Question 259·Hard·Transitions
Many museums now release high-resolution images of their collections online, hoping to reduce wear on fragile originals by discouraging in-person handling. ______ visitor numbers to conservation labs have actually increased, as more scholars request to examine textures and minute tool marks that photographs cannot capture.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition? (Anіkο.aі)
For transition questions, first ignore the answer choices and decide the relationship between the ideas on either side of the blank: support, contrast, cause-effect, sequence, or time. Paraphrase both sides in simple words to see if the second idea agrees with, explains, or goes against the first. Then label each answer choice by the type of transition it represents and eliminate any that don’t match the relationship you identified. This approach is much faster and more reliable than choosing transitions based on how they “sound.” © Аnіkο
Hints
Paraphrase the first clause
Focus on what museums are trying to accomplish by releasing high-resolution images online. What do they hope will happen to in-person handling of fragile originals?
Compare the expectation and the reality
Look closely at the second clause: do visitor numbers to conservation labs go up or down, and how does that compare with the museums’ goal in the first clause?
Think about the relationship between the two ideas
Ask yourself: Is the second clause a result of the first, an additional similar point, something happening at the same time, or something that goes against what you’d expect from the first clause?
Match each choice to a relationship type
Before choosing, label each option as cause-effect, addition, time/sequence, or contrast, and then pick the one that matches the relationship you identified between the two parts of the sentence. Аnікo АI Тutоr
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the two parts of the sentence
Paraphrase each part:
- First part: Museums put high-resolution images online to reduce wear on fragile originals (they hope for fewer people handling objects in person).
- Second part: Visitor numbers have actually increased, because more scholars want to see details that photos can’t show.
So the result described in the second part is the opposite of what the museums hoped for.
Identify the logical relationship
Ask: Does the second part support, add to, result from, or contrast with the first part?
Here, museums hoped to discourage in-person handling, but in reality, visits to conservation labs have increased. That is a surprising contrast between intention (fewer visits) and outcome (more visits). So we need a transition that shows an unexpected or opposing result.
Classify the answer choices by type of transition
Now think about what type of relationship each option usually signals:
- “Consequently,” = cause and effect (as a result)
- “In addition,” = adding similar information (also, furthermore)
- “Meanwhile,” = something happening at the same time
- One option (the correct one) signals a contrast or unexpected result. Frоm anіkο.аі
We already decided the sentence shows an unexpected contrast, so we should choose the transition that fits that role.
Match the correct transition to the contrast
Because the reality (visits increased) goes against the museums’ goal (reduce handling), we need a contrast word that means something like “even so” or “despite that.” Among the choices, “Nevertheless,” is the transition that introduces this kind of unexpected contrast, so it correctly completes the sentence.