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Question

Difficulty: MediumParallel Structure

In his study of the dwarf planet Ceres, planetary scientist Dr. Hiroshi Sato argues that the bright sodium carbonate deposits in Occator Crater are not merely static geological features. Instead, Sato suggests that these salt deposits serve as critical clues for researchers, functioning as indicators of cryovolcanic activity, remnants of a subsurface ocean, and ________

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

  1. A
    they signal geothermal warming.
  2. B
    to signal geothermal warming.
  3. signals of geothermal warming.Answer
  4. D
    signaling geothermal warming.

Answer

signals of geothermal warming.
The sentence contains a list of functions served by the salt deposits: 'indicators of cryovolcanic activity,' 'remnants of a subsurface ocean,' and the final item. The first two items are plural noun phrases post-modified by prepositional phrases. To maintain parallel structure, the final item must also be a plural noun phrase of the same pattern. The phrase 'signals of geothermal warming' perfectly satisfies this structural requirement.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the sentence to identify the list of items and their grammatical structure.
The text lists three features that the salt deposits function as: 'indicators of cryovolcanic activity,' 'remnants of a subsurface ocean,' and a blank space.
Parallel structure dictates that all items in a list must be in the same grammatical form.
2
Determine the grammatical form of the first two list items.
Both 'indicators of cryovolcanic activity' and 'remnants of a subsurface ocean' are plural noun phrases structured as a plural noun followed by a prepositional phrase starting with 'of'.
Establishing the shared structure of the existing list items determines the form the final item must take.
3
Test the options to find the one that maintains this exact plural noun phrase structure.
The phrase 'signals of geothermal warming' is a plural noun phrase with a matching structure. The other options form clauses, infinitives, or participles.
Selecting the option that matches the plural noun phrase structure preserves the sentence's grammatical parallelism.

Key Concept

Parallel Structure
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Topics

Parallel Structure

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