Difficult SAT questions

[greenled]

1.The modern city may not have new citadels or cathedrals, but there is a great many new office buildings and freeways.
A. but there is a great many new office buildings and freeways
B. but it does have a great many new office buildings and freeways
C. but a great many new office buildings and freeways
D. although many new office buildings and freeways are there
E. although a great many new office buildings and freeways are seen

The answer is B, which I also believe is correct. However, why is C wrong? Some people say it’s wrong because it’s not an independent clause. But I think “a great many new office buildings and freeways” can be part of the sentence the way “new citadels or cathedrals” is part of the sentence.

2.Industrial growth that was being stifled by the country’s dictatorship, but now they are developing their full economic potential.
A. Industrial growth that was being stifled by the country’s dictatorship, but now they are developing their full economic potential.
B. The dictatorship had stifled industrial growth, but the country is now developing their full economic potential.
C. Industrial growth was stifled by the country’s dictatorship, and so now they are developing their full economic potential.
D. Though the dictatorship had stifled industrial growth, the country is now developing its full economic potential.
E. Now developing their full economic potential, the country’s dictatorship had stifled industrial growth.

The answer is D. But how can D be right when the first clause is in past perfect, but the second clause is in present continuous?

[marvin100]

1.The modern city may not have new citadels or cathedrals, but there is a great many new office buildings and freeways.
A. but there is a great many new office buildings and freeways
B. but it does have a great many new office buildings and freeways
C. but a great many new office buildings and freeways
D. although many new office buildings and freeways are there
E. although a great many new office buildings and freeways are seen

The answer is B, which I also believe is correct. However, why is C wrong? Some people say it’s wrong because it’s not an independent clause. But I think “a great many new office buildings and freeways” can be part of the sentence the way “new citadels or cathedrals” is part of the sentence.

If you treat “a great many…” as “new citadels or cathedrals,” then the (C) construction would be interpreted as “but [may not have] a great many new office buildings and reeways.” (B) on the other hand, is unambiguously correct as it fixes the subject-verb error without injecting any new problems.

2.Industrial growth that was being stifled by the country’s dictatorship, but now they are developing their full economic potential.
A. Industrial growth that was being stifled by the country’s dictatorship, but now they are developing their full economic potential.
B. The dictatorship had stifled industrial growth, but the country is now developing their full economic potential.
C. Industrial growth was stifled by the country’s dictatorship, and so now they are developing their full economic potential.
D. Though the dictatorship had stifled industrial growth, the country is now developing its full economic potential.
E. Now developing their full economic potential, the country’s dictatorship had stifled industrial growth.

The answer is D. But how can D be right when the first clause is in past perfect, but the second clause is in present continuous?

Is this a College Board question? Clearly the answer is (D) because the others have woeful errors of the kind that are frequently tested on every exam, but (D) doesn’t fit the CB’s usual pattern for pp usage.