Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the sentence that best combines each pair of sentences in the following questions.
There had been prior warning of the earthquake. Nevertheless, it came as a shock to the people living in nearby villages.
A.There had been warnings about the earthquake, so the people in nearby villages must not have been surprised by it.
B.Even though the earthquake had been predicted, residents of nearby villages were taken by surprise when it struck.
C.The earthquake having been predicted, even those inhabitants living in nearby villages were prepared for it.
D.The earthquake had been predicted, for the residents in nearby villages were struck before they received the warnings.