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Gas exploration and production companies, adjoining midstream providers and manufacturers, continue to make investments in the Marcellus Shale basin, despite the controversy.
(A) adjoining midstream providers and manufacturers
(B) along with midstream providers and manufacturers
(C) pertaining to midstream providers and manufacturers
(D) colluding midstream providers and manufacturers
(E) besides midstream providers and manufacturers
The first thing to notice here is the overlap in answer choices. We can effectively rewrite the question as:
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Gas exploration and production companies, adjoining midstream providers and manufacturers, continue to make investments in the Marcellus Shale basin, despite the controversy.
(A) adjoining - means being spatially next to - eliminate
(B) along with - seems like a great option - keep it
(C) pertaining to - we are looking for something that allows the different types of companies to all continue to make investments, but this choice makes one type pertain to the other - eliminate
(D) colluding - the two groups are not colluding with or against each other - eliminate
(E) besides - means "in addition" or "moreover," but we are looking for "in addition TO" - eliminate
We are looking for an answer choice that makes it to that gas exploration and production companies continue to make investments...and midstream providers and manufacturers also continue to make investments... There is only one answer choice that does this.
Answer choice B.