The descending order of acidity among the following compounds is:...

Carboxylic acids are stronger acids than phenols because the carboxylate anion is stabilized by equivalent resonance structures. Thus, D and E are more acidic than A, B, and C.

For the carboxylic acids, the $-NO_2$ group in D is an electron-withdrawing group ($-I, -R$), which stabilizes the conjugate base, making D more acidic than E.

For the phenols, electron-withdrawing groups increase acidity while electron-donating groups decrease it. The $-NO_2$ group in B is electron-withdrawing, making it more acidic than A. The $-OCH_3$ group in C is electron-donating ($+R > -I$), making it less acidic than A. Thus, the order for phenols is B $>$ A $>$ C.

Combining these, the overall descending order of acidity is D $>$ E $>$ B $>$ A $>$ C.

Answer: $D>E>B>A>C$