Question 247·Easy·Transitions
Many city governments are working to reduce traffic congestion by encouraging cycling. _____ they have installed miles of new bike lanes and launched affordable bike-sharing programs to make cycling a practical commuting option.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, always read the sentence before and after the blank and decide the exact relationship between them: contrast, cause/effect, example, addition, time/sequence, etc. Ignore which word “sounds good” and instead label the relationship in your own words (e.g., “this is an example” or “this is a contrast”), then eliminate any choices whose usual function doesn’t match that relationship. This quick classify-then-match method is much faster and more reliable than guessing based on style alone.
Hints
Look at the big picture connection
Read both sentences together and ask: Does the second sentence oppose the first, happen at the same time as something else, simply add another separate idea, or illustrate the first with specific details?
Classify the second sentence
Focus on what the second sentence is doing: Is it explaining results, listing causes, showing contrast, or giving concrete actions that fit under the general idea in the first sentence?
Test the type of transition, not the sound
For each option, think about what kind of relationship that word usually shows (contrast, time, addition, example) and ask if that relationship actually exists between these two sentences.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the ideas in both sentences
First, restate each sentence in your own words:
- Sentence 1: Many city governments want to cut down on traffic by getting more people to ride bikes.
- Sentence 2: They have added bike lanes and created bike-sharing programs so that biking is a realistic way to commute.
The second sentence gives concrete actions the cities are taking.
Decide how the second sentence relates to the first
Ask: Is the second sentence contrasting with the first, showing something happening at the same time, simply adding another separate point, or giving specific examples of the first idea?
Here, the actions (bike lanes and bike-sharing) are specific ways cities are encouraging cycling. That means the relationship is general idea → specific examples.
Match the transition to a general-to-specific (examples) relationship
Now test each choice against that relationship:
- “Nevertheless,” signals contrast or an unexpected result, which does not fit because the second sentence supports, not opposes, the first.
- “Meanwhile,” signals things happening at the same time in different situations, which doesn’t match because both sentences are about the same governments and the same goal.
- “Additionally,” adds another point of the same type, but the first sentence doesn’t give a specific action—only a general goal—so this is not just “one more” similar item.
- “For example,” clearly introduces the bike lanes and bike-sharing programs as examples of how cities are encouraging cycling.
Therefore, the best transition is “For example,” (Choice C).