The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 started a wave of significant changes for both East and West Germany. In the beginning, many Western citizens saw reunification as undesirable—polling suggested only 30 percent were in favor. Nonetheless, as one Germany took shape, an increasing number of people began to see that the benefits far outweighed their initial concerns.Choice D is the best answer. “Nonetheless” logically signals a contradiction between the previous and following sentence, stating that despite many Western citizens seeing reunification as undesirable, as Germany took shape, an increasing number of people began to see the benefits of reunification.
Choice A: “For instance” illogically signals that the information regarding the increasing number of people who began to see the benefits of reunification is an example of the claim made in the previous sentence about many Western citizens seeing reunification as undesirable.
Choice B: “Likewise” illogically signals a similarity between the two sentences (many western citizens seeing reunification as undesirable and the increasing number of people who began to see the benefits of reunification). However, the intended goal is to present a contradiction between the two sentences.
Choice C: “Consequently” illogically signals that the information in this sentence (many began to see the benefits of reunification) is a result or consequence of the information in the previous sentence (Western citizens saw reunification as undesirable).
✨ Expert's Tip ✨
- Identify the main idea of the text: the changing opinions about reunification after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
- Find a relationship between the text’s ideas: contradiction between the previous and following sentence.
- Choose an appropriate transition word to match the relationship: nonetheless.