Question 71·Medium·Transitions
Many municipalities have begun switching off streetlights after midnight to conserve energy, leaving residential avenues far darker than residents remember. _____ nocturnal wildlife sightings have increased, as foxes, raccoons, and even deer feel safer venturing onto the quiet streets.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, first ignore the answer choices and read the sentences on both sides of the blank to decide the relationship: are they showing cause and effect, contrast, addition, example, or time order? Once you’ve named the relationship in your own words, look at each option and match its core meaning (e.g., contrast like “however,” result like “therefore,” example like “for instance”). Eliminate any choice whose meaning doesn’t match the logical connection, even if it “sounds” fine, and choose the one that precisely fits the relationship you identified.
Hints
Identify what changed
Focus on the first sentence: what change did the municipalities make, and what conditions did that create on the streets?
Think about how the second sentence connects back
Ask yourself: Is the second sentence giving an opposite idea, an illustration, something happening at the same time, or something that happens because of the change in the first sentence?
Match meanings of the transitions to the relationship
Before choosing, remind yourself what each transition usually means: one shows contrast, one gives an example, one indicates simultaneity, and one signals a consequence. Which type of relationship fits the passage?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the situation in the first sentence
The first sentence says that many municipalities are turning off streetlights after midnight to save energy. This change makes residential streets much darker than people remember.
So we have: action (turning off lights) → darker streets.
Understand the information in the second sentence
The second sentence explains that nocturnal wildlife sightings have increased because foxes, raccoons, and deer feel safer on the darker, quieter streets.
This clearly describes an effect that follows from the darker streets: more animals appear because they feel safer.
Decide the logical relationship between the two sentences
Ask: How does the second sentence relate to the first?
- Is it contrasting with the first idea? (no, it’s not the opposite)
- Is it giving an example of something just stated? (the first sentence is about saving energy, not about wildlife generally)
- Is it describing something that happens at the same time but unrelated? (no, it seems directly connected)
- Or is it showing an effect or consequence of the darker streets? (yes, more wildlife appears because it’s darker and quieter)
So the relationship is cause and effect: turning off lights leads to more wildlife sightings.
Match the relationship to the correct transition
Now match each option to its typical meaning:
- “Nevertheless,” = contrast, “in spite of that”
- “For example,” = introduces a specific example of a general idea
- “Meanwhile,” = something happening at the same time, not necessarily caused by the first thing
- “As a result,” = consequence, effect of what came before
We need a transition that shows that the increase in wildlife sightings is caused by the streets being darker. Only “As a result,” (D) correctly expresses this cause-and-effect relationship, so D is the correct answer.