这题答案明显是 B. as it were.

as it were   (used to comment on the speaker's own choice of words, which may give only an approximate meaning 用以评断自己用词是否恰当, 指词义接近而已): 

She seemed very relaxed in her natural setting as it were. 她似乎十分悠然自得--可以说是有自己随遇而安的天地.  He'd been watching the water rising for two hours preparing to meet his destiny, as it were before help arrived. 他在获救前的两小时中, 一直眼看着水在上涨---可谓准备听天由命了 

（选自ALD 4th Edition）

>>> 即说话者一时对自己选用的词/话语，找不到合适的表达，于是就用as it were来表明“我说的大致是这个意思吧，大致可以这么说吧”

>>> as it were 是固定词组，没有词形变化，直接引用。

C. as they are              

D. as they were

A. as it is   含义有两个 1.照原样；2. 事实上

这两个意思放这里都不对。比如“2. 事实上”，它暗含的是推翻以前的一个什么陈述

与这题的语义毫无关联。另外，CDA结构可以是一回事，即A 有词形变化。

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