Question 208·Easy·Transitions
Researchers have found that reading regularly before bed can improve sleep quality. _____ many people choose to scroll through their phones late into the night instead.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, always read a bit before and after the blank and first decide the logical relationship between the ideas: are they similar, contrasting, cause/effect, or example/clarification? Then categorize each answer choice by what type of relationship it usually signals, eliminate choices that don’t match, and only then pick from the remaining options. Pay close attention to signal words like "instead," "however," "so," or "for example" in the surrounding text, as they often reveal whether you need contrast, cause/effect, an example, or simple addition.
Hints
Identify the relationship
Ask yourself: Does the second part of the sentence support, give an example of, result from, or go against the first part about reading improving sleep?
Focus on the word "instead"
The word "instead" at the end signals that people are doing something different from what was just recommended. What kind of relationship does that suggest?
Eliminate mismatched transition types
Look at each option and decide: Does it show cause/effect, give an example, add similar information, or show contrast? Eliminate any transitions that don’t match the relationship you saw in the sentence.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the relationship between the two ideas
Read the two parts together:
- First: "Researchers have found that reading regularly before bed can improve sleep quality." (This is a positive recommendation backed by research.)
- Second: "many people choose to scroll through their phones late into the night instead." (This describes people doing something different, and actually unhelpful for sleep.)
The key idea is that people are not doing the behavior that helps; their behavior is going against the helpful finding. That means the relationship is a contrast between what would be good and what people actually do.
Classify the types of transitions in the options
Now think about what each type of transition usually shows:
- "As a result," = cause and effect (the second thing happens because of the first).
- "For instance," = example (the second thing is a specific example of the first idea).
- "In addition," = addition/similarity (the second thing is another similar point that supports or extends the first idea).
- One option (the correct one) signals contrast between the two ideas.
Since we saw in Step 1 that the ideas contrast, we must choose the option that expresses contrast, not cause/effect, example, or addition.
Match the contrast relationship to the correct transition
Check each option against the contrast we identified:
- The phone-scrolling behavior is not a result of reading improving sleep, so a cause-and-effect phrase does not fit.
- Scrolling on phones is not an example of reading before bed; it’s the opposite kind of behavior, so an example phrase does not fit.
- Scrolling is also not an additional helpful habit; it contradicts the research-based advice, so an addition phrase does not fit.
The only logical transition is the one that shows a contradiction between what research says is helpful and what people actually do. Therefore, the correct answer is B) Nevertheless,.