Question 78·Hard·Transitions
Many urban planners champion the concept of the “15-minute city,” in which residents can reach work, grocery stores, and recreational spaces within a quarter-hour walk or bike ride. Early pilot programs in Paris and Melbourne have reported drops in car use and boosts in local commerce. ______ critics worry that such redesigns could inadvertently raise rents, pushing lower-income residents to peripheral areas and undermining the very goal of accessibility.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, first ignore the answer choices and read the sentence (or sentences) around the blank to decide the relationship: Are the ideas similar, opposite, cause-and-effect, or just another example? Label that relationship in your own words (e.g., “contrast” or “result”). Then look at the options and eliminate any whose meaning (similarity, addition, contrast, cause-effect) does not match the relationship you identified. Finally, plug the remaining option back into the sentence to confirm it makes both logical and grammatical sense.
Hints
Compare the ideas before and after the blank
Ask yourself: Is the part after the blank agreeing with, explaining, or opposing the positive results described in the first two sentences?
Pay attention to key words
Notice words like "champion," "reported drops in car use," and "boosts in local commerce" before the blank, and words like "critics" and "worry" after the blank. How does this shift affect the relationship?
Classify the relationship type
Decide whether the second part is (1) similar to the first part, (2) a result of it, (3) an additional supporting point, or (4) a contrasting or opposing point. Then look for a transition that matches that relationship type.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the first part of the sentence
Read the information before the blank:
"Many urban planners champion the concept of the '15-minute city' ... Early pilot programs in Paris and Melbourne have reported drops in car use and boosts in local commerce."
This section presents positive support and positive results for the 15-minute city idea (reduced car use, increased local commerce).
Understand the second part of the sentence
Now read the part after the blank:
"critics worry that such redesigns could inadvertently raise rents, pushing lower-income residents to peripheral areas and undermining the very goal of accessibility."
This section presents concerns or problems (higher rents, displacement, undermining accessibility). This is negative or critical, in contrast to the earlier positives.
Decide the relationship between the two parts
Compare the tone and ideas:
- First part: positive outcomes and support.
- Second part: worries and negative consequences.
So the sentence moves from positive support to critical concerns. That means the relationship is contrast, not continuation or cause-and-effect.
Match the relationship to the correct transition
Now test each type of transition against a contrast relationship:
- A word that means "in a similar way" would be wrong, because the ideas are not similar.
- A word that means "as a result" would be wrong, because the critics' worries are not proven results of the pilot programs.
- A word that means "in addition" would be wrong, because we are not simply adding another benefit.
- We need a word that clearly signals contrast between positive outcomes and critical concerns.
The choice that signals this contrast is "However,", so the correct answer is D.