Improving Passage Question

Test Preparation SAT Preparation
1

<p>(1) Most of my classmates have no idea what they want to do when they graduate. (2) They are similar to me. (3) Many different things are interesting to them. (4) My classmates are not sure how to decide which one is most important. (5) Yet ，how any of these interests can turn into a career is not known.
(6) This problem worried me a great deal until recently, when 1 read an article about Mac Jemison, who was the first African American woman to become an astronaut. (7)Jemison is another person who seems to have had so many interests that she hardly knew which to pursue. (8)In college she majored in chemical engineering and African American studies but the a changed her mind and went to medical school. (9) After practicing medicine in the United States for a few years, for example, she joined the Peace Corps and went to West Africa. (10) When she returned, she applied to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and became a mission specialist, conducting scientific experiments aboard Spacelab and on the shuttle Endeavour. (11) After she had retired from NASA, Jemison taught college, founded an international science camp for high school students, and once went to be on Star Trek: The Next Generation—among many other things.
(12) I think this is amazing. (13) It shows me that I don’t have to give up activities I love—sports or music, for instance—or settle for a job that doesn't really interest me. (14) I can choose a career that includes activities that interest me ，and I can even change careers if I find something that interests me more.</p>

<p>In context, which is the best replacement for the underlined words in sentence 9 (reproduced below)?
"After practicing medicine in the United States for a few years, for example, she joined the Peace Corps and went to West Africa."</p>

<p>A. accordingly
B. consequently
C. therefore
D. however
E. by the way</p>

<p>Couldn't choices B and D fit in perfectly, without disrupting the clarity of the two clauses' transition.
Justifying Choice B: Peace Corps has to do with medicine, therefore her membership is a consequence of her studying medicine.
Justifying Choice D: The paragraph as a whole functions to emphasize the constantly changing career of Jemison. Thus, the use of "however", would help differentiate "practicing medicine" and "joining the Peace Corps" as two careers.</p>

<p>Can someone give me the right answer's (B or D, I won't say) explanation?
And, if you can, please give me some advice on how to tackle this type of question if encountered again.</p>

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<p>I’m pretty sure that the correct choice has to be “however”(D) because of, as you wrote, the writer’s emphasis on the fact that she constantly changed careers. Although I can’t say I know a lot about the peace corps, I’m sure it’s a substantial career change from practicing medicine. I don’t think that B is right because joining the peace corps isn’t really the logical “next step” from practicing medicine. </p>

<p>To tackle this kind of question, I’d say that you have to find the main point of the passage, then find the answer choice that upholds that main point, if you can’t tell right off the bat which answer is correct.</p>

<p>Just ask if you want me to elaborate or something.</p>

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<p>Thanks satsarecool. As much as I disagree with your username, I appreciate your reply. And, no need to elaborate; your reply is adequate.</p>