Question 94·Easy·Transitions
By the late 1920s, audiences had grown accustomed to the novelty of silent pictures and began to crave more sophisticated entertainment. ______ filmmakers responded by lengthening running times, building elaborate sets, and crafting intricate storylines.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For transition questions, always read at least one full sentence before and after the blank, then briefly state in your own words how the two ideas are related (contrast, cause-and-effect, example, sequence, or same time). Next, label each choice by the type of relationship it signals and eliminate those that clearly don’t match. Avoid picking a transition just because it “sounds good”; it must accurately reflect the logical connection between the ideas.
Hints
Look at both parts together
Read the sentence before the blank and the sentence after the blank as one connected idea. Ask yourself: what changes, and what happens next?
Focus on the word "responded"
The second part begins "filmmakers responded by..." What does that tell you about how the filmmakers’ actions relate to the audiences’ new preferences?
Classify the general relationship
Decide whether the second part is opposing the first idea, just happening at the same time, giving an example, or describing what filmmakers did after the change in audience tastes.
Eliminate mismatched transition types
Think about what each option usually signals (contrast, same time, example, etc.) and cross out any that clearly do not match the relationship you identified between the two parts.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand the situation in the first sentence
The first sentence says that by the late 1920s, audiences were no longer impressed by the novelty of silent movies and instead wanted more sophisticated entertainment. This sets up a change in audience expectations.
See how the second sentence relates to the first
The second part says that filmmakers "responded" by lengthening running times, building elaborate sets, and creating more complex stories. That means the filmmakers changed what they were doing because of the audiences’ new demands.
Match the relationship to transition types
Now think about what kind of link is needed between the audience change and the filmmakers’ response. We are not seeing an opposite idea, a simple overlap in time, or just an example; instead, the second sentence describes what happened in reaction to the first.
Test each answer choice and choose the best fit
A) "However," shows contrast, but the filmmakers’ actions do not oppose the first idea. B) "Meanwhile," shows two things happening at the same time, but the sentence focuses on how filmmakers reacted, not just on timing. D) "For example," would introduce an illustration of something from the first sentence, but the second sentence is not just an example; it explains what filmmakers did next. C) "As a result," correctly shows that filmmakers’ actions were a consequence of the audiences’ changing tastes, so C is the best choice.