SAT OwlBeginning in the 1860s, workers for the Central Pacific Railroad laid track eastward from Sacramento, California, through the steep Sierra Nevada. ______ crews for the Union Pacific Railroad laid track westward from Omaha, Nebraska. The two lines met at Promontory Summit, Utah, in May 1869, completing the first transcontinental railroad.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Afterward,
As a result,
In other words,
Meanwhile,
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D
The two railroads were built toward each other during the same years, meeting in 1869. "Meanwhile" signals that the second action happened at the same time as the first. "Afterward" would mean the Union Pacific started only after the Central Pacific finished, which contradicts the lines meeting in the middle.
"Afterward" may seem to fit the order of the sentences, but the two crews worked at the same time.
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