Question 54·Hard·Transitions
Traditionally, measuring glacier thickness required researchers to drill deep boreholes into ice sheets, a labor-intensive procedure that could be carried out only during brief summer field seasons. ______ a newly developed drone-mounted radar system enables glaciologists to map hundreds of square kilometers in a single afternoon and gather data year-round.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, first ignore the answer choices and read the sentences before and after the blank to decide the logical relationship on your own: similarity, contrast, cause/effect, example, addition, etc. Once you’ve named the relationship in simple words (like “these are opposites” or “this is a result”), pick the option whose meaning matches that relationship and eliminate choices whose meanings (similarity, example, cause/effect) clearly do not fit the context.
Hints
Compare the two methods
Look at how the traditional glacier measurement method is described and then how the new drone-mounted radar method is described. Are they similar or different?
Identify the relationship type
Ask yourself: Is the second sentence showing a similarity, a cause/effect result, an example, or a contrast to the first sentence?
Match meanings of the transitions
Think about what each transition means in general: which one signals similarity, which one signals cause/effect, which one introduces an example, and which one signals a difference?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the first sentence
The first sentence says that traditionally measuring glacier thickness required drilling deep boreholes. This is described as:
- labor-intensive (hard work)
- possible only during brief summer field seasons (limited time)
So the old method is slow, difficult, and restricted.
Understand the second sentence
The second sentence describes a newly developed drone-mounted radar system that:
- can map hundreds of square kilometers in a single afternoon (fast, efficient)
- can gather data year-round (no seasonal limit)
This new method is almost the opposite of the old one: it is easy, fast, and flexible instead of difficult, slow, and limited.
Decide the logical relationship
Now ask: what is the relationship between the old method and the new method?
- They are not similar; one replaces or contrasts with the other.
- The first does not cause the second; they are just two different methods.
- The second is not an example of the first; it is an alternative.
So the relationship is a contrast between old and new approaches.
Match the relationship to the transition choice
Check each option’s meaning:
- “Likewise,” = in the same way / similarly
- “Consequently,” = as a result
- “For instance,” = for example
- “By contrast,” = on the other hand / showing a difference
We need a word that shows a difference between the traditional method and the new drone method, so the correct answer is “By contrast,”.