TGC wrote:
49. Regarded by analysts to be the result of tensions during the Cold War, the spy novel reached the zenith of its sales in the 1960s, when most Americans perceived the U.S.S.R. like a constant threat.
A. Regarded by analysts to be the result of tensions during the Cold War, the spy novel reached the zenith of its sales in the 1960s, when most Americans perceived the U.S.S.R. like a constant threat.
B. The spy novel, regarded by analysts to be the result of tensions during the Cold War, reached the zenith of its sales in the 1960s, when most Americans perceived the U.S.S.R. to be a constant threat.
C. Regarded by analysts as the result of tensions during the Cold War, in the 1960s the spy novel reached the zenith of its sales, when most Americans perceived the U.S.S.R. like a constant threat.
D. Reaching the zenith of its sales in the 1960s, the spy novel was regarded by analysts as the result of tensions during the Cold War, when most Americans perceived the U.S.S.R. as a constant threat.
E. Regarded by analysts as the result of tensions during the Cold War, sales of the spy novel reached their zenith in the 1960s, when most Americans perceived the U.S.S.R. as a constant threat.
Source: Brutal SC
I do not believe this is a good GMAT question. It has a problem with meaning.
We can eliminate A and C because they use “
like” incorrectly.
We can eliminated A, and B, and for the incorrect use if the idiom “
regarded to be” instead of “
regarded as”; we can also eliminate B for the use of “
perceived to be” instead of “
perceived as.”
The other choices can be eliminated because they
change the meaning of the original sentence.
The main clause in the original sentence is: “
the spy novel reached the zenith of its sales in the 1960s,” and “
Regarded by analysts to be the result of tensions during the Cold War,” modifies the subject “
the spy novel”, not “
sales of the spy novel.” This eliminates choice E. Some people have argued that what the author meant was that
the sales were the result of the tensions, but
the sentence does not say so; the
novel itself can be the result of the tensions, and there is nothing to support that the author meant something else.
Even though choice D conveys the same information
changes the focus from ”
the spy novel reached the zenith of its sales in the 1960s” to “
the spy novel was regarded by analysts as the result of tensions during the Cold War.” In addition, the modifier “
when most Americans perceived the U.S.S.R. as a constant threat” modifies “
cold war” instead of “
the 1960s.” Even if the cold war was in progress during the 1960s, the cold war started before the 1960s and ended after the 1960s; thus these concepts are not the same.
A good GMAT sentence would not change the meaning. Only if the meaning of the original sentence does not make sense, we can assume that the author's intention was something else.