89. A recent national study of the public schools shows that there are now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many than there were four years ago.
(A) there are now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many than there were
(B) there is now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many than there were
(C) there is now one microcomputer for every thirty-two pupils, four times as many as there were
(D) every thirty-two pupils now have one micro-computer, four times as many than there were
(E) every thirty-two pupils now has one microcom-puter, four times as many as
看上去最正确的是C. 但我有个问题：（1）为什么用four times as many as there were? 为什么用复数were？？
（2）OG说E选项中的four times as many as错误的修饰了pupils，为什么它不修饰one microcom-puter？
请各位指教~~