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Difficulty: MediumTransitions: Cause and Effect

During volcanic eruptions, vast plumes of iron-rich ash are carried by winds and deposited into the nutrient-deficient surface waters of the subarctic Pacific Ocean. ______ marine phytoplankton, whose growth is typically restricted by the scarcity of dissolved iron in these high-nutrient, low-chlorophyll regions, undergo rapid multiplication and generate massive, satellite-visible algal blooms that temporarily alter the local marine ecosystem.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

  1. A
    Nevertheless,
  2. B
    Furthermore,
  3. Consequently,Answer
  4. D
    Previously,

Answer

Consequently,
The transition word 'consequently' correctly establishes a cause-and-effect relationship between the deposition of iron-rich volcanic ash and the subsequent growth of iron-limited marine phytoplankton.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the relationship between the two sentences in the passage.
The first sentence describes how winds deposit iron-rich volcanic ash into iron-deficient ocean waters. The second sentence describes how marine phytoplankton, normally limited by iron scarcity, grow rapidly and bloom.
Understanding the logical connection between the sentences is necessary to select the correct transition.
2
Determine the appropriate transition category based on the identified relationship.
Since the introduction of iron (the cause) directly enables and results in the rapid multiplication of the iron-limited phytoplankton (the effect), a cause-and-effect transition is required.
This allows us to eliminate transitions that denote contrast, addition, or chronological sequence.
3
Select the option that matches the cause-and-effect category.
The word 'consequently' is a cause-and-effect transition and logically links the two sentences.
It correctly signals that the phytoplankton growth is a direct result of the volcanic ash deposition.

Key Concept

Transitions: Cause and Effect
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Transitions: Cause and Effect

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