12. Formulas for cash flow and the ratio of debt to equity do
not apply to new small businesses in the same way as they do
to established big businesses, because they are growing and
are seldom in equilibrium.
(A) Formulas for cash flow and the ratio of debt to equity do
not apply to new small businesses in the same way as they do
to established big businesses, because they are growing and
are seldom in equilibrium.
(B) Because they are growing and are seldom in
equilibrium, formulas for cash flow and the ratio of debt to
equity do not apply to new small businesses in the same
way as they do to established big businesses.
(C) Because they are growing and are seldom in
equilibrium, new small businesses are not subject to the
same applicability of formulas for cash flow and the ratio
of debt to equity as established big businesses.
(D) Because new small businesses are growing and are
seldom in equilibrium, formulas for cash flow and the ratio
of debt to equity do not apply to them in the same way as
to established big businesses.
(E) New small businesses are not subject to the
applicability of formulas for cash flow and the ratio of
debt to equity in the same way as established big
businesses, because they are growing and are seldom in
equilibrium.
In A, the they after because is ambiguous; it seems illogically to refer to Formulas because they and Formulas are each the grammatical subject of a clause and because the previous they refers to Formulas. In A and B, do not apply to... in the same way as they do to is wordy and awkward. D, the best choice, says more concisely in the same way as to. Also in B, because they refers to formulas, the introductory clause states confusedly that the formulas are growing. In C and E, subject to the [same] applicability of... is wordy, awkward, and imprecise; furthermore, are is preferable either before or after established big businesses to complete the comparison. Finally, the referent of they is not immediately clear in E.
但是照这一题ETS对A和B中THEY的解释，因为FORMULAS和THEY分别是主句和从句的主语，那么THEY就指代FORMULAS，但是如果这样的话，为什么还会说E中THEY指代不清呢，E中THEY是从句的主语，NEW SMALL BUSINESSES是主句的主语啊？请指教……是不是因为A 中THEY在主句前面,而在E中在主句后面?
