Question 221·Medium·Transitions
Some city governments are replacing traditional streetlights with LED fixtures to cut energy costs. Compared with conventional bulbs, LEDs consume far less electricity and last longer. ______ they can be programmed to dim during periods of low traffic, further reducing energy expenditures.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, first ignore the answer choices and decide how the sentences around the blank relate: are they adding a similar point, contrasting, showing cause-and-effect, giving an example, or shifting in time? Look for clue words (like "further," "as a result," or "however") that show this relationship. Then eliminate any transition whose meaning (contrast, time, concession, etc.) does not match that relationship, and pick the one that clearly expresses the connection you already identified from the context.
Hints
Look at the ideas before and after the blank
Ask yourself: Is the sentence after the blank giving a new benefit, giving an opposite point, talking about something unrelated happening at the same time, or saying something happens despite the previous facts?
Use the clue word "further"
Focus on the phrase "further reducing energy expenditures." What does the word "further" suggest about how this idea relates to the earlier point about saving energy and lasting longer?
Match meanings of transition words to the relationship
Think about what each option usually signals: same time, contrast, or in spite of something. Then choose the one that matches the relationship you found between the two sentences.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the sentences are saying
Read the ideas around the blank:
- First, the passage says cities are replacing traditional streetlights with LEDs to cut energy costs.
- Next, it explains that LEDs use less electricity and last longer.
- After the blank, it says LEDs can be programmed to dim during low traffic, which further reduces energy use. So the third sentence is giving another reason LEDs save energy.
Decide the logical relationship
Ask: How does the third sentence relate to the second?
- Both sentences list advantages of LEDs related to saving energy and money.
- The word "further" in "further reducing energy expenditures" signals that this is an additional benefit, not something opposite or unrelated. So we need a transition that adds another similar point to support the same idea.
Match each option to the relationship
Now test each choice against that “additional benefit” relationship:
- "Meanwhile," usually shows two things happening at the same time or a shift to a different but simultaneous action.
- "Conversely," introduces an opposite or contrasting idea.
- "Regardless," means “despite what was just said” and introduces something that happens anyway.
- "Furthermore," introduces another supporting point in the same direction. Because the third sentence adds another benefit of LEDs, the transition that best fits is B) Furthermore,.