Question 77·Medium·Transitions
Archaeologists recently uncovered a network of ancient irrigation canals in the desert of northern Chile. The canals appear to date back over 1,000 years and were engineered to carry meltwater from nearby mountains. _____ researchers believe the region supported a much larger population than previously thought.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For SAT transition questions, first read the sentences around the blank with no options and decide the relationship in your own words (result, contrast, example, addition, time, etc.). Then look at the choices and match their meanings to that relationship, eliminating any that signal the wrong type (like contrast when the ideas clearly support each other). Always prioritize logical connection over what “sounds good,” and remember that the second idea might be a conclusion drawn from the first, which calls for a cause-and-effect transition.
Hints
Focus on the relationship between the two sentences
Read both sentences together and decide: is the second sentence giving a result, a contrast, something happening at the same time, or an example?
Think about why researchers changed their belief
Does the discovery of irrigation canals help explain why researchers now think the region once had a larger population?
Match meaning, not sound
Ignore which option “sounds nice” and instead ask: which transition best expresses the logical link between evidence (canals) and the new belief (larger population)?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what each sentence is saying
First sentence: archaeologists found an ancient, engineered network of irrigation canals in a desert region.
Second sentence: researchers now think the region once had a much larger population than they had believed before.
So the second idea is a new conclusion or inference drawn from the discovery in the first sentence.
Identify the logical relationship between the ideas
Ask: How does the second sentence relate to the first?
The discovery (evidence) of complex canals leads researchers to revise their view of population size (conclusion). That is a cause-and-effect or evidence-to-conclusion relationship, not a contrast, not just something happening at the same time, and not an example.
Match the relationship to the transition types
Now classify what kind of transition each option usually shows:
- One option shows a result or outcome.
- One shows events happening at the same time or in a different place.
- One signals contrast or an unexpected twist.
- One introduces an example of a previous idea.
You want the one that signals that the second sentence is a result or conclusion based on the first.
Choose the transition that shows result/cause-and-effect
The only option that clearly shows that the second sentence is a logical result of the discovery is B) Consequently, so that is the correct answer.