supernova explosion

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crazy4gmat: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 160; Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2008 4:54 am; Thanked: 5 times; GMAT Score:660

by crazy4gmat » Tue Mar 03, 2009 6:30 am

As a result of a supernova explosion, every human being on Earth was bombarded on February 23, 1987, by about 100 billion neutrinos; fortunately, neutrinos are harmless elementary particles that are produced in nuclear reactions and that interact very weakly with matter.

(A) neutrinos are harmless elementary particles that are produced in nuclear reactions and that
(B) neutrinos, which are harmless, are elementary particles produced in nuclear reactions and which
(C) neutrinos are harmless elementary particles produced in nuclear reactions and which
(D) these harmless elementary particles are produced in nuclear reactions, and neutrinos
(E) these elementary particles, harmless products of nuclear reactions, are neutrinos that

OA A. Plz post ur explanations

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Source: Beat The GMAT — Sentence Correction | Tue Mar 03, 2009 6:30 am

bluementor: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 418; Joined: Wed Jun 11, 2008 5:29 am; Thanked: 65 times

by bluementor » Tue Mar 03, 2009 8:52 am

Just my opinion….

Options D and E.

these refer to neutrinos. In both options, the construction is wrong with the repetition of neutrinos:

D) these particles are produced in y, and neutrinos interact… (wrong)
these particles are produced in y and interact… (right)

E) these particles are neutrinos that… (wrong, this makes it seem that neutrinos belong to a special neutrinos class, ones that interact weakly, making this nonsensical).

Option B.
the sentence begins with fortunately,… This sentence is trying to convey that what might have seem to be a big impact on human beings is not really a problem because neutrinos are harmless. By making harmless appear within a non-essential phrase the 2nd sentence doesn’t support "fortunately…"

Option C.
Unclear on what which refers to ->Nuclear reactions/neutrinos.

Option A.
the 'fortunate' element is properly conveyed and followed by 2 essential modifiers. both these modifiers are conjugated with 'and' , and are parallel to each other (that are produced..//that interact..)

-BM-

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schumi_gmat: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 377; Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2008 9:30 amFollowed by: 2 members; Thanked: 15 times

by schumi_gmat » Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:49 am

(A) neutrinos are harmless elementary particles that are produced in nuclear reactions and that -----Parallel

(B) neutrinos, which are harmless, are elementary particles produced in nuclear reactions and which -----not parallel. First which is modifier for neutrinos and second which should introduce a independent clause.

(C) neutrinos are harmless elementary particles produced in nuclear reactions and which --------not parallel

In D and E. "these" is incorrectly used

(D) these harmless elementary particles are produced in nuclear reactions, and neutrinos
(E) these elementary particles, harmless products of nuclear reactions, are neutrinos that

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karmayogi: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 467; Joined: Thu Nov 06, 2008 10:19 pmFollowed by: 1 member; Thanked: 27 times

Re: supernova explosion

by karmayogi » Tue Mar 03, 2009 10:28 am

crazy4gmat wrote:As a result of a supernova explosion, every human being on Earth was bombarded on February 23, 1987, by about 100 billion neutrinos; fortunately, neutrinos are harmless elementary particles that are produced in nuclear reactions and that interact very weakly with matter.

(A) neutrinos are harmless elementary particles that are produced in nuclear reactions and that
The part of after ';' must be a complete sentence. Best way to start a sentence is to keep the subject in the starting. Hence, keeping neutrinos in the starting is the best option. Also, 'that are produced...' is parallel to 'that interact...'

(B) neutrinos, which are harmless, are elementary particles produced in nuclear reactions and which

'Neutrinos are harmless' is an essential information, providing the why humans were not impacted. 'which are harmless' mean the information is not essential. Second 'which' is ambigous: neutrinos or nuclear reations. The statement is awkward too. I was expecting comma before 'and' becuase 'and which ...' is an independent clause.

(C) neutrinos are harmless elementary particles produced in nuclear reactions and which

'which' is ambiguous. The statement is awkward too. I was expecting comma before 'and' becuase 'and which ...' is an independent clause.

(D) these harmless elementary particles are produced in nuclear reactions, and neutrinos

No clear referent to 'these'. Subject is mentioned in the second part. Awkward.
(E) these elementary particles, harmless products of nuclear reactions, are neutrinos that
No clear referent to 'these'. information that neutrinos are harmless is made non-essential, incorrect.
OA A. Plz post ur explanations

Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this divine within.
--By Swami Vivekananda

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snsubbu: Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts; Posts: 19; Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2009 4:59 am; Thanked: 1 times

by snsubbu » Tue Mar 03, 2009 10:31 am

By Process of elimination, we can straight away eliminate D and E.

C ---> Not clear as to what 'which' refers to and it is also very awkward there

Now between B & A

Rule for using 'which' in a sentence is that the sentence should make sense even if you remove 'which' ('that' is exactly opposite to that)

Essentially, B is also C and so can be eliminated.

So A is the right answer

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crazy4gmat: Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts; Posts: 160; Joined: Fri Aug 22, 2008 4:54 am; Thanked: 5 times; GMAT Score:660

by crazy4gmat » Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:24 am

Thanks guys!

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bhumika.k.shah: Legendary Member; Posts: 941; Joined: Sun Dec 27, 2009 12:28 amFollowed by: 1 member; Thanked: 20 times

by bhumika.k.shah » Sat Feb 20, 2010 3:57 am

Why would we pick A over B

whats wrong in B ? is it changing the meaning of the sentence by an extra which ?

what if in B , just like A , there would be which ... and which ...

then which one should we pick ???

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