Question 170·Medium·Transitions
Archaeobotanists scrutinize charred seeds from ancient hearths to reconstruct past diets; ______ they replicate traditional cooking methods to test how those seeds might have been processed.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For SAT transition questions, first cover the answer choices and read the sentence(s) around the blank to decide the exact relationship between the ideas: are they similar/additional, contrasting, cause-and-effect, example, or something else? Once you’ve named the relationship in your own words, eliminate any choices whose meanings don’t match that relationship, rather than picking what “sounds good.” This meaning-first approach is faster and more reliable than guessing based on rhythm or familiarity.
Hints
Look at what archaeobotanists are doing
Read the part before and after the blank. Are the archaeobotanists changing direction, showing a result, giving an example, or just adding another method?
Classify the relationship
Ask yourself: Is the second clause opposite to the first, a direct result of it, a specific instance of it, or simply another similar action?
Use meanings of transition types to eliminate
Think about what kinds of relationships words like contrast, example, and cause/effect signal, and cross out any options that don’t match the relationship you identified between the two clauses.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand how the two parts of the sentence are related
Read the full sentence, ignoring the blank:
"Archaeobotanists scrutinize charred seeds from ancient hearths to reconstruct past diets; ______ they replicate traditional cooking methods to test how those seeds might have been processed."
Both parts describe what archaeobotanists do: first they study seeds, and second they imitate traditional cooking methods. These are two similar, complementary methods, not opposites, not a cause-and-effect chain, and not a general idea followed by a specific example.
Match the relationship to a general transition type
Ask: What is the logical connection?
- The second action is not the opposite of the first.
- The second action is not a result or consequence of the first; they are just two methods.
- The second action is not an example of the first; both are specific activities.
So the relationship is: here is one method; here is another method as well. You need a transition that signals this "another/also" relationship, not contrast, cause/effect, or example.
Test each answer choice and select the one that fits
Now check each option against that relationship:
- "nevertheless" shows contrast or an unexpected twist → does not match two similar methods.
- "for example" introduces an example of a general statement → does not fit because both clauses are already specific methods, not general-then-example.
- "consequently" shows a result or effect → does not fit because the second action is not caused by the first; they are parallel.
- The remaining choice, "in addition", clearly introduces another, similar method.
Therefore, the correct answer is C) in addition.