Confused b/w A & E

Tough one.

Is the OA E?

(A) similar to the way human beings breathe - wrong comparison between CO2 and breathing?
(B) similarly to human beings who are breathing - (who are breathing, similarly to) - Wrong in multiple ways.
(C) just like the breathing of human beings - same as A?
(D) as human beings when breathing - when breathing..?
(E) just as human beings do when they breathe - Correct comparison.

Although fruit can no longer grow once it is picked, it continues for some time to respire, taking in oxygen and giving off carbon dioxide, similar to the way human beings breathe.
(A) similar to the way human beings breathe --> compares Carbon dioxide with the way human beings breathe
(B) similarly to human beings who are breathing
(C) just like the breathing of human beings --> compares fruit with the breathing of humans
(D) as human beings when breathing --> we need a clause after as
(E) just as human beings do when they breathe --> comparison is apt

OA is E

please explain how (A)compares Carbon dioxide with the way human beings breathe

vikram4689 wrote:please explain how (A)compares Carbon dioxide with the way human beings breathe

Hi,
A - carbon dioxide, similar to the way... is of the form:
noun1+comma+adjective(similar to)+noun2
So, 'similar to' will only compare noun1 with noun2

I feel E is correct because we require an action verb over here in order to have a proper comparison, in A it says it continues for some time to respire, taking in oxygen and giving off carbon dioxide --------> in this part plants are doing an action and therefore, second part also in order to be parallel with the first requires an action verb which is there in option E i.e just as human beings do