Question 111·Hard·Transitions
Pollinator decline is often blamed on the intensive use of pesticides in large-scale monoculture farms. A growing body of research, however, suggests that small urban gardens can serve as critical refuges for bees and butterflies. ____ a recent study of 45 cities found that certain native bee species are now more abundant in metropolitan areas than in the surrounding countryside.
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 label the relationship in your own words (cause-effect, contrast, example/detail, continuation, etc.). Next, translate each answer choice into the relationship it signals and eliminate any whose meaning does not match. Avoid picking what “sounds good”; instead, make sure the transition exactly fits how the two ideas connect in context.
Hints
Focus on the second and third sentences
Look closely at how the idea of a "growing body of research" in the second sentence connects to the description of "a recent study of 45 cities" in the third sentence.
Decide the type of relationship
Ask yourself: Is the third sentence showing a result, giving a contrast, adding a separate new point, or giving a more detailed example of the research just mentioned?
Use the content of the third sentence
The phrase "a recent study of 45 cities found that..." is doing something specific: it is describing one particular piece of evidence. Think about which transition best introduces a specific piece of evidence that supports a general statement.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand how the ideas are connected
First, summarize each sentence:
- Sentence 1: Pollinator decline is blamed on pesticides in large farms.
- Sentence 2: New research suggests small urban gardens can help bees and butterflies.
- Sentence 3: "____ a recent study of 45 cities found that certain native bee species are now more abundant in metropolitan areas than in the surrounding countryside."
Sentence 3 is giving details about a specific study that is part of the “growing body of research” mentioned in sentence 2.
Identify the logical relationship
Ask: How does the third sentence relate to the second one?
- The second sentence makes a general claim about research.
- The third sentence presents a particular study that fits into that research.
That means the relationship is: moving from a general statement to a specific supporting example or detail.
Match each choice to its meaning
Now think about what each transition usually signals:
- "Consequently," = as a result, cause-and-effect.
- "Still," = nevertheless, contrast.
- "In addition," = furthermore, another separate point of the same type.
- One option (the correct one) signals that the writer is giving a more precise or detailed example of what was just stated.
Only the option with that last meaning will correctly link the general “growing body of research” to the specific study.
Choose the transition that introduces a specific example
Because the third sentence introduces a concrete study as a specific example of the general research mentioned just before, the best transition is "Specifically,".