Q40:

Since February, the Federal Reserve has raised its short-term interest rate target five times, and because of the economy’s continued strength, analysts have been predicting for weeks that the target will be raised again in November.

1. because of the economy’s continued strength, analysts have been predicting for weeks that the target will
2. with the economy’s strength continuing, analysts predicted for weeks that the target
3. because the economy continues strong, analysts predicted for weeks that the target would
4. due to the economy’s continued strength, analysts have been predicting for weeks that the target
5. due to the fact of the economy’s continued strength, analysts predicted for weeks that the target will

记得听语法老师讲过完成进行时在gmat中很少是正确的，因为它表达的意思很模糊，是完成了，还是没完成？当然我想只并不能作为排除a的理由，但我想a中的continued strength是不是不好，continue 是表一个持续的动作，根据原文逻辑，显然现在还在增长，是不是用continuing 好一点？

我原来也选c, 但没注意到because 条件句中用的是continues. 条件从句用一般现在时，主句用过去时，这好像是gmat中的大忌呀。

另外这一句话居然出现了三种时态？太狠了吧？

所以关于时态的问题还请nn们多指教。