OG 103

各位NN, help:

I don't quite understand the explaination of OG 103.

Ａ．为什么ｗｏｒｄｙ？怎样判断是否wordy?

C. them 为什么指代skills? 可否大致说一下代词指代的语法点，谁指代谁，我在这总晕菜。

D. I think this choice is right. Why is it awkward and unidiomatic verbal modifier?

E. 为什么这个them不指代skills? (还是指代的问题，汗）

多谢指教

对不起，第一次贴，这是题目和解答

103. Students in the metropolitan school district lack math skills to such a large degree as to make it difficult to
absorb them into a city economy becoming ever more dependent on information-based industries.
(A) lack math skills to such a large degree as to make it difficult to absorb them into a city economy
becoming
(B) lack math skills to a large enough degree that they will be difficult to absorb into a city's economy that
becomes
(C) lack of math skills is so large as to be difficult to absorb them into a city's economy that becomes
(D) are lacking so much in math skills as to be difficult to absorb into a city's economy becoming
(E) are so lacking in math skills that it will be difficult to absorb them into a city economy becoming

Answer to Question 103
In A, lack is modified by a wordy and awkward construction, to such a large degree as to make it difficult to.
B is similarly flawed, and to a large enough degree that is unidiomatic. C is ungrammatical because it uses
lack as a noun rather than as a verb: the phrase beginning Students... becomes a dangling element, and them
refers illogically to skills rather than students. Additionally, A, B, and C fail to use one or both of the "-ing" forms
are lacking and becoming; these forms are preferable to lack and becomes in describing progressive and
ongoing conditions. D uses the "-ing" forms, but so much... as to be difficult to absorb is an awkward and
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unidiomatic verbal modifier. Choice E is best.