Question 89·Medium·Transitions
Most citizen-science projects rely on volunteers with no formal training, who classify images or record observations from their local environment. ______ these projects require clear instructions and an intuitive interface to ensure that the data collected are reliable.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, first ignore the answer choices and read the surrounding sentences to decide the exact relationship: contrast, cause-and-effect, example, emphasis, or addition. Summarize that relationship in your own words (“this is a result,” “this is a contrast,” etc.), then look at the choices and quickly label what each typically shows. Eliminate any option whose usual function doesn’t match the relationship you identified, and choose the one that fits logically even if multiple options seem grammatically fine.
Hints
Read the whole sentence without the blank
Ignore the transition for a moment and read: “Most citizen-science projects rely on volunteers with no formal training, who classify images or record observations from their local environment. ____ these projects require clear instructions and an intuitive interface to ensure that the data collected are reliable.” Think about how the second statement relates to the first.
Label the relationship
Ask yourself: Does the second part go against the first idea, just add another similar point, or describe what is needed because of the situation in the first sentence?
Use process of elimination by relationship type
Once you’ve decided the relationship (contrast, addition, or result), cross out any transitions that usually show a different relationship from the one you identified.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the sentences are saying
Paraphrase the ideas:
- First part: Many citizen-science projects use volunteers with no formal training.
- Second part (after the blank): These projects require clear instructions and an intuitive interface so that the data are reliable. The second statement is explaining something that is needed because the volunteers are untrained.
Identify the logical relationship
Ask: How does the second idea relate to the first?
- Is it contradicting the first idea?
- Is it just adding another similar point?
- Or is it describing what is needed as a result of relying on untrained volunteers? Here, the need for clear instructions and an intuitive interface comes from the fact that the volunteers have no formal training. That is a cause-and-effect relationship.
Classify the transition types in the choices
Now think about what kind of connection each type of transition usually shows:
- Some transitions show contrast (a surprising or opposite idea).
- Some show addition (another similar point).
- Some show a result or effect of what was just said. You want the option whose usual role is to show a result of the previous statement, because the second clause explains what is required as a result of using untrained volunteers.
Match the correct transition to the relationship
Eliminate any choice that mainly shows contrast or simple addition, since the sentence needs a result transition. The only option that clearly introduces a result of the previous fact is D) Consequently, so that is the correct answer.