Question 219·Hard·Transitions
Epidemiologist Dr. Sumita Mitra advocates investing in wastewater surveillance because it can reveal spikes in viral transmission before clinical cases soar. ______, she cautions policymakers not to rely solely on this method: household plumbing differences and industrial runoff can obscure the data, necessitating other forms of monitoring.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, first cover the answer choices and describe in your own words how the two parts of the sentence or paragraph relate (cause-effect, similarity, contrast, example, qualification, etc.). Then categorize each option by the relationship it usually signals, quickly cross out any that don’t match your description, and choose the one whose meaning exactly fits the logical connection—even if more than one seems grammatically fine. Always rely on the ideas’ relationship, not on what “sounds good.”
Hints
Read both sentences together
Don’t look at the blank by itself. Read the part before and after the blank and ask: how do these two ideas relate—are they supporting, opposing, or something else?
Classify the second sentence’s role
Is Dr. Mitra giving another similar reason to support wastewater surveillance, explaining a result, or adding a warning/limitation about the method?
Test each transition type
Think about what each option usually does: one often signals a result, one a similarity, one a contrast, and one can link ideas that are presented together but not fully opposed. Which function fits how the second sentence relates to the first?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the first sentence is saying
Read the first sentence: it says Dr. Mitra advocates investing in wastewater surveillance and explains why (it can reveal spikes in viral transmission early). This is a positive, pro–wastewater-surveillance idea.
Understand what the second sentence is saying
The second part says she cautions policymakers not to rely solely on this method because certain factors can obscure the data, so other monitoring is needed. This does not cancel her support; it adds a warning/limitation to the method she supports.
Decide the logical relationship between the two parts
Put the ideas together: Dr. Mitra both (1) supports wastewater surveillance for its benefits and (2) warns that it has limits and should be used with other methods. So the second sentence is not a result of the first, not another similar point, and not a complete opposite; instead, it is a simultaneous caution that qualifies the original support.
Match the relationship to the transition choice
Now test each option: eliminate any word that signals a result (because of X, therefore Y), a direct similarity (another point that is just like the first), or a sharp opposition (the second idea directly contradicts the first). The only remaining choice that correctly shows she is both advocating the method and at the same time warning about its limits is “At the same time.”