Question 154·Easy·Transitions
Marine biologist Sylvia Earle has spent thousands of hours underwater observing ocean life. ______ she has become a prominent advocate for marine conservation, urging governments to establish protected marine reserves.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, first read the sentence without looking at the choices and decide how the ideas before and after the blank are related: are they cause-and-effect, contrast, example, time order, or something else? Then, look at the answer choices and briefly recall what each transition usually signals. Eliminate any choices whose meaning (contrast, time, condition, etc.) does not match the relationship you identified, and select the one that clearly reflects that relationship in context.
Hints
Check the relationship between the two sentences
Read the part before and after the blank and ask: Is the second part agreeing with, contrasting with, or resulting from the first part?
Identify the function of the second clause
Does the second clause give a different possibility, something happening at the same time, something that goes against the first idea, or something that follows logically from it?
Connect meaning of transitions to the relationship you found
Think about what each transition word usually signals (alternative possibility, same time, contrast, or a logical follow-up), and choose the one that matches the relationship you identified between Earle’s experience and her advocacy.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the two ideas being connected
Read the full sentence with the blank:
"Marine biologist Sylvia Earle has spent thousands of hours underwater observing ocean life. ______ she has become a prominent advocate for marine conservation, urging governments to establish protected marine reserves."
The first part tells us about her experience (thousands of hours underwater). The second part tells us about what she is now doing (advocating for marine conservation).
Decide how the two ideas relate
Ask: How does Earle’s underwater experience relate to her becoming an advocate?
It makes sense that because she has seen so much ocean life firsthand, she now strongly supports protecting it. So the second idea grows logically out of, or follows from, the first one. There is no contrast or warning; the ideas support each other.
Recall what each transition generally shows
Now think about the typical use of each transition word:
- 'Otherwise,' usually introduces what would happen if the previous statement is not true (an alternative or negative consequence).
- 'Meanwhile,' usually shows that something else is happening at the same time.
- 'Nonetheless,' usually introduces a statement that is true in spite of what was just said (a contrast).
- 'Consequently,' is the remaining option and will be evaluated in the next step.
The relationship we saw in Step 2 is not about an alternative possibility, simultaneity, or contrast.
Match the relationship to the best transition
We need a transition that shows that Earle’s long experience underwater leads to or results in her becoming an advocate.
- 'Consequently,' means 'as a result.' That perfectly fits the cause-and-effect relationship between observing ocean life for thousands of hours and then advocating for its protection.
Therefore, the best choice is A) Consequently,.