The farmers in the ancient settlements of the upper Xingu in

Question

The farmers in the ancient settlements of the upper Xingu in Brazil created gardens, orchards, and parklands for growing crops within the forest, instead of knocking most of it down,  which was probably due as much to a lack of metal tools for the efficient felling of trees as it was to a finely honed sense of stewardship of the land. 

A)which was probably due as much to a lack of metal tools for the efficient felling of trees as it was to a finely honed sense of stewardship of the land.

B) which was probably due as much to a lack of metal tools for the efficient felling of trees as to a finely honed sense of stewardship of the land.

C) the fact that was probably due as much to a lack of metal tools for the efficient felling of trees as it was to a finely honed sense of stewardship of the land.

D) the fact that was probably because as much of a lack of metal tools for the efficient felling of trees as it was because of a finely honed sense of stewardship of the land.

E) the fact that was probably because as much of a lack of metal tools for the efficient felling of trees than it was to a finely honed sense of stewardship of the land.

vipin7um · Answer

I would go with B. A unnecessarily introduces 'as it was to'. The correct expression is 'as much... as'.

shahnandan · Answer

but the idiom is maintained even in A, and it also maintains parallelism.

A.

bewakoof · Answer

I thought relative pronoun like which, should refer to noun just preceding it?? Shouldn't it?/?

Aiyer · Answer

I think it is C. I don't think A or B is correct because "which" doesn't really reflect properly to the word before.

What is the OA?

selene · Answer

OA is

^ C ^

duttsit · Answer

C.


A/B are incorrect as in GMATLand "which" should have clear antecedent "noun" or noun phrase.

in A/B "which" is referring back to "the fact that the farmers created gardens, ....".

E is wrong cause it uses wrong idiom: as much ...than

Professor · Answer

good question. between B and C, C is better because B uses "which" which don't clearly have clear referant. C uses correct idiom and is parallel.

The farmers in the ancient settlements of the upper Xingu in

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