OG12-31和33中的时态问题？还有一个with的疑问

dumengxuan

Unlike the conviction held by many of her colleaguesthat genes were relatively simple and static, BarbaraMcClintock adhered to her own more complicatedideas about how genes might operate, and in 1983, atthe age of 81, was awarded a Nobel Prize for herdiscovery that the genes in corn are capable ofmoving from one chromosomal site to another.
(A) Unlike the conviction held by many of hercolleagues that genes were
(B) Although many of her colleagues were of theconviction of genes being
(C) Contrary to many of her colleagues beingconvinced that genes were
(D) Even though many of her colleagues wereconvinced that genes were
(E) Even with many of her colleagues convinced ofgenes being


OA是D，我的疑问是
1）这里的时态为什么用的是were?如果是一般自然现象的话，不是应该用一般现在时的吗？还是因为这个只是别人的观点，就应该用过去式？不过好像在某地看到过是关于某个关于错误观点的描述中用的也是现在时，不过实在找不到了。。。有人能告诉我判断的根据吗？
2）E中OG得解释是Even with many of her colleagues … is wordy and indirect.我得判断依据是with sth done是表示被动，所以用her colleagues convinced不对？be convinced of中得be动词是有被动的含义吗？
拜谢~

Because an oversupply of computer chips has sentprices plunging, the manufacturer has announced thatit will cut production by closing its factories for twodays a month.
(A) Because an oversupply of computer chips hassent prices plunging,
(B) Because of plunging prices for computer chips,which is due to an oversupply,
(C) Because computer chip prices have been sentplunging, which resulted from an oversupply,
（D）Due to plunging computer chip prices from anoversupply,
(E) Due to an oversupply, with the result thatcomputer chip prices have been sent plunging
OA:A
我的疑问是：OG对C的解释是Th e violation of chronological order is confusing; reference of which is ambiguous.这里的时间顺序有什么错呢？
PS:看了以前的讨论，认为C的解释还是不让我信服，我觉得可能的错误在于have been sent plunging,完成时+进行时表示结果的不对……？还是说，有了because,再说result from变成了不顺的原因，而不是时态的原因？

gdboy8888

第31题，薄冰英语语法里解释说，一般现在时一般应用于以下情况：
1. 表日常行为
2. 表习惯，能力
3. 表示客观存在。例如： Fire burns. (火会燃烧） The earth moves around the sun. 这样的才叫客观事实。你说的意思我懂，就是说她的同事过去相信什么什么这也是客观存在的，但是如果是这样的话，可以想想，i didn't go to work yesterday. 我昨天没去工作，这不也是一个客观事实吗？所有发生过的事情都是客观存在的，无法抹去的，那么动词的时态就无从谈起了。所以英语里所说的客观事实仅限于自然现象，自然规律这类，不能太哲学了孩子。。。。。。。
第33题，The violation of chronological order is confusing;

reference of which is ambiguous.c选项的句子是 Because computer chip prices have been sent plunging, which resulted from an oversupply, og说时间顺序错误是因为，将后面的定语从句放到正常的位置上，翻译出来就是：（由供应过剩导致的）电脑芯片价格大幅下跌。就是说，应该先是供应过剩，然后是电脑芯片价格下跌，所以og 说时间顺序上出了问题。