请教98年10月几道语法题

34. Specially bred varieties of lettuce can be grown in water containing dissolve nutritious rather than in soil.

答案是D，词性不对，应改为nutrition。但是dissolve在这里是什么词性呢，它应该是个动词啊，但从意思上来说这里却做为形容词表示溶解物质，做contain的宾语。难道dissolve既是动词又是形容词？？？？

28. Alaska, the largest state of the United states in area, is more than twice the size than Texas.

答案是D，改成of,因为是表示倍数。但in area是不是也有错误，area不是可数名词吗，怎么不以复数形式或前有定冠词的形式出现呢？

36. Essential a nineteenth-century instrument, the calliope wsa usually played outdoors and was a part of fairs,holiday gatherings, and other such activities.

答案是A，改为essentially就可以了。但是我对other such这个用法感到奇怪，怎么看怎么别扭，英语中有这种用法么，能不能把such去掉啊？