关于modifier跟随的问题请教一下，非常感谢

As an actress and, more importantly, as a teacher of acting, Stella Adler was one of the most influential artists in the American theater, training
several generations of actors whose ranks included Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro.
这里的whose ranks 是修饰的是generations 还是actors? whose ranks具体是什么意思？VING modifier如果描述整个前句的话，描述的内容不是需要同时发生的吗 WHILE OR The direct consequence of the preceding clause, 那么这里为什么ving的用法可以？在我理解里训练几代演员，不是DIRECT结果OF being famous artists, 也不可能是同时发生的。还有VING modifier当修饰一个NOUN的时候是否必须要贴近那个NOUN, prepositional phrase是否影响其修饰功能？

By developing the Secure Digital Music Initiative, the recording industry associations of North America, Japan, and Europe hope to create a
standardized way of distributing songs and full-length recordings on the Internet that will protect copyright holders and foil the many
audio pirates who copy and distribute digital music  illegally.
这一句里面从that will protect 开始一直都是在修饰a standardized way. 我的疑惑是这类型的restrictive modifier怎么感觉什么都可以修饰？  A OF B that ,that 修饰A 这里  再继续看下一句
Despite the increasing number of women graduating from law school and passing bar examinations,  the proportion of judges and partners
at major law firms who are women has not risen comparably
这里面这个who肯定是在修饰judges and partners    A OF B 里 who 又在修饰B

怎么区别这类型的modifier正确还是不正确呢？