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Correct Answer: so much information that only a small fraction of it
the sentence in question is:
"michael lesk of the national science foundation has concluded that in a short time there will be a deluge of information, and only a small fraction of it will be seen by a human being."
the task is to choose the best option for the underlined portion of the sentence, which reads:
"a deluge of information, and only a small fraction of it"
here are the choices provided:
a) a deluge of information, and only a small fraction of it
b) so much information that only a small fraction of it
c) so much information; only a small fraction of it, therefore
d) so much information, which only a small fraction of it
let's analyze each option:
**option a:**
this choice retains the original wording. the phrase "a deluge of information" suggests a vast, overwhelming amount of information. the coordinating conjunction "and" properly connects two related ideas: the large amount of information and the small fraction that will be seen. this choice is grammatically correct and maintains the intended meaning of the sentence.
**option b:**
this choice changes the structure to "so much information that only a small fraction of it." this rephrasing emphasizes the quantity of information directly causing the result that only a small fraction of it will be seen. the use of "that" introduces a result clause, which is appropriate here. this choice is also grammatically correct and might even clarify the cause-effect relationship better than the original.
**option c:**
this choice uses a semicolon to join "so much information" with "only a small fraction of it, therefore." however, the semicolon is incorrectly used here because "only a small fraction of it, therefore" is not an independent clause that can stand alone as a complete sentence. this makes the sentence awkward and grammatically incorrect.
**option d:**
this choice rephrases the sentence to "so much information, which only a small fraction of it." this construction is awkward and grammatically incorrect because the relative pronoun "which" improperly introduces a restrictive clause that does not correctly modify "information." additionally, the clause "which only a small fraction of it" lacks a verb, making it incomplete.
**conclusion:**
the best choices are between option a and option b. both are grammatically correct. option a keeps the original phrasing, which is clear and effective. option b changes the structure slightly to emphasize the cause-effect relationship, which could enhance the clarity or impact of the sentence depending on the context. without additional context that demands a clearer cause-effect structure, option a is perfectly acceptable, but option b could be considered an improvement for emphasizing the direct consequence of the information overload.
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