求问：GWD-TN23-Q2: PP48. - ChaseDream

Unlike many United States cities, where a river is no longer the focal point of urban life, the river in San Antonio winds through the middle of the business district, and the River Walk, or Pasco del Rio, is the city's most popular attraction.

A. Unlike many United States cities, where a river is no longer the focal point of urban life, the river in San Antonio

B. Unlike the river in many cities in the United Stated, which is no longer the local point of urban life, in San Antonio the river

C. Today the river in many cities in the United States is no longer the focal point of urban life, unlike San Antonio, where it

D. In few United States cities today, a river is the focal point of urban life, but the river in San Antonio

E. No longer do many cities in United States have a river as the focal point of urban life, but in San Antonio the river

我当时也选错了-如果要从答案理解就是，D的选项是城市地点+河流比较河流+城市地点，不符合对称原则吧。。。还是胡猜的。。。记答案好了。。

the correct answer here is still pretty ugly, so let's criticize the four incorrect choices.

choice a:
faulty comparison:
'unlike many u.s. cities, ... the river in san antonio...' --> can't compare cities to a river

choice b:
comparison isn't so good:
the second part should start directly with 'the river' (instead of 'in san antonio the river...'), so that the comparison is more clear.
much more importantly, poor use of the relative pronoun 'which':
'...cities in the united states, which is no longer the focal point...'
relative pronouns like which, by default, refer to the noun that's closest to the left, which in this case is the united states. therefore, this relative pronoun is used in a way that's either ambiguous (if you allow it to potentially refer to other nouns) or just plain wrong (if you follow the rule strictly).

choice c:
faulty comparison again
'the river...' is being compared to san antonio.

choice d:
drastic change in meaning
this sentence has completely gotten rid of any reference to the concept of 'no longer'. while all the other sentences say that things have changed, this sentence presents the situation as if it's always been that way.