help needed for this paragraph

[ear-m]

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1. In 1918, the Croats, Serbs and Slovenes formed a kingdom known, after 1929, as Yugoslavia. Following World War II , Yugoslavia became a non- aligned communist state under the strong hand of Marshal Tito. After his death in 1980, Yugoslavia began gradually breaking up. _________ . However, it took four years of occasional and often bitter fighting before they fully achieved it.
a- Today, Yugoslavia has been divided into a number of independent countries.
b- It seemed that only Tito was strong enough to hold together a number of mutually hostile nationalities.
c- Yugoslavia's first ruler had been King Alexander, a Serb who made himself sole ruler.
d- Croatia was one of those to declare its independence from Yugoslavia
e- Only Serbia and Montenegro continue to use the name "Yugoslavia".
which one do you thing is the correct answer?

[Casiopea]

We'd be more than happy to help you out, but, first, could you tell us what you think is the correct choice and why?

Welcome, ear - m.

[ear-m]

We'd be more than happy to help you out, but, first, could you tell us what you think is the correct choice and why?
Welcome, ear - m.

I surely would......

D sounds to be the best one to me.....
but some others say it's A.
A really doesn't sound quite correct to me....

[Casiopea]

Hint [1]: 1918, 1929, 1980, ______ (what's the next date on that time line?)
Hint [2]: "Yugoslavia began gradually breaking up. _______. However, [the break up for wasn't that easy or simple for the kingdom], it took four years . . . ."
Hint [3]: to break up means, to separate, become independent countries.

Yugoslavia began gradually breaking up. _________ . However, it took four years of occasional and often bitter fighting before they fully achieved it.

a- Today, Yugoslavia has been divided into a number of independent countries.

b- It seemed that only Tito was strong enough to hold together a number of mutually hostile nationalities.

c- Yugoslavia's first ruler had been King Alexander, a Serb who made himself sole ruler.

d- Croatia was one of those to declare its independence from Yugoslavia

e- Only Serbia and Montenegro continue to use the name "Yugoslavia".

[ear-m]

Hint [1]: 1918, 1929, 1980, ______ (what's the next date on that time line?)
Hint [2]: "Yugoslavia began gradually breaking up. _______. However, [the break up for wasn't that easy or simple for the kingdom], it took four years . . . ."
Hint [3]: to break up means, to separate, become independent countries.

thanks....but....

1. In 1918, the Croats, Serbs and Slovenes formed a kingdom known, after 1929, as Yugoslavia. Following World War II , Yugoslavia became a non- aligned communist state under the strong hand of Marshal Tito. After his death in 1980, Yugoslavia began gradually breaking up. _________ . However, it took four years of occasional and often bitter fighting before they fully achieved it.

but what took me to D was....you see the passage starts with 3 cities(countries) forming a kingdom.then this kingdom begins to break up.

to me, one( one of those three which formed the kingdom) should declare its independence first and then they( all of them)achieve it fully after some time and fighting........the passage doesn't tell anything about today thru the end.
in 1980 Tito dies.yugoslavia begins breaking up.And it took four years........It doesn't reach today.It's all in the past.So how do we put something about today in the middle of a story of the history of Yugoslavia.

[JohnWillemse]

I think the answer should be D, for the following reason:

"However, it took four years of occasional and often bitter fighting before they fully achieved it."

The word "they" implies a plural subject. Yugoslavia is not plural, and if A was the answer, it should read: "...before she fully achieved it..."

a- Today, Yugoslavia has been divided into a number of independent countries.

"those" in answer D is plural however, indicating more countries tried to declare independence. "They" would be properly used here.

d- Croatia was one of those to declare its independence from Yugoslavia

I'm sorry if I used some wrong terms here, but I hope you get the idea

[ear-m]

we couldn't resolve this question...there are many different opinions of the members for either AA or DD....

so I'm waiting for other comments.......

[Casiopea]

but what took me to D was....you see the passage starts with 3 cities(countries) forming a kingdom.then this kingdom begins to break up.

Consider the shorter version:

In 1918 the Croats, Serbs and Slovenes formed Yugoslavia. Then, in 1929, Yugoslavia [the Croats, Serbs and Slovenes] began gradually breaking up. _________ . However, it took four years of occasional and often bitter fighting before they fully achieved it.

The pronoun they" refers to 'The Croats, Serbs and Slovenes'. Choice d doesn't:

d- Croatia was one of those to declare its independence from Yugoslavia. However, it took four long years . . . before *they fully acheived it.

Moreover, notice the referencing error, 'Croatia' . . . *'they'. Croatia is a country, so "it", right?

to me, one (one of those three which formed the kingdom) should declare its independence first and then they (all of them) achieve it fully after some time and fighting

The trick is, you don't need outside or additional information (i.e., the politics of Yugoslavia) to find the answer to the test question. It's all there for you.

the passage doesn't tell anything about today thru the end.

On the contrary. Choice a, notably the adverb "Today" is the key clue. The passage is made up of five sentences and each of those sentences, with the exception of [4], our blank, states a date, a time:

[1] In 1918, the Croats, Serbs and Slovenes formed a kingdom known, after 1929, as Yugoslavia.

[2] Following World War II, Yugoslavia became a non-aligned communist state under the strong hand of Marshal Tito.

[3] After his death in 1980, Yugoslavia began gradually breaking up.

[4] _________ . <Choice a: Today, . . . >

[5] However, it took four years of occasional and often bitter fighting before they fully achieved it.

in 1980 Tito dies.yugoslavia begins breaking up.And it took four years........It doesn't reach today.It's all in the past.So how do we put something about today in the middle of a story of the history of Yugoslavia.

Good point, but there's the word However to deal with. It's used to begin a statement that contrasts with something that has just been said.

In other words,

a- "Today, Yugoslavia has been divided into a number of independent countries. However, [it wasn't done that easily or done that quickly]" (Note, the previous sentence is short and to the point, whereas) "[independence] took four years of occasional and often bitter fighting before they fully achieved it.

In short, check out the pronominal agreement here:

a- Today, Yugoslavia has been divided into a number of independent countries. However, it took four years of occasional and often bitter fighting before they fully achieved it; i.e., those countries formally known as the kingdom of Yugoslavia fully acheived it.

[ear-m]

The pronoun they" refers to 'The Croats, Serbs and Slovenes'. Choice d doesn't:

d- Croatia was one of those to declare its independence from Yugoslavia. However, it took four long years . . . before *they fully acheived it.

Moreover, notice the referencing error, 'Croatia' . . . *'they'. Croatia is a country, so "it", right?

they refers to countries which are breaking up(that formed the kingdom are now breaking up...)

Crotia was one of those... they refers to this those here....

Hint [2]: "Yugoslavia began gradually breaking up. _______. However, [the break up for wasn't that easy or simple for the kingdom], it took four years . . . ."

it's not the breaking up which was hard but it was to achieve the independence.....

Am I somewhere wrong in this paragraph????????

[Casiopea]

Welcome, John Willemse.

I think the answer should be D, for the following reason:

"However, it took four years of occasional and often bitter fighting before they fully achieved it."

The word "they" implies a plural subject. Yugoslavia is not plural, and if A was the answer, it should read: "...before she fully achieved it..."

a- Today, Yugoslavia has been divided into a number of independent countries.

Ah, yes, but "they" refers back to the closest plural noun, that noun being "'independent countries". That is,

a- Today, Yugoslavia has been divided into a number of independent countries. However, it took four years of occasional and often bitter fighting before they (i.e., those countries) fully achieved it (i.e., independence)."

"those" in answer D [see below] is plural however, indicating more countries tried to declare independence. "They" would be properly used here.

d- Croatia was one of those to declare its independence from Yugoslavia.

But why single out Croatia? It's new information. That is, the passage is not about Croatia, per se, it's about Yugoslavia. What about the other countries? Aren't they just as important?