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Difficulty: HardTransitions: Cause and Effect

In historical linguistics, the laryngeal theory proposed by Ferdinand de Saussure in 1878 predicted the existence of certain consonant sounds in Proto-Indo-European that had vanished in all known daughter languages. When Hittite cuneiform tablets were deciphered in the early twentieth century, scholars discovered a written language that retained these exact predicted consonants. The decipherment of Hittite, ________, provided direct empirical confirmation of Saussure's hypothetical structures, vindicating his reconstructed model decades after its publication.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

  1. thusAnswer
  2. B
    nevertheless
  3. C
    furthermore
  4. D
    meanwhile

Answer

thus
The transition 'thus' logically connects the sentences by establishing a cause-and-effect relationship. The passage states that Saussure predicted certain consonant sounds, and the deciphered Hittite tablets were discovered to have these exact consonants. Consequently, the decipherment of Hittite directly caused, or resulted in, the empirical confirmation of Saussure's hypothetical structures.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the relationship between the ideas in the passage.
The first sentence explains that Saussure's theory predicted certain vanished consonant sounds. The second sentence states that the deciphered Hittite tablets were found to contain these exact predicted consonants. The third sentence explains that the decipherment of Hittite provided direct empirical confirmation of the theory.
Understanding how the sentences connect is necessary to identify the correct logical transition.
2
Identify the logical connection required for the blank.
Since the decipherment of Hittite (revealing the predicted consonants) is the cause that directly led to the empirical confirmation of Saussure's theory (the effect), a cause-and-effect transition is needed.
The correct transition must reflect this cause-and-effect relationship.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the transition that signals cause-and-effect.
The transition 'thus' signifies cause-and-effect and fits the grammatical structure of the sentence. The other options signal contrast ('nevertheless'), addition ('furthermore'), or simultaneous events ('meanwhile'), none of which represent the cause-and-effect relationship between the decipherment and the empirical confirmation.
Selecting the option that correctly conveys the cause-and-effect relationship ensures logical coherence.

Key Concept

Transitions: Cause and Effect
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Topics

Transitions: Cause and Effect

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