Question 56·Medium·Transitions
Until recently, most studies of plastic pollution focused on surface waters. Vast quantities of plastic, however, sink to the seafloor, where they can persist for decades. ______ a team led by marine biologist Dr. Lina Reyes used a remotely operated vehicle to map plastic debris on the abyssal plain of the Pacific.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, always read at least one full sentence before and after the blank, then describe the relationship in your own words (for example: adds a similar point, contrasts, gives a reason, shows a result, gives an example). Next, recall what each answer choice usually signals and eliminate any whose meaning doesn’t match that relationship. Be strict: if a word suggests contrast but the ideas clearly support or lead to each other, cross it out; the correct choice will make the sentence flow logically and smoothly without forcing a new direction that isn’t in the passage.
Hints
Look closely at the two sentences around the blank
Reread the sentence about plastic sinking to the seafloor and the sentence about Dr. Reyes’s team. Think about how the second idea grows out of or relates to the first one.
Decide what kind of connection you see
Ask yourself: Is the sentence about Dr. Reyes’s team opposing the previous sentence, giving an example of it, or taking action in response to it?
Match each option’s meaning to that connection
Think about what each transition usually signals: contrast, example, or some other relationship. Eliminate any option whose meaning doesn’t fit the way the second and third sentences relate.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the context of the passage
Read the three sentences together:
- First: Most studies of plastic pollution focused on surface waters.
- Second: A lot of plastic actually sinks to the seafloor and can last for decades.
- Third: A team led by Dr. Reyes used a remotely operated vehicle to map plastic debris on the deep seafloor.
The third sentence describes a specific research project. You need a transition that correctly links this project to the information right before the blank.
Identify the relationship between the second and third sentences
Ask: How is the third sentence related to the idea that plastic sinks to the seafloor and persists for decades?
The research team’s mapping of plastic on the abyssal plain is a response to, or result of, recognizing that there is a lot of plastic on the seafloor. The scientists are acting because of the problem just described, not contradicting it or giving an example of earlier surface-water studies.
Recall what each transition generally means
Match each choice to its usual meaning:
- Nevertheless, = despite that; in contrast to what you would expect from the previous sentence.
- For instance, = for example; introducing a specific example of the previous idea.
- By contrast, = in contrast; showing a clear difference between two things.
- Accordingly, = as a result; in a way that follows logically from what was just said.
Now compare these meanings to the relationship you identified: the third sentence is something scientists did because of the problem described in the second sentence.
Match the relationship to the best transition
The passage needs a transition that shows that the team’s mapping project follows logically from the fact that plastic sinks to the seafloor and persists there.
Only “Accordingly,” means “as a result” and clearly signals that the research project is a logical response to the problem, so D) Accordingly, is the correct answer.