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GMAT Prep SC - Scientists have identified an asteroid

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GMAT Prep SC - Scientists have identified an asteroid

by khojason » Fri Aug 27, 2010 10:38 pm
Scientists have identified an asteroid, 2000 BF19, that is about half a mile wide and, if it strikes Earth, it can do tremendous damage to part of the planet but probably not cause planetwide destruction.

A. and, if it strikes Earth, it can do tremendous damage to part of the planet but
B. and, if it would strike Earth, part of the planet could experience a tremendous amount of damage but it would
C. and that, if it were to strike Earth, could do tremendous damage to part of the planet but would
D. and that, if Earth is struck by it, can do part of the planet tremendous damage, but it would
E. and that, if it strikes Earth, it could experience a tremendous amount of damage but

[spoiler]Ans: C[/spoiler]




May I ask Option C is correct because the chance that an asteriod striking Earth is very low?
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by ashish2104 » Sat Aug 28, 2010 6:41 am
The scernario presented by scientists is hypothetical. This means, this sentence is testing on hypothetical subjenctive mood.

If I were a rich man.......not If i was a rich man.....
Also, as per the rule, hypothetical sentences use 'could' or 'would'.
Could = probabilty
would= will in past tense

hence, C
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by pradeepkaushal9518 » Sat Aug 28, 2010 6:43 am
if i were rich i could by a car
A SMALL TOWN GUY
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by darwin » Wed Feb 08, 2012 10:46 pm
While "could" and "would" is appropriately applied in the hypothetical context, you also need to identify the parallel structures

asteroid, xxx, *that* is about half a mile wide and *that* ....

We are referring to asteroid that XXX and that YYY

A and B is out

E is also out because the pronoun "it" could experience.. applies to the Asteroid. This doesn't make sense

D is out b/c I) "can do part of the planet tremendous damage" is idiomatically incorrect. B) "but it would"'s pronoun is not parallel with "can do".

So C)
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by GmatKiss » Wed Feb 15, 2012 6:07 am
Scientists have identified an asteroid, 2000 BF19, that is about half a mile wide and, if it strikes Earth, it can do tremendous damage to part of the planet but probably not cause planetwide destruction.

A. and, if it strikes Earth, it can do tremendous damage to part of the planet but
B. and, if it would strike Earth, part of the planet could experience a tremendous amount of damage but it would
C. and that, if it were to strike Earth, could do tremendous damage to part of the planet but would
D. and that, if Earth is struck by it, can do part of the planet tremendous damage, but it would
E. and that, if it strikes Earth, it could experience a tremendous amount of damage but

IMO: C
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