Already anxious after watching a horror movie, Michelle mist

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Already anxious after watching a horror movie, Michelle mistook the sound
of a backfiring car as the blast of a gunshot
.

a) the sound of a backfiring car as the blast of a gunshot.
b) a car as it was backfiring for the blast of a gunshot.
c) the sound of a backfiring car for the blast of a gunshot.
d) a car as it was backfiring as the blast of a gunshot.
e) a backfiring car as the blast of a gunshot.

Please assist with above problem.

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by elias.latour.apex » Mon May 15, 2017 7:23 am
Well, the first thing you need to know is that mistake x for y is an idiom. So answer choice (A), which offers us mistook the sound...as the blast... is unidiomatic.

This principle will also let us eliminate (D) and (E).

Answer choice (B) doesn't make any sense. How can someone mistake a car for the blast/sound of a gunshot?

Answer choice (C), the best answer, offers us the idea that Michelle mistook the sound of a backfiring car... for the sound/blast of a gunshot.

I believe that the above question was inspired by this real GMAT question:

In the mid-1960's a newly installed radar warning system mistook the rising of the moon as a massive missile attack by the Soviets.

(A) rising of the moon as a massive missile attack by the Soviets
(B) rising of the moon for a massive Soviet missile attack
(C) moon rising to a massive missile attack by the Soviets
(D) moon as it was rising for a massive Soviet missile attack
(E) rise of the moon as a massive Soviet missile attack
Elias Latour
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