Let’s take a look at splits:
1. Split:
is appealing to /
appeals to Both mean
be attractive or interesting (Cambridge Dictionary).
The idea appealed to him.The idea is appealing to him. Or:
The habitat appeals to snakes.The habitat is appealing to snakes.All are correct and thus no decision on this split.
2. Split:
reasons that it /
reasons that they /
reasons that a. Let’s first identify the original meaning:
The reason that
the habitat drove away many farmers is that
the habitat’s thin topsoil sits on top of eroded limestone (bad conditions for farming). For the same reason
the habitat is appealing to (appeals to) snakes.
We can rewrite this sentences as follows:
The habitat is appealing to (appeals to) snakes for the same reasons that
it (the habitat) drove away many farmers:
its (the habitat’s) thin topsoil sits on top of eroded limestone.
Here colon (:) is used to introduce the reason why the habitat is appealing to snakes and why it drove away many farmers. Note that
its after colon hints that we need
it after
reasons -
reasons that it.
b. What if we say
reasons that they as A and B do?
they may refer to either
snakes or
reasons. We can change
they for both and check the meaning.
...reasons that snakes drove away many farmers... not snakes but the habitat itself drove away many farmers because conditions for farming are bad.
...reasons that reasons drove away many farmers... reasons themselves can’t drive away farmers. For some reasons farmers can be driven away, and these reasons are not reasons themselves but bad conditions.
Thus A and B are out.
c. What if we say
reasons that as E does?
...reasons that drove away many farmers... again, reasons themselves can’t drive away farmers. For some reasons farmers can be driven away, and these reasons are not reasons themselves but bad conditions.
Thus E is out.
3. Split:
a network of small caves /
networks of small cavesWe usually say
a network of small caves. We can eliminate options basing on word choice only when more blatant errors have already been sorted out. However, word choice still may give a small hint that there may be something wrong with a particular option.
4. Split:
A and
C.
...limestone that water has gradually eroded underground, creating networks (a network) of small caves...What does create a network of small caves?
generis,
RonPurewal,
GMATGuruNY say that
comma + ing refers to the nearest preceding verb and its subject.
In other words,
comma + creating refers to the nearest verb
eroded and its subject
water. Hence, water has eroded limestone and thereby created a network of small caves underground. That is completely logical.
B. ...limestone that water has gradually eroded underground and created... grammatically ok but illogical because second parallel element creates nonsense with the root phrase:
...limestone that water has gradually eroded... meaning is ok
...limestone that water has gradually created... nonsense because water didn’t create limestone but eroded it. B is out.
D. ...its thin topsoil sits on top of limestone that water has gradually eroded underground and creates a network...This part of the sentence illogically means that thin topsoil creates a network of caves. That’s not true. D is out.
E. ...its thin topsoil, sitting on top of limestone that water has gradually eroded underground, creates networks...If nonessential modifier is removed, then, like D, E means that thin topsoil creates a network of caves. That’s not true. E is out.
Hence
C