SAT OwlThe first transcontinental telegraph line, completed in 1861, allowed messages to cross the United States in minutes rather than days. Sending a telegram was expensive, ______, and for decades most Americans continued to rely on letters for personal communication.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
for example
therefore
however
likewise
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C
The first sentence praises the telegraph's speed. The second points out a drawback, its cost, which kept most people writing letters. "However" signals this contrast.
"Therefore" would mean the high cost resulted from the telegraph's speed, a cause-and-effect link the text does not make.
Why the other choices are wrong
- A. This phrase introduces a specific instance to support a general claim. The second sentence states a contrasting drawback about cost, not an example of the telegraph's speed.
- B. This word indicates a cause-and-effect relationship. The text does not claim that the telegraph's speed caused its high cost, so this logical link is incorrect.
- D. This transition implies the second sentence adds a similar point to the first. The text instead contrasts the telegraph's speed with its prohibitive expense.
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