Employment costs rose 2.8 percent in the 12 months that ended in September, slightly less than they did in the year that ended in the previous quarter.
(A) less than they did (B) less than it did (C) less than they were (D) lower than (E) lower than they were
how can you say they are slightlower？？？ （stated by choice D）they are actually rising！
what is being compared here is the percentage of rising （choice A makes this point clear）
also，lower can never be an adv ， but less can
you can knock out choice D based on these two reasons作者: sisichen666 时间: 2012-10-20 17:28
这个题LZ可以搜一下前两天的帖子，有NN已经回答过这道题。。。。。 不过要是咱不看可不可以做副词什么之类的问题，单从逻辑含义入手来看，Employment costs rose 2.8 percent in the 12 months that ended in September, slightly less/lower than they did in the year that ended in the previous quarter. 到底选 less than 还是 lower than，要看修饰谁，主体是谁，本句——“用工成本”今年上升2.8%，这个上升幅度与去年相比，稍“小”了一点。所以应该用 less。也就是说，上升幅度只有大小之分，没有高低之分。类似于我们“中国人口很多”不能说 The population of China is very much. 要说 very large。作者: sisichen666 时间: 2012-10-20 17:28
嘿嘿。。。LZ别搜了，我说的就是LS的帖子。。。嘻嘻。。。作者: bet 时间: 2012-10-20 17:35
恩～～楼上的两位从语义方面解释果然明朗很多！ 十分十分感谢～～～作者: ddgmat 时间: 2012-10-21 10:15 标题: 坐等解答 如果有个选项是 less than可以选么？they did 相当于costs rose 可不可以省略掉？作者: DUKB24 时间: 2012-10-21 10:18
如果有个选项是 less than可以选么？they did 相当于costs rose 可不可以省略掉？
-- by 会员 ddgmat (2012/10/21 10:15:26)
I do not recommend to creat a choice to learn SC problem, since we are not able to 100% fully determine what is being tested
lessthan seems bad to me
it will create absurb meaning for not clarifying what is being compared
I think they did cannot be omiited in these problems