Question

Chinese public buildings erected under a construction code of the Sung dynasty have withstood earthquakes well because the white cedar used has four times the tensile strength of steel and the timber frame, incorporating many joints and few nails, is flexible:_________.(A) used has four times the tensile strength of steel and the timber frame, incorporating.(B) used in them has four times the tensile strength of steel has and the timber frame, incorporating.(C) that was used in them has four times the tensile strength steel has, and the timber frame, incorporating.(D) that was used has four times as much tensile strength as steel, and the timber frame incorporates.(E) that was used has four times the tensile strength steel does, and the timber frame incorporates.

Answer 1

Answer:

A: used has four times the tensile strength of steel and the timber frame, incorporating

Explanation:

Option A is correct because it conveys the correct message intended by the statement and has no grammatical errors.

Option B is wrong because to say "has four times the tensile strength of steel has" is just grammatically and idiomatically wrong as has is used twice in the sentence.  

Option C is wrong because the statement that has to do with the flexibility of the timber's frame is more like a separate fact and does not fall under the scope of trying to further explain a fact.

Option D is wrong because it has the same problem in Option C. The comma that is placed after "steel" breaks the sentence and hence does not provide a good understanding of why the building can withstand earthquakes.

Option E is grammatically wrong for using does in the sentence "has four times the tensile strength steel does"