一道GWD语法题求解

Since February, the Federal Reserve has raised its short-term interest rate target five times, and because of the economy’s continued strength, analysts have been predicting for weeks that the target will be raised again in November.

1. because of the economy’s continued strength, analysts have been predicting for weeks that the target will
2. with the economy’s strength continuing, analysts predicted for weeks that the target
3. because the economy continues strong, analysts predicted for weeks that the target would
4. due to the economy’s continued strength, analysts have been predicting for weeks that the target
5. due to the fact of the economy’s continued strength, analysts predicted for weeks that the target will

答案选B我感觉明显错的呀 不知道什么是because the economy continues strong？？？我选的E。高手指点！

对不起 ，我觉得应该不是B，这题考一个是原因，一个是时态吧，一眼看去是这样；

从时态角度，A和D是不对的，have been predicting 我觉得不好，因为predict不是一个持续的时间，predicted for weeks是可以的，表示在一段时间内多次做一件事情；

再从时态角度，排除AD后，predicted在nov发生的事情，对于predict的当时这个事情没有发生，因此应该用would，排除掉B和E；

如果从原因角度，due to 不好，with是伴随，没有强调是原因，此外the fact of the...也不好，应该是fact that...，所有这些角度，都应该是C

对答案是 C 但C 中because the economy continues strong 读了别扭啊？？怎么解释呢？

because the economy continues strong 这句话别扭的原因可能是：

不习惯continues strong，喜欢contintue to be adj，但是在老美的英语里面就是这样的，好比it keeps cool

谢谢！