"Day We Discovered Cause of "White Death""

Question

by Dr. Howard Markel

Never a commanding lecturer, Koch had a thin, reedy voice and tended to interject his phrases with an annoying amount of “ums” and “ers.” But on March 24, 1882, when he presented his findings at a monthly meeting of the Physiological society of Berlin, he did so with clarity and elegant logic.

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Question
Use the excerpt from “The Day We Discovered the Cause of the 'White Death'”, which describes a physician in the late 1800s, to answer the question.

Which transition word in the passage indicates a comparison and contrast text structure?

(1 point)
Responses choose the correct answer carefully and tell me why

But
But

clarity
clarity

Never
Never

when
when
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Answer 1

The correct answer is "But."

Explanation:

The word "But" serves as a transition that indicates contrast between two ideas or statements. In this passage, it contrasts Dr. Koch's usual lecturing style (described as thin, reedy, and filled with "ums" and "ers") with the clarity and elegance of his presentation on March 24, 1882. This suggests that, despite his typical shortcomings as a lecturer, he was able to convey his findings effectively on that particular day. Thus, "But" signals the contrast between his usual speaking manner and the effectiveness of his presentation in this instance.