For several centuries after the birth of opera in sixteenth-century Florence, Italian remained the default language in which most opera scores were written.______ opera singers today, such as the mezzo- soprano J'Nai Bridges, encounter a wide range of Italian terms-from con amore (with love) to moderato (at a moderate tempo)-when following many eighteenth-century opera scores.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Explanation
Context: For centuries after opera's birth in sixteenth-century Florence, Italian remained the default language of opera scores. The blank introduces the fact that singers today, such as J'Nai Bridges, still encounter a wide range of Italian terms when following eighteenth-century scores.
Answer: A) Consequently,
Why? Because most scores were written in Italian for centuries, including the eighteenth century, today's singers inevitably meet Italian terms in those scores. The second sentence states the present-day result of the historical fact, and "Consequently" marks that cause-and-effect link.
Traps:
- B) "However," sets up a contrast, but encountering Italian terms follows naturally from Italian's long dominance rather than conflicting with it.
- C) "Lastly," signals the final item in a list, and the passage is not enumerating a series of points.
- D) "Granted," concedes a point before pushing back against it, and no such pushback follows here.