Question 9·Hard·Transitions
Ecologists have long assumed that the pollination success of alpine wildflowers would decline as warming temperatures shorten the period of snow cover. Recent field experiments support this assumption: earlier snowmelt correlates with fewer pollinator visits per flower. ______ these same experiments also report that certain late-blooming species compensate for reduced visits by producing significantly more flowers per plant.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For SAT transition questions, first ignore the choices and decide how the ideas around the blank relate: are they adding similar information, contrasting, showing cause/effect, or summing up? Put that relationship into simple words (for example, “bad news, but then some balancing good news”). Then quickly scan the options and eliminate any that don’t match that relationship type when read in the full sentence; always test your final choice by reading the sentence out loud in your head to check that the logic flows smoothly.
Hints
Restate the two ideas in your own words
Paraphrase: The experiments show fewer pollinator visits when snow melts earlier, ______ they also show that some late-blooming plants make up for this by producing more flowers. Think about whether the second idea supports, opposes, or changes how we view the first idea.
Identify the type of relationship
Ask yourself: Is the second finding just another example of the same trend, a direct result of it, or does it present a surprising way the plants deal with the problem described earlier?
Use meaning to eliminate choices
Look at each transition’s general meaning—cause/effect, contrast, similarity—and cross out any that do not match the relationship you identified between the two parts of the sentence.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what each part of the sentence is saying
First part: Ecologists assumed pollination success would decline as snow cover shortens. Experiments support this: earlier snowmelt is linked to fewer pollinator visits per flower.
Second part: The same experiments also show that some late-blooming species compensate for those reduced visits by producing more flowers per plant.
Decide the logical relationship between the two parts
The first part describes a negative effect (fewer visits). The second part adds information that shows some plants have a way to make up for that negative effect.
This is not just another similar effect or a direct result. It is an additional finding that pushes back against or softens the bad news of the first part.
Match that relationship to a transition type
We need a transition that connects two findings from the same experiments, where the second one partially counteracts or qualifies the first.
Ask: Which type of transition fits best?
- Cause/effect (as a result)?
- Direct contrast between two different things?
- Similarity (another thing like the first)?
- A contrast that shows an unexpected twist or limitation of the previous point?
Test each answer choice in the sentence
Plug each option into the blank:
- A) Therefore, would mean the compensation (more flowers) is a straightforward result of fewer visits, which is not clearly stated; it is just another observation.
- B) In contrast, usually compares two different subjects or situations; here both ideas are from the same experiments and the second idea modifies rather than fully opposes the first.
- D) Similarly, would suggest the second finding is like the first, but it actually responds to and offsets the first.
The only transition that shows an additional finding that goes against the negative expectation is C) Yet,, so the correct answer is C) Yet,.