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Question

Difficulty: HardSentence-Level Transitions

Passage:

Astronomer A. E. Douglass originally began studying tree rings in the early twentieth century not to date archaeological ruins, but to track cycles of sunspot activity and their influence on Earth's climate. He hypothesized that variations in solar activity would directly correlate with tree growth patterns, expecting to find a universal cycle mirrored across all species. [1] <underline>Consequently, the</underline> growth patterns he observed varied significantly depending on the local environment, forcing him to shift his focus from solar cycles to regional climate reconstruction.

Which choice best completes the sentence to establish a logically precise and grammatically correct transition between the ideas?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. B
    For instance, the
  3. Instead, theAnswer
  4. D
    , instead, the

Answer

The choice that begins a new sentence with the contrast transition 'Instead, the'.
The correct answer uses 'Instead' to start a new sentence. This transition accurately indicates a contrast between Douglass's expectation of finding a universal tree-ring cycle and the reality that growth patterns varied based on local environment. Starting a new sentence with a capital letter also avoids any grammatical splice errors.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the logical relationship between the first sentence (Douglass's expectation of finding a universal cycle in tree rings) and the second sentence (his findings that growth patterns varied significantly by local environment).
The relationship is one of contrast: his actual findings contradicted his initial expectations.
Identifying the correct logical connection is the first step in selecting the appropriate transition.
2
Evaluate the transition words in the options to see which one conveys contrast.
'Instead' is a contrasting transition, whereas 'Consequently' (cause-and-effect) and 'For instance' (illustration) do not fit the context.
This eliminates the options that use incorrect transition words.
3
Check the punctuation and grammar of the remaining options to ensure they do not create a run-on or comma splice.
The option using a comma before 'instead' creates a comma splice by joining two independent clauses, while the option beginning with a capital 'Instead' correctly starts a new sentence.
Ensuring grammatical correctness prevents punctuation errors while linking independent clauses.

Key Concept

Sentence-Level Transitions
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Topics

Sentence-Level Transitions

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