Question 113·Medium·Transitions
A growing body of evidence shows that urban green spaces improve residents’ mental health. ______ researchers have found that exposure to greenery can reduce urban heat-island effects, making cities more comfortable during the summer months.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, first ignore the answer choices and read the sentences before and after the blank together, asking: Do they show addition, contrast, cause/effect, a sequence, or an example? Summarize that relationship in your own words (e.g., “this is another benefit” or “this is the opposite point”), then eliminate any choices whose meanings don’t match that relationship. Be especially careful with tempting words like “for example” and “however,” and only pick a transition if its usual function clearly matches how the ideas relate in the passage.
Hints
Check whether the ideas agree or disagree
Ask yourself: Does the second sentence go against the first sentence, or does it support and add to it? That tells you whether you need a contrast word or something else.
Decide if the second sentence is an example or a separate point
Is reducing urban heat-island effects an example of improving mental health, or is it another, different benefit of green spaces?
Eliminate contrast and example transitions if they don’t fit
Look for options that signal contrast or an example. If the second sentence is not contrasting with the first and is not a specific instance of the first, those options should be ruled out.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the relationship between the two sentences
Read the two sentences together:
- First: “A growing body of evidence shows that urban green spaces improve residents’ mental health.”
- Second: “______ researchers have found that exposure to greenery can reduce urban heat-island effects, making cities more comfortable during the summer months.”
Both sentences describe benefits of urban green spaces. The second does not disagree with or weaken the first; instead, it adds a different positive effect (reducing heat-island effects and improving comfort).
Decide what kind of transition is needed
Ask: What is the logical connection?
- It is not a contrast (nothing is being opposed or reversed).
- It is not a limitation or “even though” idea.
- It is not giving a specific example of mental health improvement; it describes another, separate benefit (cooler temperatures and comfort).
So the transition should connect the two sentences by adding another related benefit.
Match each option to its function and choose the best fit
Now look at what each option usually does:
- “Nevertheless,” shows contrast or an unexpected opposite result.
- “For example,” introduces a specific instance of what was just mentioned.
- “In contrast,” sets up an opposing or very different idea.
- “Additionally,” connects by adding another point.
Because the second sentence simply adds another benefit of urban green spaces, the transition that shows addition—“Additionally,”—is the most logical choice.