Question 215·Medium·Transitions
Many marine biologists once assumed coral reefs could recover quickly from bleaching events caused by rising ocean temperatures. _____ recent studies indicate that most reefs need at least a decade of stable conditions before significant regrowth can occur.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, first cover the answer choices and decide how the two parts of the sentence relate—are they similar, contrasting, cause-and-effect, or just happening in sequence? Then uncover the options and eliminate any transitions that signal the wrong relationship (for example, crossing out similarity words when the ideas clearly disagree). Always plug your final choice back into the sentence and read it smoothly to confirm that both meaning and tone are logical.
Hints
Focus on the relationship between old beliefs and new studies
Ask yourself: Does the new information support, explain, contradict, or just happen at the same time as the old belief?
Pay attention to the key words in each clause
Notice words like "once assumed" versus "recent studies indicate" and think about whether the newer information agrees with or challenges the older assumption.
Match each answer choice to a type of relationship
Think: Which option signals similarity, which signals time, which signals cause-and-effect, and which shows a change or disagreement between ideas?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the first idea
Read the first sentence chunk: "Many marine biologists once assumed coral reefs could recover quickly from bleaching events caused by rising ocean temperatures."
This tells us about an earlier belief or assumption: that reefs recover quickly.
Understand the second idea
Now read the second part: "recent studies indicate that most reefs need at least a decade of stable conditions before significant regrowth can occur."
This says new research shows reefs actually need a long time (at least ten years) to recover.
Decide how the ideas relate
Compare the two ideas:
- Old assumption: quick recovery.
- New studies: need at least a decade to recover. The new information does not support or match the old belief; instead, it disagrees with or challenges it. That means the relationship between the two parts is one of contrast, not similarity, timing, or cause-and-effect.
Test each transition and choose the best one
Now match each option to the relationship you found:
- "Similarly," suggests the second idea is like the first. That’s wrong because the new studies disagree with the old assumption.
- "Meanwhile," suggests two things happening at the same time. The sentence is not about simultaneous events; it’s about comparing beliefs and evidence.
- "Consequently," suggests the second idea is a result of the first. The new studies are not a result of the old assumption; they contradict it.
- "However," introduces a contrast, which fits the way new studies challenge the old assumption.
So the best transition is "However,".