Despite its great distance from Earth—it is 570 light-years away—the star Shaula is one of the brightest stars in the sky, ranking 23rd. Although not as bright as Shaula, the star Alsephina also ranks among the 50 brightest stars (45th, to be exact). ______ Alsephina’s brightness is likely due to the star’s relative proximity: Alsephina is only 80 light-years from Earth.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Explanation
Context: Shaula ranks 23rd brightest despite sitting 570 light-years away, and Alsephina, though dimmer, still ranks 45th. The blank introduces the explanation that Alsephina's brightness likely owes to its being only 80 light-years from Earth.
Answer: C) Granted,
Why? Distance is what makes Shaula's ranking striking, so admitting that Alsephina's ranking has an ordinary cause, nearness, concedes a weakness in pairing the two stars. "Granted" is the concession marker that does this.
Traps:
- A) "Indeed," would confirm the preceding sentence, but proximity undercuts how impressive Alsephina's rank is rather than reinforcing it.
- B) "As a result," makes the star's closeness a consequence of its ranking, reversing the causal direction the sentence states.
- D) "Similarly," claims the two cases are alike, yet Shaula is bright in spite of its distance while Alsephina is bright because of its closeness.