8. (24773-!-item-!-188;#058&001691) Ozone, a special form of oxygen that screens out harmful ultraviolet rays, reaches high concentrations twelve miles above Earth, where it has long appeared that it was immune from human influence; we have now realized, though, that emissions of industrial chlorofluorocarbons deplete the ozone layer. (A) has long appeared that it was immune from (B) has long appeared to have been immune from (C) has long appeared as being immune to (D) had long appeared immune to (E) had long appeared that it was immune to
The verb tense in the underlined part of the sentence must be compared with what is taking place now. As the sentence states we have realized that emissions of industrial chloroflorocarbons deplete the ozone layer (present perfect), we need the past perfect had appeared to indicate a time period prior to the present. Additionally, "immune from" means free of exempt from (eg. immune from prosecution), whereas "immune to" means not susceptible (eg. immune to chicken pox). In this case, the ozone layer was considered not susceptible to human influence. Thus, "immune to" is idiomatically correct.
The verb tense in the underlined part of the sentence must be compared with what is taking place now. As the sentence states we have realized that emissions of industrial chloroflorocarbons deplete the ozone layer (present perfect), we need the past perfect had appeared to indicate a time period prior to the present. Additionally, "immune from" means free of exempt from (eg. immune from prosecution), whereas "immune to" means not susceptible (eg. immune to chicken pox). In this case, the ozone layer was considered not susceptible to human influence. Thus, "immune to" is idiomatically correct.