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Question

Difficulty: MediumSentence-Level Transitions

The following passage is an excerpt about a historical scientific breakthrough.

An Accidental Color

In 1856, eighteen-year-old chemist William Henry Perkin was attempting to synthesize quinine, a drug used to treat malaria, in his home laboratory. His experiments did not yield the desired medicinal compound; instead, they produced a dark, sticky sludge in his beaker. [1] <u>However,</u> Perkin noticed that the residue left a vibrant purple color on silk when diluted with alcohol. Realizing the commercial potential of this accidental discovery, he patented the substance as mauveine, the world’s first synthetic dye.

Which of the following choices for underlined portion [1] is the most effective transition?

  1. NO CHANGEAnswer
  2. B
    Consequently,
  3. C
    Furthermore,
  4. D
    For instance,

Answer

NO CHANGE
The transition 'However' is correct because it establishes a contrast between the failed experiment (producing useless sludge instead of medicine) and the subsequent breakthrough (discovering that the sludge could be used as a dye).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the relationship between the sentence before the transition and the sentence containing the transition.
The first sentence describes a failure (not yielding the desired medicinal compound but producing sludge). The second sentence describes a surprising breakthrough (noticing a vibrant purple color on silk).
Understanding the logical connection between the two sentences is necessary to choose the correct transition.
2
Determine the category of transition needed.
The relationship is one of contrast or unexpected pivot, as a failed experiment unexpectedly led to a valuable discovery.
Selecting the correct transition category ensures the narrative makes logical sense to the reader.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one that matches this relationship.
'However' is a contrast transition, which fits perfectly. 'Consequently' shows cause-effect, 'Furthermore' shows addition, and 'For instance' shows illustration.
Only 'However' (represented by 'NO CHANGE') correctly establishes the contrast between failure and discovery.

Key Concept

Sentence-Level Transitions
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Topics

Sentence-Level Transitions

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