Question 104·Medium·Transitions
During the 19th century, many American painters sought inspiration in the vast landscapes of the West. _____ Mary Cassatt turned her attention to domestic life, depicting scenes of mothers and children in intimate interior settings.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
On transition questions, always read at least one full sentence before and after the blank and decide the relationship between the ideas first (addition, contrast, example, cause/effect, or sequence) before looking at the choices. Then eliminate any transitions whose function doesn’t match that relationship, even if they sound smooth; the correct answer must match the logic, not just the flow.
Hints
Read both sentences together
Don’t look at the blank by itself. Read the first sentence about many painters and the second sentence about Mary Cassatt, and think about how their focuses compare.
Identify the relationship
Ask yourself: Is Cassatt doing the same thing as the other painters, giving an example of them, showing a result of what they did, or doing something different from them?
Match relationship to transition types
Think about what each option usually shows: an example, similarity, difference, or cause-and-effect. Then choose the one that fits the relationship you identified between the two sentences.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the first sentence says
The first sentence tells us that many American painters in the 19th century "sought inspiration in the vast landscapes of the West." So, the general trend is: artists painting big, outdoor Western landscapes.
Understand what the second sentence says about Cassatt
The second sentence says that Mary Cassatt "turned her attention to domestic life, depicting scenes of mothers and children in intimate interior settings." Her focus is small-scale, indoor domestic scenes, not vast Western landscapes.
Decide the relationship between the two ideas
Compare the two focuses:
- Many painters: vast, outdoor Western landscapes.
- Mary Cassatt: intimate, indoor domestic scenes. These are different and almost opposite types of subject matter, so the relationship is a contrast, not similarity, example, or cause/effect.
Match the relationship to the correct transition
Now match each transition type to the relationship:
- "For instance," = example of the general statement
- "Likewise," = similar in the same way
- "Therefore," = result or consequence
- "In contrast," = shows difference or opposition
Since Cassatt’s work contrasts with what most painters were doing, the transition that logically fits is "In contrast,", so the correct answer is C) In contrast,.