[補充]第16題

16.   It is characteristic of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as
                    of virtually every great American museum, the taste of local collectors has played at least as large a part in the formation of their collections as has the judgments of the art historian.

(A) of virtually every great American museum, the taste of local collectors has played at least as large a part in the formation of their collections as has

(B) of virtually every great American museum, that the taste of local collectors has played at least as large a part in the formation of their collections as has

(C) it is of virtually every great American museum, that the taste of local collectors has played at least as large a part in the formation of its collections as have

(D) it is of virtually every great American museum, that the taste of local collectors have played at least as large a part in the formation of its collections as have（C）

(E) it is of virtually every great American museum, the taste of local collectors has played at least as large a part in the formation of its collections as has

想請教各位大牛,劇中的 as作啥詞性,應該如何去解釋他呢 ??