Question 134·Medium·Transitions
Public libraries are often portrayed as becoming obsolete in the digital age. ______ nationwide surveys show that visits and program attendance have risen in many communities over the past decade.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, first ignore the answer choices and read the sentence with a blank to understand the relationship between the ideas (support, contrast, cause/effect, example, sequence, or time). Then label that relationship in your own words. Next, quickly sort the choices by what kind of relationship they signal and eliminate any that don’t match your label, checking the remaining option(s) by rereading the full sentence to ensure it sounds logical and consistent.
Hints
Read around the blank
Carefully reread the clause before the blank and the phrase after it. Ask yourself what the overall message is.
Determine the relationship
Are the surveys confirming the idea that libraries are obsolete, or are they showing something different from what people often say?
Match idea-relationship to transition type
Decide whether you need a transition that shows cause-and-effect, gives an example, shows contrast, or indicates time/at the same time.
Check for logical fit
Test each option by reading the whole sentence out loud with it. Eliminate any that create a cause-effect, example, or time relationship that doesn’t match the two ideas.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the first idea
Read the first clause: "Public libraries are often portrayed as becoming obsolete in the digital age." This sets up the idea that people think libraries are less useful or outdated now.
Understand the second idea
Now read the part after the blank: "nationwide surveys show that visits and program attendance have risen in many communities over the past decade." This says that, in reality, use of libraries has increased.
Decide the relationship between the two ideas
Compare the two statements: the first is about the perception that libraries are obsolete, and the second is about evidence that people are using libraries more. These ideas conflict with each other: the evidence goes against the common portrayal.
Match the relationship to the correct transition
You need a transition that shows a contrast between common belief and actual data. Among the choices, "However," is the transition that clearly signals this contrast, so it best completes the sentence.