Set 15: Transitions
Explanation
PASSAGE
The Napoleonic Code established legal equality among citizens and protected property rights in early 19th-century France. It abolished feudal privileges and established a merit-based system. _______ the code also reinforced patriarchal authority, giving husbands legal control over their wives' property.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Detailed Answer Explanation
This question asks you to choose the transition that best connects two ideas. Progress (equality, merit) vs. regression (patriarchal control). 'However' signals this complexity—the code was both progressive and regressive. Transitions signal the relationship between sentences or paragraphs. Determine the logical relationship (addition, contrast, cause-effect, example) and select the transition that accurately expresses it. The right transition makes the relationship between ideas crystal clear. Consider what logical connection exists: Is the second idea adding to the first? Contrasting it? Showing a result? The transition should accurately reflect this relationship.
Key Evidence:
• "established legal equality"
• "reinforced patriarchal authority"
Why others are wrong: C (Addition - but the patriarchal aspect contradicts, not adds to, equality.), D (Example - patriarchy contrasts with, not exemplifies, equality.), A (Cause/effect - patriarchy wasn't a logical result of equality.).
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