<p>Since the dang College Board Study Guide doesn’t have explanations, can anyone tell me why the correct answer is right?</p>
<li>Because Uranus is nearly three billion kilometers from the sun and is enveloped by a thick methane cloud layer, this blocks almost all solder radiation.</li>
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<p>(A) layer, this blocks almost all solar radiation
(B) layer, this accounts for its receiving almost no solar radiation
(C) layer is the reason why it receives almost no solar radiation
(D) layer, almost no solar radiation reaches the planet
(E) layer, it blocks almost all solar radiation from reaching the planet</p>
<p>The book says D is correct, but why not E?</p>
<p>The subject is Uranus, so when you say it can, you are refering to uranus and not the methane clouds. So That is why it is D.</p>
<p>"It" is used wrong in sentence E. It is ambigious. D is consise and to the point.</p>
<p>stix: yes, but that is not the best explanation considering that E is not ambiguous, its just plain wrong
i-love-brown-university had it right, although he/she wasnt extremely clear in his/her explanation</p>
<p>in the clause "by a thick methane cloud layer," by is a preposition, and thus <em>the clause is a prepositional phrase</em>,
as such, the "it" in choice E refers to Uranus, the subject, not the "methane cloud layer"
this is wrong because the layer, not the planet, blocks the radiation</p>
<p>as such, E makes no sense</p>
<p>(ill repeat, brown-university had it right, i'm just explaining <em>why</em> the subject is uranus and not the cloud layer)</p>
<p>just to clear it up further, the "methane cloud layer" is the object of the prepositional phrase, sorry for forgetting to mention that</p>
<p>no problem, thanks for the explanation</p>