Question 237·Hard·Transitions
Many historians credit the introduction of coffeehouses in seventeenth-century England with fostering a culture of vigorous public debate. Patrons from different social classes gathered there to discuss politics, science, and literature. ______ these establishments were nicknamed “penny universities,” a nod to the low price of admission and the high level of intellectual exchange.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, always read at least one sentence before and after the blank, then decide on your own what the relationship is (same idea, example, cause/effect, contrast, sequence, or time). Only after you’ve identified that relationship should you look at the answer choices and match their meanings to what the passage needs, eliminating any that suggest a contrast, time shift, or other connection that doesn’t appear in the text.
Hints
Look closely at the sentence after the blank
Focus on what the sentence after the blank is doing. Is it giving new, different information, or is it tying a label (“penny universities”) back to what was just described?
Decide the relationship between the ideas
Ask yourself: Does the sentence with the blank introduce an opposite idea, describe something happening at the same time, or connect a nickname to the reasons it was given?
Use elimination based on meaning
Check each transition type: Is there any contrast between the sentences? Is there any mention of two separate events happening at once? Remove choices whose meanings don’t fit the relationship you identified.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the sentences are saying
First, read the whole passage:
- Historians say coffeehouses encouraged public debate.
- People from different social classes gathered there to discuss important topics.
- The last sentence explains that the coffeehouses were nicknamed “penny universities” because of the low price and high intellectual exchange.
Notice that the final sentence is explaining the nickname in light of the details just given.
Identify the logical relationship
Ask: How does the final sentence relate to the previous ones?
The nickname “penny universities” is clearly based on the facts that:
- entry was cheap (a penny), and
- the discussions were intellectually rich, like a university.
So the last sentence is not opposing the earlier information or describing a separate event; it is linked to it by explanation/reason.
Classify the answer choices by function
Now think about what each transition generally does:
- Nevertheless, → shows contrast (something happens despite what was said before).
- For this reason, → links a result or conclusion to the reason just given.
- Meanwhile, → shows two things happening at the same time.
- In contrast, → directly sets up an opposing or contrasting idea.
Only one of these matches an explanatory, “this nickname follows from what we just said” relationship.
Match the correct transition to the context
The passage connects the description of cheap, intellectually rich coffeehouses to the nickname “penny universities.” That is a clear case where the nickname follows from or is because of the earlier details. The only choice that correctly signals that cause-and-effect relationship is “For this reason,” so B is the best answer.