In surprising medical news, scientists investigating

Question

In surprising medical news, scientists investigating long-term effects of stroke are reporting that injury to a specific part of the  brain, located behind the ear, can instantly and permanently break a smoking habit .

(A) brain, located behind the ear, can instantly and permanently break a smoking habit
(B) brain located behind the ear can instantly and permanently break a smoking habit
(C) brain, located behind the ear, can instantly and permanently break the habit of smoking
(D) brain located behind the ear, can instantly and permanently break a smoking habit
(E) brain, the one located behind the ear, can instantly and permanently break the habit of smoking

I disagree with the OA:

The OA and explanation are:

But, in A, isn't "located behind the ear" incorrectly modifying "brain"? It's not the brain located behind the ear, but the particular part of the brain. The explanation claims that B makes it a run-on, but that's the only answer choice in which "located behind the ear" modifies the correct thing. Thoughts?

kumaravijit · Answer

I selected the choice B as well. But when tried to justify the OA, Here Brain is not the subject but instead it is " a part of the brain " which is being modified. Hence it justifies the OA.

daagh · Answer

The OA and OE are hardly convincing. A is not the only one in which the ‘located behind the ear’ is separated by parenthesis. Even in C and E, they are set off by commas. The OE should explain what is wrong with C and E.

If the OE claims the B is a run-on, it is an awful blunder. A run-on is one that does not connect two independent sentences with a proper conjunction or punctuation. What punctuation or conjunction is missing in B

The modifier ‘ located behind the ear’  does not categorically mean what it is modifying. There lurking doubt is that by leaving it naked, it may also modify the injury

Use of  a smoking habit  gives the feeling that the injury can stop one of a kind of several smoking habits; In contrast,  the habit of smoking  is all the way a better and more specific expression.

This is why I feel that E is the best of the lot, with its modifier ‘the one’ specifically referring to the part of the brain located behind the ear 
 Part of the brain  is not the subject in this case, but it is the injury. Becos, the part of the brain is not stopping the habit of smoking. It is the injury that is stopping .

amma4u · Answer

I agree with TeyJay with the OE.
The reason C and E are wrong because "the habit of smoking"..makes the sentence say "THE upmost thing (habit of smoking). so completely out.

among the rest of the choices, according to me B clearly modifies its preceding phrases correctly.
Not sure why it is a run-on.
If you re-read A...it breaks the sentence at spots which does make sense.

Experts any help?

walkerme13 · Answer

This is a tricky question. I chose the answer as C. To me it was a tough call between A and C but I went with C because I thought "the" was better as it was specific to smoking or the "habit" of smoking but maybe that's precisely the reason why its wrong. I debated this in mind. It was a choice between "a" and "the" for me and I went with the latter. The explanation does not help as pointed out A and C have the same separation of commas.

Although E is definitely wrong due to the usage of "the one located"
Here "the" is unnecessary and redundant.

Although E is definitely wrong due to the usage of "the one located" 
Here "the" is unnecessary and redundant.

sheru34766 · Answer

This is a tricky but a good one. I would have definetly selected C in the test. But still not sure why A is correct and C is wrong.

B appears ambiguous to me. It says "specific part of brain located behind the ear" which might mean that the brain is located behind the ear.

kt00381n · Answer

picked B

whats the source of the Q?

Practicegmat · Answer

This is a GMAT club test question v05 Q#14... I also doubt the OE and OA as well ..

restore · Answer

That's odd, because I read "specific part of the brain, located behind the ear" as implying  more  that the brain is located behind the ear.

maheshsrini · Answer

Exactly the same reasoning as walkerme13. 
Can somebody clarify this question.

kat1983 · Answer

Yes i too picked C....so it should be explained why "a smoking habit "is better than "the habit of smoking".

tuanquang269 · Answer

I don't see the different between A and C beside the concision between "habit of smoking" and "smoking habit". My first confuse is between choice A and E. Finally, I got E (incorrect choice)

mydreammba · Answer

I too picked C, can anyone please share the OA with proper justification

In surprising medical news, scientists investigating

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