Question 127·Easy·Transitions
Many bird species migrate each year to exploit seasonal food sources. ______ the Arctic tern travels from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back, completing one of the longest migrations on Earth.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, first ignore the answer choices and decide for yourself how the second sentence (or clause) relates to the first: is it an example, a cause, a result, a contrast, or something happening at the same time? Once you’ve named the relationship in simple words (like “example” or “contrast”), eliminate any answer choices whose meanings don’t match that relationship, then choose the one whose function best fits the logical connection you identified. Avoid picking transitions just because they “sound good”; they must match the logic between the ideas.
Hints
Look at how the second sentence relates to the first
Ask yourself: Is the second sentence disagreeing with the first, giving a time relationship, showing an opposite, or illustrating the first with a specific case?
Notice the general-to-specific pattern
The first sentence talks about "many bird species" in general. The second mentions "the Arctic tern" specifically. How does that usually connect ideas?
Match the relationship to a transition type
Think about what kinds of transitions signal contrast, timing, opposition, or illustration. Which type best fits a move from a general statement to one specific bird as an illustration?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what each sentence is doing
Read both sentences together:
- Sentence 1: "Many bird species migrate each year to exploit seasonal food sources." → This is a general statement about bird migration.
- Sentence 2 (after the blank): "the Arctic tern travels from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back, completing one of the longest migrations on Earth." → This is a specific description of how one bird species migrates.
So the second sentence is giving more detail about a particular bird that fits the general idea from the first sentence.
Identify the logical relationship between the sentences
Ask: How does the second sentence relate to the first?
- It does not disagree with or contrast the first sentence.
- It is not describing something happening at the same time as another event.
- It is giving a concrete case (the Arctic tern) that illustrates the general claim that many bird species migrate.
This means the second sentence functions as an example of the first.
Match each transition type to that relationship
Now think about what each transition word usually signals:
- One option introduces an example of the previous idea.
- One option signals a contrast (a difference or exception).
- One option signals simultaneous timing (something happening at the same time).
- One option signals an opposite situation.
Only the transition that introduces an example will fit the relationship we found in Step 2.
Choose the transition that introduces an example
Because the second sentence is a specific case that illustrates the general statement about bird migration, the transition that correctly introduces an example is needed.
That is choice A) For example, which clearly sets up the Arctic tern as an example of the migrating bird species described in the first sentence.