Question 43·200 Super-Hard SAT Reading Questions·Expression of Ideas
Surveys in several cities have found that some unmanaged vacant lots host more native bee species than nearby manicured parks. This finding does not mean that the lots function like intact grasslands; many lack specialist bees that depend on long-established plant communities. ______ conservation planners can regard the lots as useful supplements to, rather than replacements for, protected natural areas.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
For a transition question with multiple comparisons, identify the benchmark and implication of each comparison separately. Then determine whether the following conclusion combines, qualifies, rejects, or equates those implications; choose the option that represents that precise relationship without overstating either finding.
Hints
Identify the benchmarks
Determine what vacant lots are being compared with in each of the first two sentences.
Distinguish correction from qualification
Consider whether the second sentence disproves the survey result or merely limits what that result establishes.
Test the concluding modifier
For each option, ask whether it accurately describes the reasoning planners use to reach both parts of the conclusion.
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify each comparison's implication
The comparison with manicured parks shows a benefit: some vacant lots support more native bee species. The comparison with intact grasslands shows a limitation: the lots may lack specialist bees and therefore are not ecological equivalents of grasslands.
Determine how the findings relate
The second finding does not invalidate the first survey result. Instead, it limits the conclusion that can be drawn from the lots' high total species counts.
Connect the findings to the conclusion
The conclusion preserves both implications by calling the lots useful while denying that they can replace protected natural areas. Therefore, the transition about keeping the comparisons' distinct implications in view is the most logical choice.