Question 133·Easy·Transitions
Yeast consumes sugars in the flour, releasing carbon dioxide gas that causes bread dough to rise. _____ the dough is baked, and the expanding gas creates the bread’s light, airy texture.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, first decide the logical relationship between the ideas: contrast, cause/effect, example, addition, or sequence in time. Ignore the answer choices at first and summarize the relationship in your own words (e.g., "this is the next step" or "this is an opposite"), then eliminate any options whose usual function does not match that relationship. Finally, check the remaining choice in the full sentence to ensure it sounds natural and preserves the intended meaning.
Hints
Hint 1: Identify the relationship
Ask yourself: Is the second sentence giving an example, a contrast, something happening at the same time, or the next step in a process?
Hint 2: Focus on the timing
Think about the real-life process of making bread: does baking happen while the yeast is making the dough rise, or does it happen afterward?
Hint 3: Match meaning to transition types
Remember: some transitions show contrast, some show examples, some show simultaneity (same time), and some show a following step. Decide which category fits this sentence best.
Hint 4: Eliminate mismatches
Cross out any choices that would suggest an opposite idea, an example, or events happening at the same time, since the sentence is describing a step-by-step process.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the relationship between the two sentences
Read the two parts together:
- First: "Yeast consumes sugars in the flour, releasing carbon dioxide gas that causes bread dough to rise."
- Second: "___ the dough is baked, and the expanding gas creates the bread’s light, airy texture."
Ask: Is the second part showing contrast, an example, something happening at the same time, or the next step in a process?
Identify the logical connection
The first sentence explains how the dough rises. The second sentence describes what happens after the dough has risen: it is baked, and the gas makes the bread airy.
So the relationship is chronological (about time and order): one thing happens, and after that the next thing happens.
Recall what each transition usually signals
Match each option to its usual function:
- "However," usually introduces a contrast or opposite idea.
- "For instance," introduces an example of the previous idea.
- "Meanwhile," describes something happening at the same time as something else.
- One option shows the next step or what happens afterward in a sequence.
We want the transition that best shows the next step in the bread-making process.
Choose the transition that shows the next step
Because the sentence is moving from how the dough rises to what happens after that (baking the dough), the transition that clearly indicates the next step in a sequence is "Then,", so the correct answer is D) Then,.