GMAT Sentence Correction 113, 114

113). Scientists have recently discovered what could be the largest and oldest living organism on Earth, a giant fungus that is an interwoven filigree of mushrooms and rootlike tentacles spawned by a single fertilized spore some 10,000 years ago and extending for more than 30 acres in the soil of a Michigan forest.

(A) extending

(B) extends

(C) extended

(D) it extended

(E) is extending

114). Astronomers have theorized that the Big Bang governs the behavior of interstellar dust, particles that comprise the atoms and molecules created in the progenitive explosion and persisting in even the emptiest regions of space.

A. persisting

B. persists

C. persisted

D. they persist

E. are persisting

Answers:

113). A is the correct answer. This question tests the use of present vs past participle.

Subject in the given sentence is filigree

The filigree spawned by X not mentioned in the sentence some 10,000 years ago. Thus the use of past participle. Further, spawned by denotes passive voice which justifies the use of past participle.
As for the extending, it is still prevailing today in the Michigan forest so you cannot use past participle extended.

The present and past participles are used to describe the filigree, they act as adjectives

114). OA - A - This question again tests the use of present vs past participle
In the given sentence, we can clearly see that for the 1st participial phrase, the action of created happened in the past and is passive. The second participial phrase starting with persisting implies that the atoms and molecules are still persisting in the present, they are performing the action of "persisting" hence the use of present participle.

B - incorrect - violates parallelism (2nd participial phrase becomes a clause)

C - incorrect - use of persisted is wrong - illogically suggests that atoms no longer persisted

D - incorrect - violating parallelism

E - incorrect - violating parallelism (2nd participial phrase becomes a clause)