To estimate the expansion rate of the universe is a notoriously difficult problem because there is a lack of a single yardstick that all distances can be measured by.
A
To estimate the expansion rate of the universe is a notoriously difficult problem because there is a lack of a single yardstick that all distances can be measured by
B
Estimating the expansion rate of the universe is a notoriously difficult problem because there is no single yardstick by which all distances can be measured
C
Because there is a lack of a single yardstick to measure all distances by ,estimating the expansion rate of the universe is a notoriously difficult problem
D
A notoriously difficult problem is to estimate the expansion rate of the universe because a single yardstick is lacking by which all distances can be measured
E
It is a notoriously difficult problem to estimate the expansion rate of the universe because by no single yardstick can all distances be measured
答案是B 我弄不明白D D可以还原为 a yardstick (which all distances can be measured by )is lacking
D should read:
It is a notoriously difficult problem to estimate...because a single yardstick by which all distances can be measured is lacking.
"Is lacking" as an idiom exists. See the Idiom Appendix of Manhattan.