og12- 82 "it"的指代问题

bestmclaren

According to a recent poll, owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land is still a goal of a
majority of young adults, like that of earlier generations.
(A) like that of earlier generations
(B) as that for earlier generations
(C) just as earlier generations did
(D) as have earlier generations
(E) as it was of earlier generations

答案选E   OG解释： it 指代owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land ， 我想知道如何得出的，为什么it 不是指代 goal 或者a majority of young adults？ 印象中很多题目都的选项都是因为 it指代不明而被否决掉。 谢谢 ：）

balapupu

我觉得it 不能指代a majority of...吧，首先adults是人，怎么能用It呢～而且是复数哎～

bestmclaren

我觉得it 不能指代a majority of...吧，首先adults是人，怎么能用It呢～而且是复数哎～

-- by 会员 balapupu (2011/8/1 16:22:19)

这么说，句子中应该用 their own land 而不是 its own land吧

mongmong

as it was (the goal) of earlier generations.

和主句结构一致。

VeraSui

owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land    is     still a goal  of a
majority of young adults   as    it （owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land ）    was of earlier generations，这样就是完全平行对称的结构了！?    
Majority/minority/plurality 作主语
---指整体动词+单数v
---指整体的每一个个体+复数vs
The majority of students in this class are hard workers.
The student majority is opposed to the death penalty. 单数名词+ majority

bestmclaren

owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land    is     still a goal  of a
majority of young adults   as    it （owning and living in a freestanding house on its own land ）    was of earlier generations，这样就是完全平行对称的结构了！?    
Majority/minority/plurality 作主语
---指整体动词+单数v
---指整体的每一个个体+复数vs
The majority of students in this class are hard workers.
The student majority is opposed to the death penalty. 单数名词+ majority

-- by 会员 VeraSui (2011/8/2 20:57:19)

理解了，谢谢各位啦

alandiyer

有疑问，
虽然it作为形式主语出现，可以指代一个短语甚至一个句子，但是在未划线部分出现过its， 而这两个同源代词又明显指代不同的先行词，如何解释这个问题呢？