is needed.
A — “similarly” signals likeness, but the two years are opposites rather than alike.
C — “additionally” signals an added similar point, not a reversal between the two years.
D — “often” is a frequency adverb, not a transition relating the two contrasting years.
Resins play several important roles in maintaining the health of conifers and many other kinds of trees. ________ resins quickly seal wounds, which helps prevent harmful insects and fungi from entering trees. These sticky substances also help trees retain water that is needed for them to survive.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) For example,
B) However,
C) Regardless,
D) Next,
Show answer
Answer: A
Sealing wounds is a specific illustration of the "several important roles" resins play; "also help … retain water" continues the enumeration.
B — Wrong category (contrast): the second sentence supports, not opposes, the first.
C — Wrong category (dismissal): nothing is being set aside as irrelevant.
D — Wrong category (sequence): these are examples of roles, not steps in a time order.
A blend of galbanite and resol, the material for Elvis Presley's Gold Vine jumpsuit was flexible enough to allow the singer to perform his signature dance moves. ______ the added weight of the suit's swirling vines made of gold rhinestones likely limited Elvis's mobility to some degree.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) For this reason,
B) Firstly,
C) However,
D) In other words,
Show answer
Answer: C
Before the blank the suit's material “was flexible enough to allow the singer to perform his signature dance moves” (it helped mobility); after, “the added weight of the suit's swirling vines” likely limited his mobility (it hurt mobility) — the relationship is a contrast between two opposing effects on mobility, so a contrast transition is needed.
A — “For this reason” signals cause-effect, but the weight limiting mobility is not a result of the material's flexibility.
B — “Firstly” signals sequence or enumeration, yet no list follows.
D — “In other words” signals restatement, but the second clause states the opposite point rather than rephrasing the first.
When following musical scores, professional opera singers like soprano Ana María Martínez take vocal directions from descriptive notations, typically in Italian, that appear alongside the musical notes. ______ these descriptive terms might guide the performer to sing giocoso (playfully) or lento (at a slow tempo).
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) On the other hand,
B) All the same,
C) For example,
D) In the second place,
Show answer
Answer: C
Before the blank singers “take vocal directions from descriptive notations, typically in Italian”; after, “these descriptive terms might guide the performer to sing” giocoso or lento — the relationship is general-to-example, so an exemplification transition is needed.
A — “On the other hand” signals contrast, but the examples support rather than oppose the prior statement.
B — “All the same” signals concession or contrast, not illustration.
D — “In the second place” signals an item in an enumerated list, yet no “in the first place” sequence precedes it.
Scientists were able to isolate a relatively pure sample of neon in 1898, the same year they first discovered the element’s existence. ______
the isolation process took longer for erbium, which was isolated in its pure form 91 years after scientists first discovered it.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) For instance,
B) By contrast,
C) Thus,
D) Similarly,
Show answer
Answer: B
Before the blank, neon was isolated “the same year they first discovered the element’s existence”; after it, erbium took 91 years — the relationship is a contrast between two elements' isolation timelines, so a contrast transition is needed.
A — “For instance” signals an illustration, but erbium is the opposite case, not an example of neon's quick isolation.
C — “Thus” signals a consequence, yet erbium's slow timeline does not result from neon's fast one.
D — “Similarly” signals a parallel, but the two timelines differ sharply rather than matching.
KCUW-LP is a Native-run radio station broadcasting from the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon. In 2004, Loris Taylor wanted to make sure that stations like KCUW-LP continued to thrive. _____ she founded Native Public Media, a support system for Native radio stations that now includes around sixty stations.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Nevertheless,
B) In reality,
C) Thus,
D) Conversely,
Show answer
Answer: C
Before the blank Loris Taylor “wanted to make sure that stations like KCUW-LP continued to thrive”; after, “she founded Native Public Media, a support system for Native radio stations” — the relationship is cause-effect, the founding being the result of that goal, so a cause-effect transition is needed.
A — “Nevertheless” signals contrast, but the founding agrees with rather than opposes her goal.
B — “In reality” signals correction of a misconception, which is not the relationship here.
D — “Conversely” signals opposition, yet the two ideas align rather than conflict.
Developed by Les Paul in 1945, multitrack recording allows music producers to record songs by layering separate musical tracks on top of one another. For example, producers can first record the drums. ________ they can record the guitars on top of the drums. Last, they can record the singer's vocals on top of the drum and guitar tracks to complete a rough mix of the song.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Next,
B) Instead,
C) In other words,
D) First,
Show answer
Answer: A
“they can record the guitars on top of the drums,”.
B — Wrong category (substitution) — recording guitars does not replace recording drums; it follows it.
C — Wrong category (restatement) — recording guitars is a new step, not a rephrasing of recording drums.
D — "sounds fancy" but doesn't fit — the prior sentence already used "first" for recording drums; this step cannot also be "first.".
While studying joro spiders, a large species originally from East Asia, University of Georgia researchers wondered if the spiders' rapid spread throughout the southeastern US was a result of aggressive behavior. ______ they discovered that joro spiders are gentle giants who react to even minor disturbances by "freezing" in place for an hour or more.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) In other words,
B) Therefore,
C) For example,
D) Instead,
Show answer
Answer: D
Before the blank, researchers “wondered if the spiders' rapid spread…was a result of aggressive behavior”; after it, they found the spiders are “gentle giants” — the relationship is a contrast between expectation and contrary finding, so a substitution/contrast transition is needed.
A — “In other words” signals restatement, but the finding overturns the hypothesis rather than rephrasing it.
B — “Therefore” signals a consequence, yet the gentle finding does not follow from the aggression guess.
C — “For example” signals an illustration, but the discovery contradicts the expectation instead of exemplifying it.
Broadcasting from the Yankton Sioux Tribe's lands in southern South Dakota, the Native-run radio station KDKO 89.5 FM does much to serve the local Dakota-speaking community. ________ it broadcasts local news and music as well as programming in the Dakota language.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Instead,
B) Specifically,
C) As a result,
D) Nevertheless,
Show answer
Answer: B
The second sentence spells out the specific ways the station "does much to serve" the community — an elaboration/specification. "broadcasts local news and music as well as programming in the Dakota language" are the specific services behind "does much to serve the … community.".
A — Wrong category (contrast/substitution): the second sentence doesn't replace or oppose the first.
C — Wrong category (cause-effect): the broadcasting examples aren't a consequence of serving the community; they constitute that service.
D — Wrong category (concession/contrast): there is no tension between the two ideas.
Rose B. Simpson, a Santa Clara Pueblo mixed-media artist, makes intuition and imperfection important parts of her artistic process. ______ her "slap-slab" technique involves throwing slabs of clay onto the floor until they're very thin and then assembling them quickly and intuitively by hand before they dry. The resulting sculptures are marked by seams, fingerprints, and other signs of her process.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Nevertheless,
B) Similarly,
C) For example,
D) Meanwhile,
Show answer
Answer: C
The technique is a specific example illustrating the general claim about intuition and imperfection. The slap-slab technique is a concrete example of "intuition and imperfection" in her process.
A — Wrong category: contrast; the technique supports the claim, it doesn't oppose it.
B — Wrong category: comparison of two like things; here one statement is a specific instance of the other, not a parallel case.
D — Wrong category: sequence/simultaneous time; no time relationship is present.
The Jiangsu Qidong, an offshore wind farm located off the coast of China, produces about 802 megawatts (MW) of electricity per year. ______ England's Hornsea Project One offshore wind farm, which generates the most power of any single offshore farm, produces 1,218 MW of electricity.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) By comparison,
B) For instance,
C) That is,
D) As a result,
Show answer
Answer: A
Comparison: two wind farms' outputs set side by side. The sentence puts Jiangsu Qidong's 802 MW next to Hornsea's 1,218 MW — a direct comparison.
B — Wrong category: Hornsea is not an example of the Jiangsu farm; it is a separate case being compared.
C — Wrong category: idea 2 is not a restatement/clarification of idea 1.
D — Wrong category (cause-effect): Hornsea's output is not caused by Jiangsu's.
Edge modeling is one process digital artists employ while developing visuals for video games. ______ digital artists use edge modeling to piece together separate shapes to create 3D objects for games.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Thus,
B) In addition,
C) Specifically,
D) By comparison,
Show answer
Answer: C
Elaboration: idea 2 specifies, in detail, the general statement in idea 1. Idea 2 gives the specific function of edge modeling that idea 1 introduced in general terms.
A — Wrong category (cause-effect): idea 2 is not a consequence of idea 1.
B — Wrong category (addition): idea 2 is not a separate added point; it details idea 1.
D — Wrong category: no second case is being compared.
Giant dust plumes from the Sahara Desert that blow across the Atlantic Ocean can have complex and opposing effects on tropical cyclones. On one hand, the dust can enhance the formation of ice clouds in the cyclone's core, increasing precipitation. ______ the dust can lower sea surface temperatures around the cyclone's core, weakening the storm.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) In other words,
B) For example,
C) On the other hand,
D) Previously,
Show answer
Answer: C
Idea before the blank: "On one hand," the dust can intensify a cyclone (more precipitation). Idea after: the dust can also weaken the storm (lower sea temperatures). The passage explicitly frames these as "complex and opposing effects" and uses "On one hand," so the blank needs its paired contrast — "On the other hand" fits.
A — "In other words" signals restatement, but weakening the storm is the opposite of intensifying it, not a paraphrase.
B — "For example" signals illustration, but this is a contrasting effect, not an instance of the first.
D — "Previously" signals time order, which the two simultaneous opposing effects don't follow.
The World Cup of men's soccer, one of the biggest sporting events on the planet, brought 32 national teams from six continents to the host country, Russia, in 2018. ________ only 16 teams, all from Europe and the Americas, competed in the 1962 World Cup in Chile.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) As a result,
B) For example,
C) In other words,
D) In comparison,
Show answer
Answer: D
“only 16 teams, all from Europe and the Americas.”.
A — Wrong category (cause-effect) — the 1962 tournament is not a consequence of the 2018 one.
B — Wrong category (illustration) — the 1962 World Cup is not an example of the 2018 World Cup; it's a separate, contrasting case.
C — Wrong category (restatement) — the second sentence gives different facts, not a rephrasing of the first.
Scientists studying asteroid deflection have focused on secondary objects such as S/2018 (2018 EB), a moonlet orbiting the near-Earth asteroid 2018 EB. In 2022 NASA intentionally crashed a probe into just such an object, the moonlet Dimorphos. ______ Dimorphos’s orbital period around the near-Earth asteroid Didymos was permanently altered.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) In addition,
B) Specifically,
C) Consequently,
D) In comparison,
Show answer
Answer: C
Before the blank, NASA “intentionally crashed a probe into just such an object”; after it, Dimorphos's orbital period “was permanently altered” — the relationship is cause-effect, the impact producing the change, so a consequence transition is needed.
A — “In addition” signals a separate added point, but the orbital change is the result of the crash, not a parallel fact.
B — “Specifically” signals narrowing to a detail, yet the altered orbit is a consequence, not a sub-detail of the crash.
D — “In comparison” signals a contrast, but no second case is being weighed against the first.
When ordering the branches of the Yukon River system by Hack's method, one begins with the riverway's lowest point, the Yukon River. ______ when using Strahler's method, one begins at the top of the river system, with the Dulbi River and other tributaries fed by the riverway's source, Alaska's Llewellyn Glacier.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Specifically,
B) In other words,
C) Indeed,
D) Alternatively,
Show answer
Answer: D
Before the blank, Hack's method “begins with the riverway's lowest point”; after it, Strahler's method “begins at the top of the river system” — the relationship presents a different approach, so an alternative transition is needed.
A — “Specifically” signals narrowing to a detail, but Strahler's method is a separate option, not a sub-detail of Hack's.
B — “In other words” signals restatement, yet the second method differs from the first rather than rephrasing it.
C — “Indeed” signals confirmation, but the second clause introduces a contrasting approach, not reinforcement.
A team led by Portuguese researcher Isabel C.F.R. Ferreira found that many species of mushrooms contain chemicals called phenolic compounds, such as cinnamic acid and catechin. ______ Ferreira detected cinnamic acid in Agaricus blazei mushrooms and catechin in Lentinus edodes mushrooms.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) For this reason,
B) However,
C) Nevertheless,
D) For example,
Show answer
Answer: D
Idea before the blank: many mushrooms contain phenolic compounds "such as cinnamic acid and catechin." Idea after: Ferreira detected cinnamic acid in one species and catechin in another. The second sentence gives specific instances of the general claim — the relationship is illustration/example, so "For example" fits.
A — "For this reason" marks cause-effect, but the detections aren't a result of the general statement.
B — "However" and.
C — "Nevertheless" mark contrast, but the second sentence agrees with and exemplifies the first rather than opposing it.
For millennia, acorns were a staple food for the Tongva people, the Indigenous inhabitants of what is now the Los Angeles basin. Raw acorns have an extremely bitter taste, though, due to their high tannin levels. ________ it was necessary to process the acorns—which involved grinding, rinsing, and shaping the nuts into a dough—before eating them.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) However,
B) Afterward,
C) Similarly,
D) Therefore,
Show answer
Answer: D
A cause-effect transition — "therefore.". Because raw acorns are too bitter to eat, "it was necessary to process the acorns … before eating them" — a direct cause-effect.
A — Wrong category (contrast): there is no opposition; the need to process follows logically from the bitterness.
B — Wrong category (time/sequence): the link is causal ("because they're bitter"), not a chronological "after.".
C — Wrong category (comparison): no parallel case is being compared.
Scientists studying forest restoration have discovered that trees depend on complex partnerships with microscopic organisms for survival. The researchers found that special fungi called endophytes live inside tree leaves and serve as a defense mechanism. ________ these endophytes help by fighting off diseases and boosting the tree's immune system.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Alternatively,
B) Nevertheless,
C) Specifically,
D) In conclusion,
Show answer
Answer: C
A transition that introduces the specifics: "specifically.". "fighting off diseases and boosting the tree's immune system" specifies how endophytes "serve as a defense mechanism.".
A — Wrong category (alternative): no second option is offered; the same point is being explained.
B — Wrong category (contrast): the sentence supports, not opposes, the prior claim.
D — Wrong category (summary): this elaborates the prior sentence rather than concluding the text.
Thousands of years ago, the Olmec civilization's reign over parts of eastern Mexico ended. ________ the Olmecs' massive stone statues of human heads remain. Two of these statues, known as Monument 2 and Monument 53, weigh over 5 tons!
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Therefore,
B) Secondly,
C) Still,
D) Previously,
Show answer
Answer: C
“the Olmecs' massive stone statues of human heads remain.”.
A — Wrong category (cause-effect) — the statues' survival is not a consequence of the reign ending.
B — Wrong category (sequence/enumeration) — there is no "first" item this continues.
D — Wrong category (time) — the statues remain now, not "previously"; this misorders the timeline.
Luminata Ilinca Ignat is a space scientist who works on the James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST. Thanks in part to Ilinca Ignat's contributions, the telescope is now positioned near the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point, almost one million miles beyond Earth's orbit. _____ the JWST's predecessor, the Hubble Telescope, is only about 340 miles above Earth's surface.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) By contrast,
B) Secondly,
C) Similarly,
D) Therefore,
Show answer
Answer: A
~1,000,000 miles vs. ~340 miles is a stark opposition — the sentence sets Hubble against JWST.
B — Wrong category (sequence) — this is not the second item in a list; it is a comparison of distances.
C — Wrong category (similarity) — the distances are opposite extremes, not alike.
D — Wrong category (cause-effect) — Hubble's low orbit is not a consequence of JWST's distant position.
Elvis Presley’s iconic jumpsuit White Pinwheel featured rhinestones arranged in pinwheel patterns. Historians note that adornments such as these added between twenty-five and fifty pounds to each of Elvis’s stage outfits. ______ the fabric used to make the outfits was light and flexible, enabling freedom of motion.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) For instance,
B) There,
C) That is,
D) On the other hand,
Show answer
Answer: D
The first idea is that the adornments added 25–50 heavy pounds; the second is that the fabric itself was light and flexible. These pull in opposite directions (heavy vs. light), so the contrast transition “On the other hand” fits.
A — (“For instance”) wrongly signals an example.
B — (“There”) wrongly signals place.
C — (“That is”) wrongly signals a restatement, but the second idea adds a contrasting fact, not a paraphrase.
Originally coined by economist Joan Robinson to refer to markets with multiple sellers of a product but only one buyer, the term "monopsony" can also refer to markets where demand for labor is limited. In a product monopsony, the single buyer can force sellers to lower their prices. ______ in a labor monopsony, employers can force workers to accept lower wages.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Earlier,
B) Instead,
C) Similarly,
D) In particular,
Show answer
Answer: C
Before the blank, a product monopsony's buyer “can force sellers to lower their prices”; after it, a labor monopsony's employers force workers to accept lower wages — the relationship is a parallel between two comparable situations, so a similarity transition is needed.
A — “Earlier” signals a time relationship, but no chronological sequence connects the two cases.
B — “Instead” signals replacement or contrast, yet the labor case parallels the product case rather than opposing it.
D — “In particular” signals a specific instance of a general claim, but the two monopsonies are separate parallel types, not a general/specific pair.
Anthropologist, activist, and musician Lila Downs draws on a variety of Mexican musical genres in her 2023 album La Sanchez. ________ she draws on corridos, rancheras, and other genres of northern Mexico, even though she is from the southern Mexican city of Oaxaca. "La Sanchez is my contribution" Downs says in an interview, "as a southern woman, that also considers this music as hers."
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Specifically,
B) Therefore,
C) In conclusion,
D) Rather,
Show answer
Answer: A
The second sentence gives specific examples of the "variety of Mexican musical genres" named in the first — an elaboration/specification. "corridos, rancheras, and other genres of northern Mexico" are the specific instances of the general "variety of Mexican musical genres" — a specification.
B — Wrong category (cause-effect): the second sentence doesn't follow as a consequence of the first.
C — Wrong category (conclusion): this introduces detail, it doesn't sum up.
D — Wrong category (contrast/correction): the second sentence doesn't correct or oppose the first; it specifies it.
When it was completed in 1889, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, was criticized — even protested — for the novelty of its unique spire-like silhouette. ______ the design became accepted — even beloved — and can now be found in everything from the Eiffel Tower replica in Uman, Ukraine, to the Funkturm Berlin in Berlin, Germany.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Over time,
B) Indeed,
C) Therefore,
D) Furthermore,
Show answer
Answer: A
A shift from rejection to acceptance that happens across years — a sequence/time progression (from initial criticism to later acceptance). Encodes the time progression from 1889 criticism to eventual acceptance ("became accepted").
B — Wrong category: emphasis/confirmation; the second idea reverses the first rather than confirming it.
C — Wrong category: cause-effect; acceptance isn't a logical consequence of being criticized.
D — Wrong category: addition; this doesn't add to the criticism — it contrasts with it over time.
The World Cup of men's soccer, one of the biggest sporting events on the planet, brought 32 national teams from six continents to the host country, Germany, in 2006. The event, which is held every four years, used to be much smaller and more limited geographically. _____ the 1930 World Cup in Uruguay included only 13 teams, all from Europe and the Americas.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) In addition,
B) At last,
C) For example,
D) However,
Show answer
Answer: C
Idea 1: the event "used to be much smaller and more limited geographically." Idea 2: the 1930 World Cup had "only 13 teams, all from Europe and the Americas." Relationship: Idea 2 is a specific instance illustrating Idea 1 — "For example" fits.
A — "In addition" signals another separate point, but Idea 2 supports the same claim, it does not add a new one.
B — "At last" marks the end of a sequence, which is not the relationship here.
D — "However" signals contrast, but the 1930 example agrees with (does not contradict) the claim that the event used to be smaller.
At two weeks old, wolves can smell but cannot yet see or hear. Domesticated dogs, ______ can see, hear, and smell by the end of two weeks.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) in other words,
B) for instance,
C) by contrast,
D) accordingly,
Show answer
Answer: C
At two weeks, wolves cannot yet see or hear while dogs can — opposite situations, so a contrast transition is needed.
A — “In other words” signals a restatement, but these aren't the same idea.
B — “For instance” signals an example, but dogs aren't an example of wolves.
D — “Accordingly” signals cause/effect, but one does not cause the other.
In January of that year, she won an antidiscrimination case in the California Supreme Court. ______ in April, she wrote an open letter criticizing her local board of education.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Later,
B) For instance,
C) In other words,
D) Rather,
Show answer
Answer: A
January and April are two events in chronological order, so a time-sequence transition is needed.
B — “For instance” signals an example, but the letter isn't an example of the court case.
C — “In other words” signals a restatement, but the letter isn't a restatement of the case.
D — “Rather” implies a correction, but nothing is being corrected.
As anthropologist Cristina Grasseni explains, with the rise in demand for artisanal cheeses claiming to be typical of specific Italian regions, such as Grana Padano cheese from Lombardy, came the need to guarantee the veracity of such claims to consumers. ______ the European Union established DOP status, a label certifying that the cheese was made according to the region’s local traditions.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Nevertheless,
B) For this reason,
C) In other words,
D) By contrast,
Show answer
Answer: B
Before the blank came “the need to guarantee the veracity of such claims to consumers”; after it, the EU established DOP certification — the relationship is cause-effect, the need prompting the response, so a cause transition is needed.
A — “Nevertheless” signals contrast, but establishing DOP satisfies the stated need rather than opposing it.
C — “In other words” signals restatement, yet DOP status is a new action, not a rephrasing of the need.
D — “By contrast” signals opposition, but no opposing idea is introduced.
Scientists long debated the origins of chondrules, tiny glass beads that formed in meteors billions of years ago. For decades, different theories were proposed, from lightning strikes to powerful rock collisions, but none had sufficient evidentiary support. ______ scientists found strong evidence that chondrules were formed by shock waves in nearby nebulae.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) For example,
B) Finally,
C) Similarly,
D) Therefore,
Show answer
Answer: B
Before the blank, decades of theories meant “none had sufficient evidentiary support”; after it, scientists at last “found strong evidence” — the relationship is the concluding event of a long search, so a sequence-ending transition is needed.
A — “For example” signals an illustration, but the resolution is not an instance of the failed theories.
C — “Similarly” signals a parallel, yet the breakthrough contrasts with the prior failures rather than matching them.
D — “Therefore” signals a consequence, but finding evidence does not logically follow from the theories lacking support.
With their distinctive cone shapes and steeply sloping sides, the volcanoes Maunganui (New Zealand) and Fisher (Alaska) may look similar from afar. Prasanendu Moitra and other volcanologists ______ can tell by how each was formed that Maunganui is a cinder cone volcano, while Fisher is a composite volcano.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) for example,
B) in addition,
C) though,
D) therefore,
Show answer
Answer: C
Before the blank the volcanoes “may look similar from afar”; after it, volcanologists can tell “Maunganui is a cinder cone volcano, while Fisher is a composite volcano” — the relationship is a contrast between appearance and actual difference, so a contrast transition is needed.
A — “for example” signals an illustration of similarity, but the clause undercuts the similarity rather than illustrating it.
B — “in addition” signals an added point, yet this clause opposes the look-alike claim instead of extending it.
D — “therefore” signals a consequence drawn from the similarity, but the experts' judgment contradicts that similarity.
Space scientist Antonella Nota is excited about the potential of the new James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Unlike its predecessor, the Hubble Telescope, the JWST is primarily an infrared telescope. Most light from distant galaxies is infrared; ______ the JWST can provide Nota and her team much more information about these galaxies than the Hubble could.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) alternatively,
B) in contrast,
C) for instance,
D) hence,
Show answer
Answer: D
Cause → consequence: because the JWST matches the galaxies' infrared light, it yields more information. Because galaxy light is infrared and the JWST is infrared, it consequently provides more information than Hubble.
A — Wrong category: idea 2 is not an alternative option to idea 1.
B — Wrong category (contrast): idea 2 follows from idea 1; it does not oppose it.
C — Wrong category: idea 2 is the result, not an example, of idea 1.
In Amarna, Egypt, archaeologist Anna Hodgkinson unearthed bits of glass near lower status dwellings, which she believes may refute the long held notion that the material was enjoyed exclusively by Ancient Egyptian royalty. ______ archaeologist Thilo Rehren states flatly that glass doesn’t appear to have been “a closely controlled royal commodity,” concurring, based on his own research, that the material was more common than once surmised.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Likewise,
B) Nonetheless,
C) As such,
D) Consequently,
Show answer
Answer: A
Before the blank, Hodgkinson's find may “refute the long held notion” that glass was exclusively royal; after it, Rehren agrees, “concurring, based on his own research” — the relationship is parallel agreement between two independent findings, so a similarity transition is needed.
B — “Nonetheless” signals contrast, but Rehren's view supports Hodgkinson's rather than opposing it.
C — “As such” signals a consequence, yet Rehren's independent research is not caused by Hodgkinson's work.
D — “Consequently” signals cause-effect, but the second finding is a separate parallel, not a result of the first.
In a hypothetical family tree, it is common for a parent in the first generation to exhibit a given trait, such as dimples, and for none of that parent’s children (second generation) to inherit it. ______ the grandchildren (third generation) could inherit dimples or another such trait from the grandparent.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Nonetheless,
B) Specifically,
C) Besides,
D) In addition,
Show answer
Answer: A
Before the blank, “none of that parent’s children (second generation) to inherit it”; after it, the grandchildren “could inherit dimples” — the relationship is a concessive contrast: despite the skip, the trait can resurface, so a concession transition is needed.
B — “Specifically” signals narrowing to a detail, but the grandchildren clause reverses the skip rather than detailing it.
C — “Besides” signals an extra added point, yet this is a concession, not a separate fact.
D — “In addition” signals an added point, but the second clause opposes the expectation set by the skip rather than supplementing it.
Using LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology, Tulane University archaeologists scanned and mapped the ancient Mayan city of Tikal, which lies deep in the Guatemalan rainforest. Some of Tikal's old stones are intertwined with the roots of surrounding trees, rendering parts of the complex physically inaccessible to researchers. ______ the LiDAR's penetrating light waves were the only way to reveal some previously unknown aspects of the Mayan city.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Afterward,
B) Hence,
C) Similarly,
D) Specifically,
Show answer
Answer: B
Cause → consequence: because the site is inaccessible, LiDAR was the only option. Marks the consequence: inaccessibility is why LiDAR was the only way.
A — Wrong category (time): the relationship is causal, not sequential in time.
C — Wrong category (addition/likeness): idea 2 is a result of idea 1, not a parallel point.
D — Wrong category: idea 2 is not a more precise restatement of idea 1; it is its result.
While some researchers have identified the planet Kepler-296e as potentially habitable, it's unlikely that humanity will be able to take advantage of its favorable conditions anytime soon—it's 737 light years away. ______ humanity must first focus on making planets within our solar system more habitable.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Likewise,
B) Instead,
C) For example,
D) Next,
Show answer
Answer: B
Idea before the blank: a distant habitable planet is not a realistic near-term option (737 light years away). Idea after: humanity should focus on planets in our own solar system. The second idea is presented as the alternative to the rejected first option — the relationship is substitution/contrast, so "Instead" fits.
A — "Likewise" signals similarity, but the two ideas are opposed options, not parallel.
C — "For example" signals illustration, but the solar-system focus isn't an instance of the distant planet.
D — "Next" implies sequence, but this is a replacement of one option with another, not the next step in a series.
In a 2005 study by Meilado et al., the researchers determined the ratio of three different plant subtypes within the diet of sheep: graminoids, forbs, and browse. ______ the researchers determined the relative quantities of the plants the animal consumed.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) By contrast,
B) Next,
C) In addition,
D) That is,
Show answer
Answer: D
Before the blank, researchers “determined the ratio of three different plant subtypes”; after it, they “determined the relative quantities of the plants” — the relationship is restatement, the second clause rephrasing the first, so a clarification transition is needed.
A — “By contrast” signals opposition, but the two clauses say the same thing rather than conflicting.
B — “Next” signals a sequence, yet this is one restated step, not a following one.
C — “In addition” signals a separate added point, but no new information is introduced — only a rewording.
Voting members of the 2002 Latin Grammys were impressed by Banda Cuisillos's album Puras Rancheras Con Cuisillos and its contribution to the banda genre, a form of regional Mexican music featuring large ensembles of wind instruments and drums that first developed in southern and central Mexico in the mid-nineteenth century. ______ they awarded the group the Best Banda Album award.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) In contrast,
B) Meanwhile,
C) Nevertheless,
D) Accordingly,
Show answer
Answer: D
Before the blank the voting members “were impressed by Banda Cuisillos's album”; after, “they awarded the group the Best Banda Album award” — the relationship is cause-effect, the award following as the consequence of being impressed, so a cause-effect transition is needed.
A — “In contrast” signals opposition, but the award agrees with their being impressed.
B — “Meanwhile” signals a simultaneous unrelated event, not a result.
C — “Nevertheless” signals a concession against expectation, yet the award is exactly what being impressed would lead to.
A common definition of a planet is a body that orbits the sun. Astronomers Jean-Luc Margot, Bret Gladman, and Tony Yang suggest that a better definition would omit the word "sun." ________ it should use a more comprehensive phrase: stars, brown dwarfs, or stellar remnants. This correction clarifies that planets can orbit other stars and exist outside our solar system.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Instead,
B) Thereafter,
C) Besides,
D) Elsewhere,
Show answer
Answer: A
“it should use a more comprehensive phrase: stars, brown dwarfs, or stellar remnants.”.
B — Wrong category (time/sequence): there is no chronological "after this" relationship, only a replacement of wording.
C — Wrong category (addition): the second clause is not an extra point added on; it replaces the omitted word.
D — Wrong category (place): no shift in location is involved; the relationship is conceptual substitution.
In a 2022 analysis, researchers investigated how negative adjectives like “ashamed” evolve. ________ the researchers applied a statistical model to a set of words to infer the rate of cognate replacement—the rate at which a word will be replaced over time with a noncognate form—in Indo-European languages.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Specifically,
B) Therefore,
C) Thus,
D) Granted,
Show answer
Answer: A
The second sentence spells out the specifics of the general aim — an elaboration/specification, not a consequence. The second sentence gives the concrete detail of the general investigation ("applied a statistical model … to infer the rate of cognate replacement") — "Specifically" signals exactly this drill-down.
B — Wrong category: the method isn’t a logical consequence of stating the aim.
C — Wrong category: like "Therefore," signals result/conclusion, not specification.
D — Wrong category: "Granted" concedes a counterpoint; there’s no concession here.
French mathematician Michel Talagrand has shown that over large numbers of trials, variables that appear to be independent and random are in fact extremely likely to cluster around an average. ______ according to Talagrand's research, if you flip a coin 1,000 times, there is a 99.7% probability that the coin will land heads side up between 450 and 550 times.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) In addition,
B) For instance,
C) However,
D) In comparison,
Show answer
Answer: B
Example: the coin-flip is a concrete illustration of the general clustering claim. The coin-flip statistic is a specific example of variables clustering around an average.
A — Wrong category (addition): idea 2 is not a separate added fact; it illustrates idea 1.
C — Wrong category (contrast): idea 2 confirms, not opposes, idea 1.
D — Wrong category: nothing is being compared against a second case; idea 2 exemplifies idea 1.
In contrast to first-past-the-post electoral processes, the proportional representation system by which Australia's Senate is elected begins with citizens casting their votes not for specific candidates but for political parties. ________ once the votes have been tabulated, each party is awarded a number of seats proportional to the number of votes it received.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Conversely,
B) In other words,
C) However,
D) Then,
Show answer
Answer: D
"begins with …" then the next step "once the votes have been tabulated …" — a sequence of stages in one process. "begins with … casting their votes" → "then … once the votes have been tabulated, each party is awarded … seats" — the next step in sequence.
A — Wrong category (contrast): the two clauses are consecutive steps of the same system, not opposites.
B — Wrong category (restatement): the second clause adds the next stage, it doesn't rephrase the first.
C — Wrong category (contrast): there is no tension between casting votes and then allocating seats.
In 1845, the United States District Court for the state of Iowa was established. Initially, the court’s jurisdiction was a single district that encompassed the entire state, but as Iowa’s population grew, this single district began to struggle to serve the needs of everyone in the state. _____ the court’s jurisdiction was subdivided into two districts, each with its own district court.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Ultimately,
B) For example,
C) Nevertheless,
D) Additionally,
Show answer
Answer: A
Before the blank the single district “began to struggle to serve the needs of everyone in the state”; after, “the court's jurisdiction was subdivided into two districts” — the relationship is a result that arrives over time, the subdivision resolving the struggle, so a transition marking the eventual outcome is needed.
B — “For example” signals an instance, but the subdivision is not an example of the struggle.
C — “Nevertheless” signals contrast, yet the subdivision is the consequence, not an opposing point.
D — “Additionally” signals an added separate fact, not a resolution of the struggle.
Formerly known as the Southwest Territory, Tennessee was granted statehood by a vote of the US Congress on June 1, 1796, making Tennessee the 16th US state. By comparison, as one of the nation's original thirteen colonies, Delaware became a state when it ratified the US Constitution on December 7, 1787. ________ New York attained statehood by ratifying the Constitution, becoming the 11th US state on July 26, 1788.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Therefore,
B) Nevertheless,
C) For example,
D) Likewise,
Show answer
Answer: D
A transition that signals the same/parallel case: "likewise.". New York "attained statehood by ratifying the Constitution," the same route as Delaware — a similarity.
A — Wrong category (cause-effect): New York's statehood is not a consequence of Delaware's.
B — Wrong category (contrast): the two cases match rather than conflict.
C — Wrong category: New York is a parallel case to Delaware, not an example of Delaware.
The Sino-Tibetan language of Loke has only about 7,500 living speakers. Although most Loke speakers live in Nepal, where the language originated, Loke is also spoken in New York City. _____ the New York-based Endangered Language Alliance has identified a group of Loke speakers in the city's Allerton neighborhood, in the borough of the Bronx.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) In addition,
B) Nonetheless,
C) Specifically,
D) Meanwhile,
Show answer
Answer: C
Moves from "spoken in New York City" to the exact location (Allerton, the Bronx) — a specifying detail.
A — Wrong category (addition) — the second sentence is not a separate added fact; it pinpoints where in NYC.
B — Wrong category (contrast) — nothing is being countered; the second sentence supports the first.
D — Wrong category (simultaneity/contrast) — there is no concurrent separate event; it is a zoom-in on the same fact.
As volcanologists like Tamsin Mather are apt to make clear, not all volcanoes are the same. Ischia in Italy, for example, is a complex volcano, a mixed landform consisting of related volcanic centers and their associated lava flows and pyroclastic rock. Mount Vsevidof in Alaska, ______ is a stratovolcano, a conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava and tephra.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) in any case,
B) in contrast,
C) in fact,
D) in conclusion,
Click to reveal answer
Answer: B
The first idea is that Ischia is a complex volcano; the second is that Mount Vsevidof is a stratovolcano — a different type, supporting “not all volcanoes are the same.” The relationship is contrast, so “in contrast” fits. A (“in any case”) wrongly signals dismissal of what came before. C (“in fact”) wrongly signals emphasis or confirmation of the same point. D (“in conclusion”) wrongly signals a summary.
Al-Andalus, the historical region of the Iberian Peninsula that includes most of modern-day Spain, was ruled by various Arabic-speaking Muslim states between the eighth and fifteenth centuries. ________ many Arabic words, such as "alacrán" — meaning "scorpion" — made their way into the Spanish language.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Consequently,
B) Specifically,
C) For example,
D) Instead,
Show answer
Answer: A
Centuries of Arabic-speaking rule caused Arabic vocabulary to enter Spanish — cause-effect. “many Arabic words”.
B — Wrong category (specification): the second sentence is an outcome of the rule, not a specific instance of "was ruled by … states.".
C — Wrong category (example): Arabic loanwords are not an example of Muslim states ruling the region; they're a consequence of it.
D — Wrong category (contrast): there is no opposition between the two ideas.
Though its onboard laboratory allowed it to analyze rock samples on-site, the 2011 Mars Curiosity rover was unable to preserve samples for future analysis. ________ when creating the 2020 Mars Perseverance rover, robotics technologist Yumi Iwashita and other members of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory sought to implement a mechanism that could do exactly that.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Specifically,
B) Earlier,
C) Hence,
D) Similarly,
Show answer
Answer: C
Because Curiosity couldn't preserve samples, the team "sought to implement a mechanism that could do exactly that" for Perseverance — a result.
A — Wrong category (specification): the second sentence isn't a more detailed version of the first; it's a consequence.
B — Wrong category (time): Perseverance (2020) comes after Curiosity (2011), not earlier.
D — Wrong category (comparison): the two rovers differ on this capability; it's not a parallel.
As Iestyn Barr and his team of researchers discovered when establishing the glacial timeline of Antarctica, the Transantarctic Mountains—a 3,500-km mountain range spanning the continent—are home to glaciers of at least 60 million years in age. ________ the researchers concluded, Antarctica had glaciers long before the formation of its continent-wide ice sheet 34 million years ago.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Thus,
B) By contrast,
C) Even so,
D) Nevertheless,
Show answer
Answer: A
Glaciers "at least 60 million years in age" yields the conclusion that Antarctica had glaciers "long before" the 34-million-year ice sheet — a logical result ("the researchers concluded").
B — Wrong category (contrast): the second statement follows from the first, not against it.
C — Wrong category (concession): nothing is being conceded despite an obstacle.
D — Wrong category (contrast/concession): the two ideas agree; there is no countervailing point.
The visual magnitude scale, which measures the brightness of stars, is reverse logarithmic: the brighter a star, the lower its magnitude number. ______ the star Dubhe, the 34th brightest in the sky, has a higher visual magnitude number (1.79) than does the brighter star Adhara. The 22nd-brightest star, Adhara has a magnitude of 1.5.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) On the other hand,
B) Hence,
C) Nonetheless,
D) Moreover,
Show answer
Answer: B
The first idea is the rule “the brighter a star, the lower its magnitude number”; the second is that the dimmer Dubhe has a higher number than the brighter Adhara. The second is a consequence of the rule, so “Hence” fits.
A — And.
C — (“On the other hand,” “Nonetheless”) wrongly signal contrast, but the example follows directly from the rule.
D — (“Moreover”) wrongly signals an added, separate point rather than a result.
The United Nations' Trade and Development organization divides exports into five key categories: food items, agricultural materials, fuels, ores and raw metals, and manufactured goods (i.e., most nonfood goods made by machinery or by hand). In 2022, the majority (62 percent) of Belgium's exports were manufactured goods. ______ vaccines, medicines, and cars were its top exports.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) In a broader sense,
B) Within this category,
C) In the future,
D) Despite this majority,
Show answer
Answer: B
Before the blank, “the majority (62 percent) of Belgium's exports were manufactured goods”; after, “vaccines, medicines, and cars were its top exports” — the relationship is elaboration, those items being specifics within the manufactured-goods category, so a transition narrowing into that category is needed.
A — “In a broader sense” widens the frame, the opposite of narrowing to specifics within the category.
C — “In the future” signals time, but the data concern the same 2022 period.
D — “Despite this majority” signals contrast, yet the second sentence details rather than opposes the majority.
Stargazers who looked up at the right time (and with the right protective equipment) on October 21, 1930, were able to enjoy the beautiful totality of a total solar eclipse. ______ Spectators had just one minute, fifty-five seconds to watch the dramatic moment when the moon almost entirely blocks the sun.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) However, this wasn't all they saw.
B) The phenomenon was brief, though.
C) Eventually, the event concluded as expected.
D) In fact, such phenomena are fairly common.
Show answer
Answer: B
The first sentence describes the totality viewers enjoyed; the next stresses how short it was (“just one minute, fifty-five seconds”). The relationship is emphasis on brevity, so “The phenomenon was brief, though” fits.
A — Wrong relationship: “this wasn’t all they saw” promises more sights, but what follows is the event’s short duration.
C — Wrong relationship: “concluded as expected” signals an ending the passage never sets up.
D — Reasonable but not stated: the passage never addresses how common such eclipses are.
Rocket Geyser, found in Yellowstone National Park, is a cone geyser, a type of geyser that forms a mound of silica around the narrow geyser vent as volcanic rock dissolved in the water is deposited during eruptions. ________ Yellowstone's fountain geysers, such as Jewel Geyser, erupt from larger openings where water collects in a pool.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) In comparison,
B) Thus,
C) In turn,
D) Regardless,
Show answer
Answer: A
A transition that sets two types side by side — "in comparison.". Directly contrasts the two geyser types: "narrow geyser vent" versus "erupt from larger openings where water collects in a pool.".
B — Wrong category (cause-effect/conclusion): the fountain-geyser fact is not a consequence of the cone-geyser description.
C — Wrong category: "in turn" implies a sequential or reciprocal causal link, but the two geyser types are simply parallel contrasting descriptions.
D — Wrong category (concession): the second sentence is not true despite the first; they are coordinate comparisons.
A research team led by Gal Badihi has discovered that chimpanzees communicate through exchanges of gestures occurring at a pace similar to that of human conversations. ________ chimpanzee gesture exchanges have short pauses of about 120 milliseconds between communications, comparable to the 200-millisecond average pause between turns in human speech.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) By contrast,
B) As a result,
C) Nevertheless,
D) Specifically,
See how to solve this
Step 1: Identify the two ideas and the relationship.
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Idea before the blank | Chimp gesture exchanges occur "at a pace similar to that of human conversations" — a general claim. |
| Idea after the blank | Chimp exchanges have ~120 ms pauses, comparable to the ~200 ms human pause — the specific data behind that claim. |
| Relationship | Elaboration/specification: the second sentence gives the specific evidence for the general claim. |
Step 2: Predict.
A transition that introduces the specifics of the prior claim: "specifically."
Step 3: Match to answers.
| Answer | Verdict |
|---|---|
| A) By contrast, | ✗ Wrong category (contrast): the pause data agrees with the "similar pace" claim, it does not oppose it. |
| B) As a result, | ✗ Wrong category (cause-effect): the pause figures are evidence for the similarity, not a consequence of it. |
| C) Nevertheless, | ✗ Wrong category (concession/contrast): nothing is being conceded against the prior sentence. |
| D) Specifically, | ✓ The 120 ms vs. 200 ms detail specifies the general claim that the pace is "similar to that of human conversations." |
Answer: D) Specifically,
In a 2022 analysis of 200 terms, researchers found a broad pattern of valence-dependent mutation for which negative words saw a faster rate of cognate replacement—______ the rate at which a word will be replaced over time with a noncognate form. Adjectives (e.g., "afraid") saw the largest effect; nouns (e.g., "attack"), meanwhile, saw the smallest.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) for example,
B) likewise,
C) in addition,
D) that is,
Show answer
Answer: D
Before the blank, negative words “saw a faster rate of cognate replacement”; after, the text gives “the rate at which a word will be replaced over time with a noncognate form” — the relationship is a clarifying restatement defining the term just used, so a restatement transition is needed.
A — “for example” signals an instance, but what follows is a definition of the term, not an example of it.
B — “likewise” signals similarity or addition, not a definition.
C — “in addition” signals an extra point, yet the clause restates rather than adds.
In the late twentieth century, scholars directed much discussion toward issues of spatiality. Adherents to quantitative analytical approaches delineated space with the use of GIS spatial technologies; ______ cultural geographer Doreen Massey defined space as the product of "an ever-shifting social geometry of power and signification," focusing instead on socio-political forces.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) for example,
B) by contrast,
C) as such,
D) likewise,
Show answer
Answer: B
Before the blank quantitative analysts “delineated space with the use of GIS spatial technologies”; after, Massey defined space differently, “focusing instead on socio-political forces” — the word “instead” marks the two approaches as opposed, so a contrast transition is needed.
A — “for example” signals an instance, but Massey's view is a competing approach, not an example of the quantitative one.
C — “as such” signals a consequence, yet Massey's view is not a result of the quantitative approach.
D — “likewise” signals likeness, but the two approaches differ rather than agree.
At Storm King Art Center, an outdoor sculpture park in New York, Charles Ginnever's Fayette: For Charles and Medgar Evers is exposed to rain, snow, heat, and humidity. ________ it remains in good condition due to its material: Ginnever's sculpture is made of corrosion-resistant steel.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) That said,
B) In addition,
C) On the contrary,
D) As a result,
Show answer
Answer: A
Harsh exposure would be expected to damage it, but it stays in good shape — a concession/contrast. Despite being "exposed to rain, snow, heat, and humidity," it "remains in good condition" — "That said" marks this concession against the expected damage.
B — Wrong category (addition): staying in good condition isn't an added similar point; it counters the expectation set by the exposure.
C — Wrong category: "on the contrary" denies the first statement, but the sculpture is exposed to the elements; the second clause concedes it survives anyway.
D — Wrong category (cause-effect): remaining in good condition is not a result of being exposed to harsh weather.
In 2003, some 393 years after Galileo Galilei and Simon Marius independently discovered Jupiter's four largest moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto), scientists discovered the moon Helike in orbit around Jupiter. ________ researchers have discovered eighty moons orbiting Jupiter.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) To date,
B) For example,
C) In other words,
D) Rather,
Show answer
Answer: A
“scientists discovered the moon Helike in orbit around Jupiter”; “researchers have discovered eighty moons orbiting Jupiter”.
B — Wrong category (example): eighty moons total isn't an instance of the single Helike discovery.
C — Wrong category (restatement): "eighty moons" is new cumulative information, not a rephrasing of the Helike discovery.
D — Wrong category (correction): the second sentence doesn't correct or replace the first.
Brain imaging research led by neuroscientist Dwaynica Greaves found that actors showed suppressed responses in the left anterior prefrontal cortex (the portion of the brain associated with self-awareness) when their names were called during performances; ________ the actors' responses were normal in nonacting contexts. These findings suggest that when embodying characters, performers may temporarily set aside their personal identities.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) conversely,
B) specifically,
C) likewise,
D) thus,
Show answer
Answer: A
“actors showed suppressed responses in the left anterior prefrontal cortex”; “the actors' responses were normal in nonacting contexts”.
B — Wrong category (specification): the second clause isn't a narrowing detail of the first; it's the opposite case.
C — Wrong category (similarity): the two contexts behave oppositely, not alike.
D — Wrong category (cause-effect): normal responses outside acting isn't a consequence of suppressed responses during acting.
A staunch supporter of women’s voting rights, Wilhelmina Kekelaokalaninui Widemann Dowsett sought to coordinate the efforts of suffragists in her native Hawaiʻi. ______ in 1912, she founded the National Women’s Equal Suffrage Association of Hawaiʻi, an organization that lobbied for women’s voting rights in the US territory.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Alternatively,
B) Conversely,
C) In other words,
D) To that end,
Show answer
Answer: D
Before the blank Dowsett “sought to coordinate the efforts of suffragists”; after, she “founded the National Women’s Equal Suffrage Association of Hawaiʻi” — the relationship is cause-to-purpose, the second clause being the action taken to achieve the stated goal, so a purpose transition is needed.
A — “Alternatively” signals a substitute option, but founding the organization is the means to her goal, not an alternative to coordinating efforts.
B — “Conversely” signals an opposing relationship, yet the founding fulfills rather than reverses the goal.
C — “In other words” signals restatement, but the second clause describes a concrete action, not a rephrasing of the goal.
As an anti-federalist, New Jersey landowner and politician John Stevens Jr. objected to the US Constitution's provisions for a powerful centralized government and opposed the document's ratification; ______ essays he published in the New York Daily Advertiser in November 1787 under the pseudonym "Americanus" disparaged the arguments of the federalists, who supported the Constitution's adoption.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) nevertheless,
B) fittingly,
C) by comparison,
D) in other words,
Show answer
Answer: B
Before the blank, Stevens “opposed the document's ratification”; after it, his essays “disparaged the arguments of the federalists” — the relationship is that the action aligns with his stated stance, so a fittingness transition is needed.
A — “nevertheless” signals a surprising contrast, but attacking federalists is exactly what an anti-federalist would do.
C — “by comparison” signals weighing two cases, yet no second case is introduced.
D — “in other words” signals restatement, but the essays are a concrete action, not a rephrasing of his beliefs.
In the West African country of Sierra Leone, the percentage of the population living in cities rose from 40.8% to 42.9% between 2015 and 2020. ________ urbanization rates climbed across West Africa as a whole, rising 3.2 percentage points in that five-year period.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) In other words,
B) Eventually,
C) Concurrently,
D) For example,
Show answer
Answer: C
Two trends happening over the same 2015–2020 window — simultaneity. Both changes occur "in that five-year period" (2015–2020) — they happen concurrently.
A — Wrong category (restatement): the region-wide trend is a separate fact, not a rephrasing of the Sierra Leone figure.
B — Wrong category (sequence): the two changes occur over the same period, not one after the other.
D — Wrong category (example): the West-Africa-wide trend isn't an instance of the Sierra Leone trend; it's a parallel, broader trend.
Silver is one of a variety of potentially useful trace elements contained in the chemical-rich brine that remains after seawater is purified through desalination. However, routine extraction of silver and other such elements from brine is not yet technologically or economically feasible. ________ most trace elements have only been extracted from seawater on an experimental basis.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) In doing so,
B) Finally,
C) Similarly,
D) To date,
Show answer
Answer: D
Before the blank, “routine extraction of silver and other such elements from brine is not yet technologically or economically feasible”; after, “most trace elements have only been extracted from seawater on an experimental basis” — the relationship is a present-status restatement, the cue “not yet” signaling an up-to-now framing, so a time-status transition is needed.
A — “In doing so” signals means or manner, but no action is performed that the second sentence results from.
B — “Finally” signals the last item in a series, yet no list of steps precedes it.
C — “Similarly” signals comparison, but the second sentence states the present consequence of the first, not a parallel case.
From mountains to monuments, deserts to rainforests, and isolated islands to teeming cities, the sites on UNESCO's World Heritage List are chosen because they hold cultural or natural value that the organization wishes to preserve for future generations. ________ in 2010, UNESCO recognized the importance of Kiribati's Phoenix Islands Protected Area, home to one of the world's largest oceanic coral ecosystems, by adding it to the list as a natural heritage site.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) By contrast,
B) Accordingly,
C) Next,
D) In other words,
Show answer
Answer: B
A transition meaning "in keeping with that principle / as a result.". The Phoenix Islands hold natural value, so — in accordance with the stated criterion — UNESCO added the site; "Accordingly" encodes that consequence/conformity.
A — Wrong category (contrast): the Kiribati example agrees with the criterion; nothing is being opposed.
C — Wrong category: "Next" implies a step in a temporal sequence, but the second sentence is an instance flowing from the principle, not the next step in an ordered series.
D — Wrong category (restatement): the second sentence is a specific example/consequence, not a rewording of the criterion.
It's tempting to think that the comic strips Jump Start and Wee Pals have the same main purpose — to amuse — because both feature humorous situations. _____ Wee Pals focuses just as much on challenging readers with sociopolitical commentary as it does on making them laugh.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Likewise,
B) Next,
C) In reality,
D) In other words,
Show answer
Answer: C
Signals "the tempting assumption is wrong; here is the truth" — exactly the corrective contrast the passage makes.
A — Wrong category (addition/similarity) — the sentences contrast appearance vs. reality, not add a parallel point.
B — Wrong category (sequence/time) — there is no time order; the second sentence revises the first.
D — Wrong category (restatement) — the second sentence does not rephrase the first; it overturns it.
The Tres Zapotes archaeological site is located in our home state of Veracruz, Mexico. ______ an 8.5-ton stone statue of a human head was left behind by the ancient Olmec civilization. In the nearby state of Tabasco was another stone statue that weighs 19.8 tons.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) In other words,
B) Here,
C) Similarly,
D) Therefore,
Show answer
Answer: B
Idea before the blank: the Tres Zapotes site is located in Veracruz. Idea after: an 8.5-ton Olmec head "was left behind" there. The second sentence specifies what is found at that place, so the relationship is a place reference — "Here" (meaning at Tres Zapotes) fits.
A — "In other words" signals restatement, but the statue detail is new information, not a paraphrase.
C — "Similarly" signals comparison, but no parallel case has yet been introduced (the Tabasco statue comes afterward).
D — "Therefore" signals cause-effect, but the statue's presence is not a logical consequence of the site's location.
Artists’ palettes—the surfaces on which painters arrange and mix their paints—can provide valuable insights into the painters’ creative processes. In her 2024 book The Artist’s Palette, Alexandra Loske analyzes the palettes of 50 different painters across 500 years. ______ Loske reveals clues about the techniques and practices of such artists as Kerry James Marshall, Artemisia Gentileschi, and Vincent van Gogh.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Lastly,
B) In comparison,
C) In doing so,
D) However,
Show answer
Answer: C
The first idea is that Loske analyzes 50 painters’ palettes; the second is that she thereby reveals clues about their techniques. The relationship is means/manner — the second happens by way of the first — so “In doing so” fits.
A — (“Lastly”) wrongly signals a final item in a sequence.
B — (“In comparison”) wrongly signals a contrast or comparison.
D — (“However”) wrongly signals contrast, but the two ideas agree.
The early Australian railroad system of the 1800s was famously uncoordinated. Trains on the broad gauge Victorian Goldfields Railway line in Victoria couldn’t travel on the Ballyhooley Steam Railway in Queensland, which used narrow gauge tracks, without performing time-consuming conversions. ______ historians refer to this complicated system as the “mixed gauge muddle.”
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) For example,
B) Hence,
C) Rather,
D) Likewise,
Show answer
Answer: B
The first idea is that incompatible gauges forced time-consuming conversions; the second is that historians call this the “mixed gauge muddle.” The name is a consequence of the dysfunction, so “Hence” fits.
A — (“For example”) is wrong because the second sentence names the situation rather than exemplifying it.
C — (“Rather”) wrongly signals correction or contrast.
D — (“Likewise”) wrongly signals a parallel case.
As anthropologist Cristina Grasseni explains, many artisanal cheeses in Italy, such as Provolone Valpadana from Trentino-Alto Adige and Ragusano from Sicily, are highly valued for their regional authenticity; ______ they are prized for being made using local ingredients and methods typical of their respective geographic regions.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) rather,
B) that is,
C) then,
D) still,
Show answer
Answer: B
The first idea is that the cheeses are valued for “regional authenticity”; the second restates what that means — being made with local ingredients and regional methods. The relationship is clarification/restatement, so “that is” fits.
A — (“rather”) wrongly signals correction.
C — (“then”) wrongly signals time sequence.
D — (“still”) wrongly signals concession or contrast.
According to Portuguese researcher Isabel C.F.R. Ferreira, the veratric acid found in cauliflower mushrooms can protect human cells from damage. ________ the acid combats free radicals, a type of unstable molecule that can harm healthy cells in the human body.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Specifically,
B) As a result,
C) On the contrary,
D) Nevertheless,
Show answer
Answer: A
The second sentence explains how the acid protects cells (by combating free radicals) — it narrows the general claim to its specific mechanism. This is elaboration/specification. The general claim ("can protect human cells from damage") is followed by the specific mechanism ("combats free radicals. that can harm healthy cells") — "specifically" marks exactly this move from general to particular.
B — Wrong category — combating free radicals is not a consequence of protecting cells; it is the explanation of how that protection happens.
C — Wrong category — the second sentence supports, not contradicts, the first.
D — Wrong category — "nevertheless" signals concession/contrast, but the two ideas are in full agreement.
In ArtMed inSight, a series of art-based medical education classes taught by Anne Willieme, medical students learn to use techniques more often associated with the arts, such as slowing down interpretation and considering multiple perspectives. ________ Willieme's students develop better observational skills, enhancing their ability to understand and diagnose patients effectively.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Nevertheless,
B) In doing so,
C) For example,
D) By contrast,
Show answer
Answer: B
Result — "in doing so" means "by using those arts techniques," which is exactly how the students develop the better skills.
A — Wrong category (contrast) — there is no opposition between learning the techniques and gaining the skills.
C — Wrong category (illustration) — the second sentence is the outcome of the practice, not an example of the techniques.
D — Wrong category (contrast) — nothing is being contrasted; the sentences move from cause to effect.
The moon Carpo orbits Jupiter in the same direction that the planet rotates. ______ Carpo's orbit is described as prograde. Erinome, another of Jupiter's moons, orbits in the opposite direction, so its orbit is described with the opposite term: retrograde.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) In reality,
B) Hence,
C) Next,
D) Nevertheless,
Click to reveal answer
Answer: B
Idea 1: Carpo orbits Jupiter in the same direction the planet rotates. Idea 2: Carpo's orbit is described as prograde. The relationship is cause-effect/conclusion — being same-direction is the reason it is called prograde, so "Hence,". (The parallel "so its orbit is described … retrograde" confirms the causal pattern.) A (contrast/correction) is wrong — Idea 2 follows from Idea 1, nothing is corrected; C (sequence) is unsupported — this is a definition consequence, not a next step; D (contrast) reverses the relationship.
One proposed boundary between Earth's atmosphere and outer space is the Kármán line, 100 km above sea level. Based on the work of physicist Theodore von Kármán, this line marks the theoretical height at which an aircraft no longer remains aloft using the force of lift. ______ an aircraft sustains flight past this altitude primarily by its velocity, reaching a speed sufficient to maintain an orbit but not to generate enough lift from the thin air.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Regardless,
B) Instead,
C) Granted,
D) For instance,
Show answer
Answer: B
Replacement/contrast: not by lift, but instead by velocity. Flight is sustained not by lift but instead by velocity — a direct substitution.
A — Wrong category: idea 2 does not hold "in spite of" idea 1; it replaces the mechanism named in idea 1.
C — Wrong category (concession): idea 2 is not a conceded counterpoint.
D — Wrong category: idea 2 is not an example of idea 1; it states the alternative mechanism.
Kintsugi, a Japanese artform popular during the Muromachi period, which spanned the fourteenth to sixteenth century, pieces together broken pottery fragments by filling in the cracks with gold. ________ kintsugi also highlights the imperfections in the vessel, symbolizing that something broken can not only be repaired but also made more beautiful and valuable.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) By contrast,
B) For example,
C) In this way,
D) Specifically,
Show answer
Answer: C
"filling in the cracks with gold" is the means; "In this way … also highlights the imperfections" gives the result of that very method — a manner/result link.
A — Wrong category (contrast): the second idea extends and results from the first; nothing is being opposed.
B — Wrong category (exemplification): the second sentence is not an example of the first; it is the effect of that method.
D — Wrong category (specification): the second sentence does not narrow or detail the first statement; it states a further effect ("also … made more beautiful").
Though Middle English was widely spoken in fourteenth-century England, the English language was rarely employed in literature until poet Geoffrey Chaucer helped pioneer its literary use. ______ his manuscripts contain the first documented uses of over 2,000 English words---like the word "digestion" in his 1395 poem "The Squire's Tale"---which led a contemporary to dub him "the first finder of our fair language."
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) That being said,
B) Indeed,
C) Besides,
D) However,
Show answer
Answer: B
Before the blank, Chaucer “helped pioneer its literary use”; after, “his manuscripts contain the first documented uses of over 2,000 English words” — the relationship is emphasis, the second clause supplying strong corroborating evidence for the claim, so an emphasis transition is needed.
A — “That being said” signals a qualifying contrast, but the second clause reinforces rather than tempers the first.
C — “Besides” signals a separate added point, yet the word count is the same point made forcefully, not a new one.
D — “However” signals contrast, but the two clauses agree rather than conflict.
In Asiya Wadud's 2022 poem "Shorn, Treaded Red," the poet contemplates a painting that has inspired her: Etel Adnan's 2020 work Satellites 27. The painting, which features overlapping geometric shapes, fuels the poem's exploration of temporality and identity. ______ in responding to Adnan's artwork, Wadud's poem reflects on the relationship between poetry and other art forms.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) In other words,
B) For instance,
C) What's more,
D) Conversely,
Show answer
Answer: C
Before the blank the painting “fuels the poem's exploration of temporality and identity”; after, “Wadud's poem reflects on the relationship between poetry and other art forms” — the relationship is addition, the second clause naming a further thing the poem does, so an addition transition is needed.
A — “In other words” signals restatement, but the second clause introduces a new point rather than rephrasing the first.
B — “For instance” signals an example, yet reflecting on art forms is a distinct added effect, not an instance of exploring temporality and identity.
D — “Conversely” signals opposition, but the two points are complementary, not opposed.
Box modeling and digital sculpting approaches to three-dimensional digital modeling for video games yield graphics that accurately represent the relative sizes and proportions of real-world objects, but since these graphics are rendered from perfect geometric shapes, they tend to lack organic realism. ________ these 3D elements may display unnaturally precise angles and curves as compared to their real-world counterparts.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) As such,
B) In addition,
C) In conclusion,
D) Thus,
Show answer
Answer: A
Being built from perfect geometric shapes (the cause) leads to unnaturally precise angles/curves (the effect) — cause-effect/consequence. "rendered from perfect geometric shapes" → "As such, these 3D elements may display unnaturally precise angles and curves" — the result of that rendering method.
B — Wrong category (addition): the second sentence is the consequence of the first, not an additional separate point.
C — Wrong category (conclusion/summary): this is a single causal step, not a wrap-up of multiple points.
D — Also cause-effect, but in this paragraph the precise-angles clause restates/explains the just-stated "lack organic realism" rather than drawing a new logical conclusion; "As such" (a consequence of the rendering method) is the precise fit the item credits.
To determine the approximate age of sand engravings excavated from a coastal site in South Africa, archaeologist Charles Helm and colleagues collected samples of sediments surrounding the engravings; these samples were then analyzed using a method known as optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. _____ OSL dating indicated that the engravings were between 129,000 and 149,000 years old.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Similarly,
B) Ultimately,
C) By comparison,
D) In addition,
Show answer
Answer: B
Signals the final result of the dating process — "Ultimately, OSL dating indicated." is the outcome.
A — Wrong category (comparison) — the result is not parallel to the procedure; it follows from it.
C — Wrong category (comparison) — nothing is being compared to the procedure.
D — Wrong category (addition) — the second sentence is not an extra point; it is the conclusion the procedure yields.
With her installation The Interstitium, Laleh Mehran succeeded in creating a space that felt both "familiar and distant." ______ with a video screen at the far end of the coal slag-encrusted room, her installation was reminiscent of a typical movie theater—albeit one found in a subterranean coal mine.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Next,
B) Nevertheless,
C) Indeed,
D) Instead,
Show answer
Answer: C
The second sentence proves the first sentence's claim that the space felt “familiar and distant” (a movie theater is familiar; a subterranean coal mine is distant), so an emphasis/confirmation transition is needed.
A — “Next” implies a sequence of steps, but there isn't one.
B — “Nevertheless” signals a concession, but nothing is being conceded.
D — “Instead” signals a replacement, but nothing is being replaced.
Nineteenth-century Modernista architects championed nature in their designs. Granted, the wavy stone façade and ornate floral tilework of Casa Batlló, a Modernista private home designed by Antoni Gaudí, couldn't exactly grow in a forest. ________ one sees natural influences in Gaudí's penchant for curves (rather than right angles) and plant- and animal-inspired flourishes.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Furthermore,
B) Still,
C) Similarly,
D) In other words,
Show answer
Answer: B
“one sees natural influences in Gaudí's penchant for curves”.
A — Wrong category (addition) — this isn't another point added to the concession; it overturns the concession.
C — Wrong category (comparison) — the two sentences are not parallel like cases; the second pushes against the first.
D — Wrong category (restatement) — the second sentence does not restate the concession; it counters it.
Born in Port Gibson, Mississippi, in 1902, musician J.D. Short is best known as a key figure in the development of the Delta blues, a variant of blues that originated in the Mississippi Delta region. ______ steeped in the fertile music scene that sprung up in the alluvial delta between the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers, short and his peers developed their distinctive stripped-down, guitar-driven style.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Thus,
B) Nevertheless,
C) Moreover,
D) There,
Show answer
Answer: D
The blank introduces where this development happened — the same Delta place just named. The relationship is locational ("in that place"). A place transition pointing back to the Mississippi Delta just named — where Short and his peers developed the style.
A — Wrong category: cause-effect; the sentence specifies a place, not a logical consequence.
B — Wrong category: contrast; the sentence continues, it doesn't oppose, the prior idea.
C — Wrong category: addition; this isn't an added separate point but a place-anchored elaboration.
Cornelia Konrads is a German sculptor who creates art that seems to be part of its surroundings. Her sculpture entitled The Match is built between statues at a park in France. ______ appearing as large vases being tossed between statues at the park, it is cleverly placed into its environment, serving as an example of Konrads's approach.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) For instance,
B) Later,
C) However,
D) There,
Show answer
Answer: D
Idea 1: the sculpture the match is built between statues at a park in France. Idea 2: at that location it appears as vases tossed between the statues and is cleverly placed into its environment. The relationship is place — the second sentence continues describing the work at that same site, so the locational "There," fits.
A — (example) is wrong — the second sentence isn't an instance of the first, it elaborates the same sculpture.
B — (sequence/time) is unsupported — no time progression.
C — (contrast) reverses the relationship — the two sentences agree, they don't oppose.
A 1990 study of schooling fish observed the fish mimicking the behavior of school-mates rapidly swimming away from a predator. This is an example of an information cascade that benefits the collective. ______ the animal world is at times susceptible to the spread of misinformation, often with unfavorable results: a 2010 study of semipalmated sandpipers concluded that fleeing in response to flock-mates' false alarms caused the birds to abandon safe nesting grounds unnecessarily.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) In other words,
B) Conversely,
C) Indeed,
D) Consequently,
Show answer
Answer: B
Before the blank, the fish cascade is “an information cascade that benefits the collective”; after it, the animal world is “susceptible to the spread of misinformation, often with unfavorable results” — the relationship is a contrast between a beneficial and a harmful cascade, so a contrast transition is needed.
A — “In other words” signals restatement, but the sandpiper case is the opposite outcome, not a rephrasing.
C — “Indeed” signals reinforcement, yet the second case opposes the first rather than confirming it.
D — “Consequently” signals cause-effect, but the sandpiper example is not a result of the fish example.
In 2015, geologist Peter Rogerson calculated that the geographic center of Georgia was a point 17.7 miles southeast of the municipality of Macon. Rogerson's calculation was more accurate than the one from 1920 by the US Geological Survey. ______ this earlier calculation was made using far more rudimentary equipment---only cardboard and string.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Of course,
B) Ultimately,
C) Likewise,
D) To that end,
Show answer
Answer: A
Before the blank, Rogerson's calculation was “more accurate than the one from 1920”; after it, the 1920 method used “only cardboard and string” — the relationship is confirmation that the result is unsurprising, so an emphasis transition is needed.
B — “Ultimately” signals a final outcome, but the cardboard-and-string detail explains rather than concludes.
C — “Likewise” signals a parallel, yet no comparable second case is offered.
D — “To that end” signals a purposeful action toward a goal, but the second sentence states a fact, not a means to an end.
A writer whose debut novel is a success may struggle to live up to that first book's promise. ________ as in the case of Tommy Orange, author of the popular debut There There (2018) and the sequel Wandering Stars (2024), the follow-up actually elevates the writer's reputation. (Wandering Stars was labeled a "towering achievement" by the New York Times.)
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Specifically,
B) Accordingly,
C) Sometimes,
D) For example,
Show answer
Answer: C
Before the blank a writer “may struggle to live up to that first book's promise”; after, in Tommy Orange's case “the follow-up actually elevates the writer's reputation” — the relationship is a frequency qualification: the struggle happens only in some cases, with Orange as a counter-case, so a transition signaling “in some cases” is needed.
A — “Specifically” signals a specific instance, but Orange is a counter-case to struggling, not an example of it.
B — “Accordingly” signals cause-effect, yet Orange's success does not follow as a consequence of writers struggling.
D — “For example” signals an instance of the prior claim, but Orange exemplifies the opposite outcome.
On a chilly spring morning in a Virginia park, as sunlight crested the treetops, Kathrin Swoboda raised her Nikon D500 camera and captured an image that would win the Grand Prize in the 2019 Audubon Photography Awards: a red-winged blackbird, exhaling what appeared to be rings of smoke. ______ the "smoke" was actually the blackbird's breath hitting the cold morning air as the bird sang.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Therefore,
B) Furthermore,
C) For example,
D) Of course,
Show answer
Answer: D
Idea 2 clarifies the obvious truth behind the appearance — an acknowledged, expected clarification. It signals the naturally expected explanation: of course the "smoke" was only the bird's breath in cold air.
A — Wrong category: idea 2 is not a logical consequence of idea 1; it corrects the appearance.
B — Wrong category: idea 2 is not an additional point but a clarification of the same image.
C — Wrong category: idea 2 is not an instance of idea 1.
When the first railroads were built in Australia in the 1800s, a variety of track sizes (gauges) were used across the continent, resulting in what historians call the "railway gauge muddle." The Dreamworld Railway line in Queensland used narrow tracks. ________ the Mornington Railway line in Victoria used broad gauge tracks.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) In fact,
B) Meanwhile,
C) Likewise,
D) For example,
Show answer
Answer: B
Two different lines used opposite gauges (narrow vs. broad) at the same time — the passage's point is the "variety of track sizes" (the "muddle"). The relationship is two contrasting, contemporaneous facts set side by side. Two different lines used opposite gauges at the same time ("narrow tracks" vs. "broad gauge tracks") — "meanwhile" sets these contemporaneous, contrasting facts side by side, illustrating the "variety of track sizes.".
A — Wrong category — "in fact" intensifies or confirms the prior statement; the second clause is a different, contrasting line, not an intensification.
C — Wrong category — "likewise" signals similarity, but narrow versus broad gauge are opposite, not alike.
D — Wrong category — the Mornington line is not an example of the Dreamworld line; it is a separate, contrasting case.
Iodine and beryllium are among the elements contained in the salty, concentrated brine that remains after seawater is desalinated. Elements can be extracted from this brine in much the same way that materials are mined from the earth. ______ recovering materials from desalination by-products is known as brine mining.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Rather,
B) Fittingly,
C) Granted,
D) Next,
Show answer
Answer: B
The name "brine mining" aptly matches the just-stated mining analogy — the term fits/confirms the comparison (emphasis/confirmation). The label "brine mining" is an apt fit for the just-described mining-like process — confirmation.
A — Wrong category: contrast/correction; the name agrees with the analogy, nothing is being corrected.
C — Wrong category: concession; no counterpoint is being acknowledged.
D — Wrong category: sequence/time; this names the process, it isn't a next step.
DeWitt Clinton employed the pseudonym "Atticus" — a reference to an ancient Roman figure — in political essays he wrote in 1795, a choice that accomplished far more than simply concealing his authorship. ______ it wasn't an arbitrary pen name but rather a complex rhetorical strategy through which Clinton aligned his political views with the venerated republican ideals of the ancient world, thereby bolstering the authority of his writing.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Indeed,
B) However,
C) In addition,
D) Conversely,
Show answer
Answer: A
Before the blank, the pseudonym “accomplished far more than simply concealing his authorship”; after it, it was “a complex rhetorical strategy” — the relationship is emphatic elaboration that intensifies the prior claim, so an emphasis transition is needed.
B — “However” signals contrast, but the second sentence amplifies the first rather than opposing it.
C — “In addition” signals a separate added point, yet this clause expands the same claim, not a new one.
D — “Conversely” signals an opposite, but the strategy explanation agrees with and strengthens the prior point.
The El Chaco meteorite, discovered in Argentina in 1969, weighs approximately 63,580 pounds and is the fourth-largest iron meteorite ever discovered on Earth. The Fukang meteorite, discovered in China in 2000, is much smaller at 2,211 pounds. ______ the latter is a stony-iron meteorite, and a size difference between meteorites of different compositions isn't unexpected.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) As a result,
B) In other words,
C) Admittedly,
D) In conclusion,
Show answer
Answer: C
The second sentence concedes/acknowledges a qualifying point: the dramatic size gap is less striking because the two meteorites are of different compositions, so the difference is expected. The relationship is concession. The writer concedes the comparison isn't fully apt — the meteorites differ in composition, so the size difference "isn't unexpected." That concession is exactly "Admittedly.".
A — Wrong category (cause-effect): the composition isn't a consequence of the size gap; it's a reason the gap is unsurprising.
B — Wrong category (restatement): the second sentence adds new information (composition difference), it doesn't rephrase the first.
D — Wrong category (conclusion): nothing is being summed up; a qualifying concession is being introduced.
During many historic New York City parades, including the 1952 ticker-tape parade for US Olympic champions, the ribbonlike swirls descending on the scene were paper spools from "tickers," telegraph machines that were used to transmit stock prices. ____ the tickers had long since been retired by the time of the parade for the New York Mets in 1986. Then, shredded standard paper enriched the celebration.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Of course,
B) For example,
C) In addition,
D) As a result,
Show answer
Answer: A
Idea before: historic ticker-tape parades used paper spools from telegraph "tickers." Idea after: those tickers were already long retired by the 1986 Mets parade (so shredded paper was used instead). Relationship: concession — acknowledging an expected qualifying fact that tempers the preceding image. "Of course" signals that concession.
B — (for example) is the wrong category — the second sentence is not an instance of the first.
C — (in addition) is the wrong category — it is not an additional parallel point but a qualifying contrast.
D — (as a result) is the wrong category — the tickers' retirement is not a consequence of the earlier parades.
Modernista architects championed nature in their designs. ________ the dramatic archways and stone turtle statues of Sagrada Família, a Modernista basilica designed by Antoni Gaudí, couldn't exactly grow in a forest. Still, one sees natural influences in Gaudí's penchant for curves (rather than right angles) and plant- and animal-inspired flourishes.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Granted,
B) Similarly,
C) Furthermore,
D) Thus,
See how to solve this
Step 1: Identify the two ideas and the relationship.
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Idea before the blank | Modernista architects championed nature in their designs. |
| Idea after the blank | Sagrada Família's archways and statues "couldn't exactly grow in a forest" — a concession that the work isn't literally natural — then "Still, one sees natural influences …" |
| Relationship | Concession: acknowledge a point against the claim, then counter it with "Still." |
Step 2: Predict.
A transition that concedes a qualifying point (paired with the later "Still"): "granted."
Step 3: Match to answers.
| Answer | Verdict |
|---|---|
| A) Granted, | ✓ It concedes that the basilica isn't literally natural; the following "Still, one sees natural influences" confirms the concession-then-counter structure. |
| B) Similarly, | ✗ Wrong category (similarity): the sentence qualifies the claim, it does not present a parallel case. |
| C) Furthermore, | ✗ Wrong category (addition): it does not add support; it acknowledges a limitation. |
| D) Thus, | ✗ Wrong category (cause-effect): the basilica not "growing in a forest" is not a consequence of championing nature. |
Answer: A) Granted,
The title of "Of Moderation," an essay by French philosopher Michel de Montaigne, suggests a straightforward topic. However, Montaigne's expansive, curious mind meant that he never limited himself to one subject. ______ the essay is not just a discussion of moderation but a broad exploration of Montaigne's entire worldview.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Additionally,
B) That said,
C) Lastly,
D) Predictably,
Show answer
Answer: D
Before the blank Montaigne “never limited himself to one subject”; after, “the essay is not just a discussion of moderation but a broad exploration” — the relationship is a result that follows expectedly from that trait, so a transition signaling a predictable outcome is needed.
A — “Additionally” signals a separate added point, but the second sentence is the expected consequence of his expansive mind, not a new fact.
B — “That said” signals contrast, yet the essay's breadth agrees with his never limiting himself.
C — “Lastly” signals the final item in a series, but no enumerated sequence is present.
The Madison is a type of line dance that involves neat rows of dancers performing a repeated sequence of steps in unison. ______ many other dances are also defined by order, repetition, and synchronicity, but the Madison is distinguished by its extreme uniformity; when an auditorium full of dancers performs the Madison, one almost gets the impression of a military march.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) However,
B) Of course,
C) Specifically,
D) Moreover,
Show answer
Answer: B
Before the blank the Madison involves “a repeated sequence of steps in unison”; the blank introduces the granted point that “many other dances are also defined by order, repetition, and synchronicity”, which the explicit “but” then overturns — the relationship is concession, so a concession transition is needed.
A — “However” signals the contrast itself, but that opposition is already carried by the later “but”; the blank introduces the conceded point.
C — “Specifically” signals narrowing, yet the clause broadens to other dances rather than narrowing the prior statement.
D — “Moreover” signals a simple addition, not a concession the following “but” reverses.
The geologic principle of cross-cutting relationships states that an intrusion is younger than the rocks through which it cuts. ______ geophysicists analyzing a given rock formation can ascertain that an igneous intrusion that bisects a layer of 358.9-million-year-old Tournaisian rock but not the 303.7-million-year-old Gzhelian rock above it is younger than the former but older than the latter.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Accordingly,
B) Moreover,
C) To this end,
D) That being said,
Show answer
Answer: A
Before the blank, the principle states “an intrusion is younger than the rocks through which it cuts”; after it, geophysicists conclude a specific intrusion's age from it — the relationship is cause-effect, the conclusion following from the rule, so a consequence transition is needed.
B — “Moreover” signals an added point, but the second sentence applies the rule rather than adding a new fact.
C — “To this end” signals a purposeful means toward a goal, yet the analysis follows from the principle, not toward an aim.
D — “That being said” signals a concession or contrast, but the conclusion agrees with and applies the principle.
According to climate envelope models, individual organisms that inhabit the coolest areas of their species' geographic distribution are expected to benefit from a warming climate while individuals in the warmest areas will struggle. A 2024 University of Arizona study, ______ found that warmer-than-average temperatures resulted in a decrease in growth across all areas of the common pinon tree's distribution range.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) though,
B) therefore,
C) for example,
D) moreover,
Show answer
Answer: A
The study's finding (decline everywhere) runs counter to the model's prediction (cool-area benefit) — contrast. Contrast: the study's "decrease in growth across all areas" contradicts the model's prediction that cool-area individuals benefit.
B — Wrong category: cause-effect; the finding opposes the prediction rather than resulting from it.
C — Wrong category: example; the finding doesn't illustrate the prediction — it conflicts with it.
D — Wrong category: addition; this isn't an additional supporting point but a contradicting result.
In a given rock formation, Rhaetian rock from 208.5 million years ago might directly abut Lochkovian rock from 419.2 million years ago, with millions of years of material missing in between. ________ time did not stand still during these intervening years; the unaccounted-for sedimentary material was likely removed from the stratigraphic record via erosion and weathering.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) In particular,
B) On the contrary,
C) Of course,
D) As a result,
Show answer
Answer: C
Before the blank two rock layers sit directly together, “with millions of years of material missing in between”; after, “time did not stand still during these intervening years” before its explanation — the relationship is concession of an obvious truth followed by an explanation, so a transition that grants the self-evident point is needed.
A — “In particular” signals elaboration or example, but the second sentence is not a specific instance of the missing-material fact.
B — “On the contrary” must reverse a stated idea, but the first sentence never asserts that time stood still, so there is nothing to negate.
D — “As a result” signals cause-effect, yet the missing material does not cause time not standing still.
In a 1998 study by Smith et al., the researchers used microhistological fecal analysis to determine the ratio of three plant subtypes (graminoids, forbs, and browse) within the diets of North American ungulates. The researchers did not perform this analysis on all such ungulates, ________ they focused exclusively on pronghorns and wild horses in New Mexico.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) regardless;
B) in other words;
C) for instance;
D) however;
See how to solve this
Step 1: Identify the two ideas and the relationship.
| Element | Text |
|---|---|
| Idea before | "The researchers did not perform this analysis on all such ungulates" (not all). |
| Idea after | "they focused exclusively on pronghorns and wild horses in New Mexico" (only these two). |
| Relationship | Restatement/clarification — the second clause specifies what "not all" means here. |
Step 2: Match to answers.
| Answer | Verdict |
|---|---|
| A) regardless; | ✗ Wrong category (dismissal): the second clause doesn't proceed in spite of the first; it explains it. |
| B) in other words; | ✗ Wrong category (restatement): the two halves of sentence 2 aren't restatements of each other — sentence 2 as a whole pivots from the broad setup in sentence 1. "did not … on all such ungulates" is restated precisely as "focused exclusively on pronghorns and wild horses" — a clarification of the same fact. |
| C) for instance; | ✗ Wrong category (example): the two ungulates aren't an example of "not all" — they ARE the entire set studied. |
| D) however; | ✓ Sentence 1 sets up a broad scope ("diets of North American ungulates"); sentence 2 narrows the actual scope, so the relationship is contrast — "however" fits. |
Answer: D) however;
While most animals prefer the safety of nighttime migration, many poisonous amphibians—a category that includes the red-bellied newt and the fire salamander—safely engage in migratory behavior during the day. ______ with the sun in the sky, the amphibians’ striking color patterns deter visually oriented daytime predators by serving as a warning of toxicity.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) At that time,
B) For example,
C) In other words,
D) However,
Show answer
Answer: A
Idea 2 explains how/why daytime migration is safe, tying "during the day" to the daylight condition ("with the sun in the sky"). This is a temporal-causal link, not a restatement. Connects "during the day" to "with the sun in the sky": in daylight, the warning colors are visible and deter predators — why daytime migration is safe.
B — Wrong category — Idea 2 is not an instance of Idea 1; it is the enabling mechanism.
C — Wrong category — Idea 2 adds a new mechanism (warning coloration deterring predators); it does not restate Idea 1.
D — Wrong category — no contrast; Idea 2 supports, not opposes, Idea 1.
Followers of the philosopher Hegel argue that sound reasoning must be forged by the tension of the dialectic, which is to say, each stage of a thought's progression should contain within it the very seeds of its negation. ______ Hegelians resist the notion that logic is weakened by contradiction, believing the latter to be a necessary precursor to the former.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) However,
B) Still,
C) Finally,
D) Accordingly,
Show answer
Answer: D
Idea 2 follows consistently from idea 1 — a logical consequence, not a contrast. Because they prize the dialectic's built-in negation, accordingly they resist the idea that contradiction weakens logic.
A — Wrong category: idea 2 agrees with idea 1; there is no contrast.
B — Wrong category: "still" signals concession/contrast, but idea 2 is consistent with idea 1.
C — Wrong category: this is not the last item in a sequence.
The Republic of Pisa, a sea power based in the Mediterranean port city of Pisa that reached the height of its influence around 1100 CE, is classified as a thalassocracy. Thalassocracies are generally considered distinct from tellurocracies, or land-based powers. ______ the British Empire (1600s–1900s CE) notably extended its hegemony across both land and sea.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Blurring this line,
B) Underscoring this difference,
C) Supporting this claim,
D) Exemplifying this distinction,
Show answer
Answer: A
Contrast/qualification — the both-land-and-sea case is a counterexample that blurs the supposedly clean distinction. "distinct from tellurocracies. [Blurring this line,] the British Empire. extended its hegemony across both land and sea" — the dual case blurs the distinction.
B — Wrong category — the British Empire example undermines, not reinforces, the distinction.
C — Wrong category — it contradicts the "distinct" claim rather than supporting it.
D — Wrong category — it is a counterexample to the distinction, not an example of it.
The prime meridian, the global indicator of zero degrees longitude established in 1884, was originally determined using astronomically derived coordinates. ______ as decades passed, new calculations would reveal increasingly precise coordinates, yet the prime meridian remained unchanged; it wasn't until the 1980s that, spurred by improved geodetic data, the prime meridian was officially moved---roughly one hundred meters east.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Granted,
B) Again and again,
C) Specifically,
D) To that end,
Show answer
Answer: B
Before the blank the meridian “was originally determined using astronomically derived coordinates”; after, “new calculations would reveal increasingly precise coordinates” over decades — the relationship is emphasis on a repeated event recurring across time, so a transition stressing repetition is needed.
A — “Granted” signals a concession, but the passage stresses the repeated recalculation rather than conceding a point.
C — “Specifically” signals narrowing to a detail, yet the second clause is not a sub-point of the first.
D — “To that end” signals purpose, but the new calculations were not undertaken to serve the originally derived coordinates.
In economics, sugar is considered a soft commodity, while copper and crude oil are considered hard commodities. The categorical distinction between soft and hard commodities lies not in the products’ strength or durability but in their origin: the former type is grown or farmed, while the latter is mined or drilled. ______ pine lumber is as much a soft commodity as sugar, despite its decidedly sturdier composition.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Though it is grown from the earth,
B) In a notable exception to this rule,
C) By this definition,
D) Summarizing this principle,
Show answer
Answer: C
Before the blank, the distinction “lies not in the products’ strength or durability but in their origin”; after it, pine lumber counts as soft despite being sturdy — the relationship applies that origin-based rule to a new case, so a definition-application transition is needed.
A — “Though it is grown from the earth” treats being grown as a strike against soft status, inverting the rule that grown products are soft.
B — “In a notable exception to this rule” signals an exception, but pine lumber fits the origin definition; its sturdiness is irrelevant to that definition.
D — “Summarizing this principle” signals a recap, yet the sentence applies the principle to a specific case rather than restating it.
Karel Capek's 1920 play R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots), in which artificial workers overthrow their masters, left an indelible mark on the science fiction genre, and the English language, by introducing the term "robot" (derived from the Czech word robota, meaning "indentured labor" or "drudgery"). _____ Capek's play also contributed to a venerable literary and mythological tradition: using artificial beings as mirrors and foils for humanity
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Despite its creation of such an iconic trope,
B) By achieving such a lofty goal,
C) Ultimately limited in its lasting influence,
D) Beyond the simple coining of a term,
Show answer
Answer: D
Names exactly the move: past the word itself ("simple coining") to the larger tradition the play also joined.
A — Wrong category (concession/contrast) — the second idea builds on the first, not in spite of it; nothing is being conceded.
B — Twists Passage Words — coining "robot" is not framed as a "goal" the play set out to achieve; this misstates the relationship as means-to-end.
C — Reverses the direction — the text stresses an "indelible mark" and added tradition, the opposite of limited influence.
The Sultanate of Brunei, a Malay sea power based on the northern coast of Borneo that reached its height around 1600 CE, is considered a thalassocracy—a geopolitical entity whose hegemony resulted from control of the sea rather than of land. Historians classify thalassocracies as distinct from tellurocracies, or land-based powers. ______ the Ottoman Empire (1300s–1900s CE) is known for both land and sea supremacy.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) For example, tellurocracies have long overpowered their rivals:
B) Likewise, thalassocracies are sea-based powers:
C) In other words, empires are classified according to their source of power:
D) Of course, the distinction is not always so neat:
Show answer
Answer: D
Idea before the blank: historians treat thalassocracies (sea powers) and tellurocracies (land powers) as distinct categories. Idea after: the Ottoman Empire had "both land and sea supremacy" — a case that doesn't fit neatly into either box. The relationship is concession/qualification, so "Of course, the distinction is not always so neat:" fits and is set up by the colon introducing the Ottoman counterexample.
A — Is wrong on both relationship and content — the Ottoman example isn't an instance of tellurocracies "overpowering rivals.".
B — "Likewise" signals similarity and restates a definition, not the upcoming exception.
C — "In other words" signals restatement, but the Ottoman case complicates the classification rather than paraphrasing it.
In his 2000 book Bowling Alone, sociologist Robert Putnam argues that the erosion of social capital in the United States can be traced to the waning popularity of a variety of civic organizations, such as scouting groups, labor unions, and sports clubs. ______ between 1980 and 1993, though the number of bowlers in the country increased by 10 percent, the number of bowlers participating in a league decreased by 40 percent.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) The book's title alludes to an example of this social shift:
B) Some critics have presented evidence that the book may overstate the data's significance:
C) This argument, though valid, may overlook other forms of group participation:
D) According to Putnam, this decline has broader social implications:
Show answer
Answer: A
The book is titled Bowling Alone, and the statistic that follows — bowlers up 10 percent but league bowlers down 40 percent — is the title’s namesake example of declining group participation, which choice A introduces.
B — Wrong relationship: the data support Putnam’s thesis rather than showing the book “overstate[s]” anything; no critics appear.
C — Contradicts the passage: the data show group participation (leagues) falling, not an overlooked form of participation.
D — Wrong relationship: it promises “broader social implications,” but what follows is the raw bowling statistic itself, the example.