Question 125·Medium·Transitions
Many bee species are facing population declines because of habitat loss and pesticide exposure. ______ some farmers are creating pollinator-friendly buffer zones around their fields to help bees thrive.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, first decide how the second sentence logically connects to the first: contrast, cause-and-effect, example, addition, or similarity. Then briefly define each answer choice’s function (contrast, result, example, etc.) and eliminate any options whose function doesn’t match that relationship. Finally, read your remaining option(s) in the sentence to confirm the paragraph flows logically and smoothly.
Hints
Look at how the second sentence relates to the first
Ask yourself: Is the second sentence contradicting the first, giving an example of it, showing something similar, or describing what happens because of it?
Pay attention to the problem–solution structure
The first sentence presents a problem about bees. Think about what role the farmers’ actions in the second sentence play in relation to that problem.
Mentally test each transition in the blank
Read the sentences aloud with each option: Does the transition make the two sentences feel logically connected and smooth, or does it create a mismatch in meaning?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the relationship between the two sentences
Read the two sentences together:
- Sentence 1: Many bee species are declining because of habitat loss and pesticides.
- Sentence 2: Some farmers are creating pollinator-friendly buffer zones to help bees thrive.
The second sentence describes an action farmers are taking in response to the problem in the first sentence. So you are looking for a transition that matches this logical relationship.
Identify what each transition word usually does
Now think about the typical use of each option:
- However, is used to show contrast or an opposing idea.
- Consequently, is used to show a result of what came before.
- For example, is used to introduce a specific instance of a general idea.
- Likewise, is used to show similarity between two situations or actions.
Keep this in mind as you test each option in the blank.
Test each option in the sentence
Plug each option into the blank and see if it matches the relationship between the sentences:
- However, would suggest farmers are doing something that goes against the idea of bee declines, but they are actually responding to the problem, not contradicting it.
- For example, would mean the second sentence is an example of something just mentioned, but the first sentence states a problem, not a general claim about farmers’ actions.
- Likewise, would mean farmers are acting in a similar way to someone or something mentioned before, but nothing similar was mentioned.
- One option correctly shows that the farmers’ actions are a result of the bee declines.
Choose the transition that shows a result
Because the second sentence describes what farmers are doing as a response to bee population declines, the most logical transition is the one that shows a result of the situation described first. That word is “Consequently,”, so the correct answer is B) Consequently,.