Question 217·Easy·Transitions
Scientists have long believed that the small continent Zealandia sank beneath the waves millions of years ago. _____ new drilling evidence indicates that much of it remained above sea level far longer than previously thought.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, always read a little before and after the blank and first decide the logical relationship in your own words (for example: contrast, cause-effect, addition, example, time). Then, classify each answer choice by its function and eliminate any whose meaning doesn’t match that relationship. Be especially careful not to be tricked by transitions that sound smooth but signal the wrong kind of connection; logic matters more than flow.
Hints
Hint 1: Compare the two parts of the sentence
Paraphrase the first part (before the blank) and the second part (after the blank). Ask yourself: does the second part agree with, explain, or challenge the first part?
Hint 2: Classify the relationship
Decide whether the second idea shows a result of the first one, something similar to it, something happening at the same time, or something that goes against or corrects it.
Hint 3: Eliminate mismatched transition types
Look at each answer: which ones clearly indicate cause-and-effect, similarity, or timing? Cross out any option whose meaning does not match the relationship you identified between the two ideas.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the first idea
Read the first sentence: "Scientists have long believed that the small continent Zealandia sank beneath the waves millions of years ago." This tells us the traditional belief: Zealandia sank a very long time ago.
Understand the second idea
Now read the part after the blank: "new drilling evidence indicates that much of it remained above sea level far longer than previously thought." This says that new evidence shows Zealandia stayed above sea level for longer than scientists used to think.
So the new evidence challenges or disagrees with the earlier belief.
Identify the logical relationship
Compare the two ideas:
- Old belief: Zealandia sank millions of years ago.
- New evidence: It actually stayed above sea level much longer.
These two statements are not similar, and one does not directly cause the other. Instead, the second statement contradicts or corrects the first. That means we need a transition that shows contrast between past belief and new evidence.
Match the transition to the relationship
Check each option against this contrast relationship:
- "Therefore," shows cause-and-effect (result), not contrast.
- "Similarly," shows that two things are alike, but here the ideas are not alike.
- "Meanwhile," shows things happening at the same time, not a disagreement.
- "However," shows contrast between two ideas, which fits the old belief versus the new evidence.
So the transition that logically completes the sentence is D) However,.