only B and D are real contenders here. I'd go with D.

What's the OA?

ok..i see the mistake..should be D.

ice_rush wrote:only B and D are real contenders here. I'd go with B as D changes the meaning.

What's the OA?

IMO D

I think, "with the lack of easily available pesticides", we actually can't have an "uncontrolled spread of chemicals". You should have easy access for an uncontrolled spread.

What's the source ?

gughanbose wrote:
I think, "with the lack of easily available pesticides", we actually can't have an "uncontrolled spread of chemicals". You should have easy access for an uncontrolled spread.

What's the source ?

Thanks ! you 're correct !

guerrero wrote:Limited access to expertise, along with the lack of easily available pesticides, have led to the uncontrolled spread of chemicals, with hitherto unknown consequences for the environment.

(A)along with the lack of easily available pesticides, have led to the uncontrolled spread of chemicals
(B)along with the lack of easily available pesticides, has led to the uncontrolled spread of chemicals
(C)along with the lack in easily available pesticides, which have led to the uncontrolled spread of chemicals
(D)along with easily available pesticides, has led to the uncontrolled spread of chemicals
(E)along with easily available pesticides, has led to the uncontrollably spreading chemicals

thanks !

D

Experts - Do we get such question where meaning turns out to be priority?

Experts - Do we get such question where meaning turns out to be priority?

i guess this question does have ambiguity
i can view this problem from a different angle as well : consider this :i may say that because there is lack of easily available pesticide (organic and not chemical ,after all there are organic pesticides also ) that farmers are using any random chemical available in the market !!!
make sense !!

bose wrote :I think, "with the lack of easily available pesticides", we actually can't have an "uncontrolled spread of chemicals". You should have easy access for an uncontrolled spread.

i guess u r making a big assumption that pesticides are just chemical pesticides .they cud be organic even !!

i want to contend that B is as likely as D

aditya8062 wrote:

bose wrote :I think, "with the lack of easily available pesticides", we actually can't have an "uncontrolled spread of chemicals". You should have easy access for an uncontrolled spread.

i guess u r making a big assumption that pesticides are just chemical pesticides .they cud be organic even !!

Ya I guess so !

What's the source again ?

We'll get questions like this in real Test ?

Hey guys - great discussion...and I'd chalk this one up as "good learning opportunity" but not "representative test question".

The GMAT does test meaning in sentences, so you should make sure that you're thinking about that. In this case, though - I think this one takes a leap like you guys have said...the only difference between B and D is whether "the lack of easily available pesticides" or "easily available pesticides" would cause that spread of chemicals. And since knowledge of pesticides as a word or concept falls outside the scope of GMAT-related knowledge (remember, over 50% of all GMATs are taken outside the United States, so technical vocabulary like that isn't something test would assume or think fair), I don't think there's any chance that you'd see *this* question on the test.

But it does have a couple of pretty important takeaways, so I'd say it's a good discussion question:

1) Meaning does matter in Sentence Correction. That's a quote straight from GMAC itself.
2) There's NO penalty for "changing the original meaning" - your job is to find the LOGICAL meaning, not match the meaning in choice A. If choice A has a flawed meaning (as it does here), it's wrong and part of your job is to correct it.
3) Be careful with the modifier "along with...", which often makes it look like a plural noun when it's actually singular as it is here.