Question 14·Medium·Transitions
Sparrows were once abundant in the city, but their numbers have plummeted in recent decades. Researchers suspect habitat loss, pollution, and competition are among the causes. ______ they have launched a long-term monitoring project to pinpoint the main factors behind the decline.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, always read at least one sentence before and after the blank and first decide, in your own words, how the ideas relate: contrast, cause-and-effect, similarity, example/detail, or time order. Once you know the relationship, eliminate any choices whose meanings do not match that relationship, rather than picking what “sounds good.” Be sure you know the basic meanings of common transition words (like contrast, similarity, detail, and cause-effect words) so you can quickly match the correct one under time pressure.
Hints
Check the overall situation
Read the two sentences before the blank and the one after it. What problem is described, and what are researchers doing in response to that problem?
Decide how the ideas connect
Ask yourself: Is the third sentence showing an opposite situation, a similar situation, a more specific detail, or an action that follows from the earlier situation?
Test the type of transition
Think about what kind of transition word would connect a situation (declining sparrow numbers and suspected causes) with an action researchers decide to take afterward.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what each sentence is saying
First sentence: Sparrows used to be common, but their numbers have dropped sharply.
Second sentence: Researchers think habitat loss, pollution, and competition may be causing this decline.
Third sentence (after the blank): Because of this situation, researchers have started a long-term monitoring project to figure out the main reasons for the decline.
So the third sentence describes an action researchers are taking in response to the problem and suspected causes described earlier.
Identify the relationship between the ideas
Ask: How is the third sentence related to the first two?
- The first two sentences describe a problem (sparrow decline) and possible causes.
- The third sentence describes what researchers are doing because of that problem and those suspected causes.
This is a cause-and-effect (or situation-and-response) relationship: the earlier information leads the researchers to take action.
Match the relationship to the transition choices
Now test each transition against the cause-and-effect relationship:
- Conversely, = in contrast / on the other hand — this would show an opposite idea, but the third sentence is not contrasting the first two.
- Likewise, = similarly — this would introduce something similar to what came before, but the third sentence is not another example; it is a reaction.
- Specifically, = in particular / giving a more precise detail — this would zoom in on a detail of the previous sentence, but the monitoring project is not a detail of the suspected causes; it is a new action.
- Consequently, shows that the monitoring project happens as a result of the situation and suspected causes described earlier, which matches the cause-and-effect relationship.
Therefore, the correct answer is C) Consequently,.