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To attempt at curbing the water

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To attempt at curbing the water

by BTGmoderatorDC » Thu Jan 25, 2018 5:41 am
To attempt at curbing the water hyacinth, an ornamental plant which was infesting Lake Victoria and was native of the Brazilian rain forest, ecologists are introducing weevils and fungi into the lake's ecosystem.

A. To attempt at curbing the water hyacinth, an ornamental plant which was infesting Lake Victoria and was native of.
B. The attempt at curbing the infesting of Lake Victoria of the water hyacinth, an ornamental plant which is a native to.
C. In an attempt to curb the water hyacinth, an ornamental plant which had been infesting Lake Victoria and had been native to.
D. In an attempt to curb the infestation of Lake Victoria by the water hyacinth, an ornamental plant native to.
E. By attempting to curb Lake Victoria's infestation of the water hyacinth, an ornamental plant native in.

Why A isn't the best option? Can some experts help me?

OA D
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by GMATGuruNY » Thu Jan 25, 2018 3:05 pm
lheiannie07 wrote:To attempt at curbing the water hyacinth, an ornamental plant which was infesting Lake Victoria and was native of the Brazilian rain forest, ecologists are introducing weevils and fungi into the lake's ecosystem.

A. To attempt at curbing the water hyacinth, an ornamental plant which was infesting Lake Victoria and was native of.
B. The attempt at curbing the infesting of Lake Victoria of the water hyacinth, an ornamental plant which is a native to.
C. In an attempt to curb the water hyacinth, an ornamental plant which had been infesting Lake Victoria and had been native to.
D. In an attempt to curb the infestation of Lake Victoria by the water hyacinth, an ornamental plant native to.
E. By attempting to curb Lake Victoria's infestation of the water hyacinth, an ornamental plant native in.
A and B: attempt at curbing
attempt at + VERBing is unidiomatic.
Eliminate A and B.

The past perfect (had + VERBed) serves to express an action COMPLETED before another past event.
to curb X = to limit the growth of X.
to infest a place = to invade a place in great numbers.
C: In an attempt to curb the water hyacinth, an ornamental plant which had been infesting Lake Victoria
Here, the past perfect verb in red implies that the hyacinth was no longer invading Lake Victoria when ecologists tried to limit the plant's growth.
This sequence is illogical.
Clearly, when ecologists tried to limit the growth of the plant, the invasion was still happening.
Eliminate C.

E: Lake Victoria's infestation of the water hyacinth
This word implies that the LAKE invaded the HYACINTH.
This meaning is nonsensical.
Eliminate E.

The correct answer is D.
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