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Question

Difficulty: MediumSentence-Level Transitions

Passage

Early sound recordings from the late nineteenth century were captured on fragile wax cylinders, which degrade rapidly when exposed to heat and humidity. Consequently, researchers at the Library of Congress have developed non-contact optical scanning technology to digitize these delicate artifacts. This method uses light to read the physical grooves without touching the wax, preserving the audio before the cylinders deteriorate completely.

Question
Which of the following options best maintains the logical flow and correct punctuation of the passage?

  1. NO CHANGEAnswer
  2. B
    humidity, consequently,
  3. C
    humidity. Nevertheless,
  4. D
    humidity. As a result, consequently,

Answer

NO CHANGE
The correct choice uses a period to separate the two independent clauses and the transitional adverb 'Consequently' to show the cause-and-effect relationship between the fragility of the wax cylinders and the development of new technology.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the relationship between the first sentence (describing the fragility of wax cylinders) and the second sentence (describing the development of digitizing technology).
The second sentence describes an action taken as a direct result of the problem introduced in the first sentence. Thus, a cause-and-effect transition is required.
Identifying the correct logical relationship narrows down the appropriate transition words.
2
Evaluate the punctuation needed to join the two independent clauses.
Since both statements are independent clauses, they must be separated by a period or semicolon. Joining them with a comma and a conjunctive adverb like 'consequently' creates a comma splice.
Ensuring grammatical correctness prevents punctuation errors like comma splices.
3
Select the option that matches the required logical relationship and correct punctuation.
The original phrasing correctly uses a period to separate the sentences and 'Consequently' to indicate cause-and-effect.
This satisfies both grammatical and logical requirements of the passage.

Key Concept

Sentence-Level Transitions
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Topics

Sentence-Level Transitions

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