Brought on by weightlessness in protracted space flight, besides the

Brought on by weightlessness in protracted space flight, besides the obvious hazards of meteors, rocky debris, and radiation, astronauts also have to deal with muscle atrophy.

In this question, the phrase in protracted space flight chiefly modifies astronauts engaged in long trips and those terms should always place close to each other. Similarly, muscle atrophy is brought on by weightlessness and those two phrases should be placed close.

A. Brought on by weightlessness in protracted space flight, besides the obvious hazards of meteors, rocky debris, and radiation, astronauts also have to deal with muscle atrophy. -- wrong modification as if the astronauts have been brought on by weightlessness.

B. Besides the obvious hazards of meteors, rocky debris, and radiation in protracted space flight, astronauts also have to deal with muscle atrophy, which is brought on by weightlessness.-- The hazards of meteors, rocky debris, and radiation do not occur in protracted space flight. They are there even without the space flight, protracted or otherwise.

C. In protracted space flight, besides the obvious hazards of meteors, rocky debris, and radiation, astronauts also have to deal with muscle atrophy brought about through weightlessness. -- 1. 'Brought about through' is a wrong idiom. It should be 'brought on by'.2.The initial modifier 'in protracted space flight. Wrongly modifies the hazards of meteors, debris, and radiation.

D. Besides the obvious hazards of protracted space flight, which include meteors, rocky debris, and radiation, astronauts also have to deal with another problem, which is the muscle atrophy that occurs after an extended period of weightlessness. -- 'Protracted space flight' faultily modifies the hazards. 2. Muscle atrophy 'that occurs after an extended period of weightlessness' is wordy.

E. Besides the obvious hazards of meteors, rocky debris, and radiation, astronauts in protracted space flight also have to deal with muscle atrophy brought on by weightlessness. --- E is crisp, and straight, the best among all.

Brought on by weightlessness in protracted space flight, besides the obvious hazards of meteors, rocky debris, and radiation, astronauts also have to deal with muscle atrophy.

Here "Brought ... flight" seems to modify 'besides' which is wrong.

A. Brought on by weightlessness in protracted space flight, besides the obvious hazards of meteors, rocky debris, and radiation, astronauts also have to deal with muscle atrophy. - WRONG.

B. Besides the obvious hazards of meteors, rocky debris, and radiation in protracted space flight, astronauts also have to deal with muscle atrophy, which is brought on by weightlessness. - WRONG. Weightlessness in space flight causes muscle atrophy and using 'brought' does not signify the same meaning.

C. In protracted space flight, besides the obvious hazards of meteors, rocky debris, and radiation, astronauts also have to deal with muscle atrophy brought about through weightlessness. - WRONG. The sentence changes the meaning as if in long space flights all other mentioned hazards also occur when sentence means to say that long duration causes muscle atrophy. Also 'brought about through' suggests that something brought the muscle atrophy which is meant to be brought on by weightlessness.

D. Besides the obvious hazards of protracted space flight, which include meteors, rocky debris, and radiation, astronauts also have to deal with another problem, which is the muscle atrophy that occurs after an extended period of weightlessness. - WRONG. 'which' modifies flight which is incorrect. Besides the wordiness loses focus to communicate meaning.

E. Besides the obvious hazards of meteors, rocky debris, and radiation, astronauts in protracted space flight also have to deal with muscle atrophy brought on by weightlessness. - CORRECT. Hazards are listed correctly. Prepositional phrase 'protracted space flight' modifies astronauts correctly.

IMO Answer E.

MEANING: Besides the usual dangers [examples]… astronauts in long space travels also have to deal with muscle atrophy.

A. "brought on…" seems to mod the types of "hazards", but the intent is to modify "muscle atrophy", not "besides…", misplaced mod and unintended;
B. "radiation in protracted space flight" the prepositional phrase should be mod "astronauts", they are the ones traveling in space, misplaced mod; also, "which is…" imps a non-essential modifier, not the case, unintended;
C. "in space flight, besides" misplaced mod; "brought about through" nonsense;
D. "another problem, which" this should be a vital modifier, without "which" and commas; "space flight" does not include meteors, misplaced mod; "which include" is unidiomatic, if you want to list something, use "such as" or "including";

Answer (E)

The correct answer is E in my view.

Options A, C, and D have dangling modifiers.

Option B also has a modification error by suggesting that hazards of meteors, rocky debris, and radiation are in protracted space flights. This is not the intended meaning. It is the astronauts who are in protracted space flight.

Option E however clearly corrects the modification errors in A, C, and D. In addition, in protracted space flight correctly modifies astronauts per the intended meaning. It is Astronauts in protracted space flight that face hazards of meteors, rocky debris, and radiations.

Official Explanation

Correct Answer: E

Choices a, b, and c misplace the modifier in protracted space flight, which should follow astronauts, and a also misplaces brought on by weightlessness, which should follow atrophy. Choice c also makes an error in the idiom brought on by. Choice d is wordy.

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