Question 102·Easy·Transitions
Many new smartphone models use energy-efficient processors to extend battery life. They also incorporate adaptive screen brightness features that reduce power consumption in low-light settings.
_____ software updates frequently introduce power-saving modes that manage background activity.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, always read at least one sentence before and after the blank, then decide what the logical relationship is: continuation, contrast, cause/effect, example, or time. Once you know the relationship, categorize each answer choice by the type of connection it signals and eliminate any choice whose meaning does not match that relationship. Be strict: even if a word sounds smooth, if its logical function (like contrast or result) doesn’t fit the ideas, it’s wrong.
Hints
Read before and after the blank
Compare the ideas in the first two sentences with the idea in the sentence after the blank. Are they about the same topic? Does the third sentence agree, disagree, or give a result?
Classify the relationship
Ask yourself: Is the third sentence supporting the previous ones, opposing them, showing a result of them, or placing them in time order?
Match each choice to a relationship type
Think about what each transition usually signals: contrast, result, time order, or continuation. Eliminate any choice whose type does not match the relationship you identified between the sentences.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the relationship between the sentences
Read all three sentences together.
- Sentence 1: Smartphones use energy-efficient processors to extend battery life.
- Sentence 2: They also use adaptive screen brightness to reduce power use.
- Sentence 3: Mentions software updates that introduce power-saving modes.
All three sentences describe different ways smartphones save energy. The third sentence is another method in the same general category.
Decide what kind of connection is needed
Ask: How does the third sentence relate to the first two?
- It is not disagreeing with them.
- It is not describing a result of them.
- It is not moving backward or forward in time.
Instead, the third sentence continues the idea by mentioning another feature related to saving power.
Match each transition type to the context
Now consider what each answer choice usually signals:
- One choice shows contrast (an opposite or unexpected idea).
- One choice shows cause and effect (a result of what came before).
- One choice shows time order (something happening earlier or later).
- One choice simply adds another similar point.
Because the third sentence is just another example of a power-saving feature, we need the transition that adds similar information.
Choose the transition that adds another similar point
The only option that clearly and smoothly adds one more example to the list of power-saving features is “Additionally,”, so that is the correct answer.