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D
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Difficulty:
55%
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Question Stats:
58% (01:37) correct
42%
(01:44)
wrong
based on 4288
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Paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould has argued that many biological traits are not the products of natural selection, favored due to their enhancement of reproduction or survival, but that they are simply random by-products of other evolutionary developments.
(A) due to their enhancement of reproduction or survival, but that they are
(B) due to the reproduction or survival they enhance, but they are
(C) because they enhance reproduction or survival, but
(D) because they enhance reproduction or survival, but are
(E) because of enhancing reproduction or survival, but are
(A) due to their enhancement of reproduction or survival, but that they are
(B) due to the reproduction or survival they enhance, but they are
(C) because they enhance reproduction or survival, but
(D) because they enhance reproduction or survival, but are
(E) because of enhancing reproduction or survival, but are
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15 Jul 2015, 09:30
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Paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould has argued that many biological traits are not the products of natural selection, favored due to their enhancement of reproduction or survival, but that they are simply random by-products of other evolutionary developments.
As per the meaning of the sentence:
SJG argued that many biological traits are not the products of natural selection but they are simply random by-products of other evolutionary developments.
Products of Natural selection are favored due to their enhancement and reproduction or survival.
As per the sentence favored is a Verb+ed Modifier or past participle modifier
Why not "Due to" or "because of"
Now as we know "Products" cannot do favoring so the action is performed on "products", so "favored" is a verb+ed modifier.
Any verb+ed Modifier can be written as a clause.
For example:
kept at the corner of the room, the rock was glittering.
Obviously rock cannot do the action of keeping so kept is a verb+ed modifier modifying the noun -> Rock.
So we can also write The rock that was kept at the corner of the room was glittering. So this modifier can be written as a clause.
And we know
1) Due to" modifies a noun or noun phrase and followed by a noun or noun phrase.
For example:
Delay in the match was due to heavy rain
here "Delay" (a noun or noun phrase) is modified by Due to and Due to takes "Heavy rain" (noun or noun phrase).
2) Because of modifies a noun or noun phrase and followed by a clause.
For example:
Match was delayed because of heavy rain.
So "Match was delayed" is a complete clause and it is modified by "because of" and because of takes "heavy rain" (noun or noun phrase)..
So we need a "because" or "because of" as verb+ed modifier can be expressed as a clause.
(A) due to their enhancement of reproduction or survival, but that they are
Two issues:
1) Due to is wrong as it cannot modify any clause.
2) "they are" is repeated and is not required. "They" refers to "biological traits"
(B) due to the reproduction or survival they enhance, but they are
Same issues as above
(E) because of enhancing reproduction or survival, but are
Though the structure is correct bit not sure who is enhancing the "reproduction or survival"
Now lets check the below options:
Let me demonstrate the problem with Option C)
Paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould has argued that many biological traits are not the products of natural selection, favored because they enhance reproduction or survival, but simply random by-products of other evolutionary developments.
There can be two interpretations:
1) Interpretation 1:
Paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould has argued that many biological traits are not the products of natural selection,
[favored because they enhance reproduction or survival,
but
(because they) simply (enhance) random by-products of other evolutionary developments]
A little bit illogical but yes, does conveys some meaning.
2) Interpretation 2:
Paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould has argued that many biological traits are
not
the products of natural selection,(favored because they enhance reproduction or survival),
but
simply random by-products of other evolutionary developments.
This interpretation makes a lot of sense. So to remove the ambiguity we need repeat the "are" so that reader shouldn't get the 1st illogical meaning at all. And that's the reason why D) wins.
(D) because they enhance reproduction or survival, but are - Correct
As per the meaning of the sentence:
SJG argued that many biological traits are not the products of natural selection but they are simply random by-products of other evolutionary developments.
Products of Natural selection are favored due to their enhancement and reproduction or survival.
As per the sentence favored is a Verb+ed Modifier or past participle modifier
Why not "Due to" or "because of"
Now as we know "Products" cannot do favoring so the action is performed on "products", so "favored" is a verb+ed modifier.
Any verb+ed Modifier can be written as a clause.
For example:
kept at the corner of the room, the rock was glittering.
Obviously rock cannot do the action of keeping so kept is a verb+ed modifier modifying the noun -> Rock.
So we can also write The rock that was kept at the corner of the room was glittering. So this modifier can be written as a clause.
And we know
1) Due to" modifies a noun or noun phrase and followed by a noun or noun phrase.
For example:
Delay in the match was due to heavy rain
here "Delay" (a noun or noun phrase) is modified by Due to and Due to takes "Heavy rain" (noun or noun phrase).
2) Because of modifies a noun or noun phrase and followed by a clause.
For example:
Match was delayed because of heavy rain.
So "Match was delayed" is a complete clause and it is modified by "because of" and because of takes "heavy rain" (noun or noun phrase)..
So we need a "because" or "because of" as verb+ed modifier can be expressed as a clause.
(A) due to their enhancement of reproduction or survival, but that they are
Two issues:
1) Due to is wrong as it cannot modify any clause.
2) "they are" is repeated and is not required. "They" refers to "biological traits"
(B) due to the reproduction or survival they enhance, but they are
Same issues as above
(E) because of enhancing reproduction or survival, but are
Though the structure is correct bit not sure who is enhancing the "reproduction or survival"
Now lets check the below options:
Let me demonstrate the problem with Option C)
Paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould has argued that many biological traits are not the products of natural selection, favored because they enhance reproduction or survival, but simply random by-products of other evolutionary developments.
There can be two interpretations:
1) Interpretation 1:
Paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould has argued that many biological traits are not the products of natural selection,
[favored because they enhance reproduction or survival,
but
(because they) simply (enhance) random by-products of other evolutionary developments]
A little bit illogical but yes, does conveys some meaning.
2) Interpretation 2:
Paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould has argued that many biological traits are
not
the products of natural selection,(favored because they enhance reproduction or survival),
but
simply random by-products of other evolutionary developments.
This interpretation makes a lot of sense. So to remove the ambiguity we need repeat the "are" so that reader shouldn't get the 1st illogical meaning at all. And that's the reason why D) wins.
(D) because they enhance reproduction or survival, but are - Correct
06 Sep 2012, 09:34
Kudos
Bookmarks
tsheshraj
Choice D is correct and choice C is incorrect primarily because meaning is more clear with Choice D. Remember the correct answer should be grammatically correct and it should communicate the meaning without any ambiguity. Essentially as you speak or write the sentence, the listener or the reader should not think - what did you just say or what did I just read.
I will only bring out the relevant portions of this sentence as they pertain to the meaning of Choices C and D.
Choice C
SJG said that bio traits are not the products of natural selection, favored because they enhance reproduction or survival, but simply random by-products of other evolutionary developments.
When I read this sentence, I am a little confused whether the red part is an extension of "reproduction or survival" or the contrast for "products of natural selection". Yes logically I know it should be the latter but the way this choice is written as I go with the flow of the sentence, I may consider this part to be the extension of "reproduction or survival".
This problem is solved with Choice D. Here by repeating the verb - are - now the author clarifies that "the modifier is over" and now we are back to the contrast. i.e.
Biol traits are not the products of natural selection but are the by products of evolutionary development.
So yes from pure grammar standpoint choice C has the right parallel list but it fails to communicate the meaning clearly. Choice D on the other hand by adding "are" emphasizes on the important aspect of meaning as intended by choice A.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Payal
Hope is clear. For reference follow this link 
