Even though the direct costs of malpractice disputes amounts to a sum lower than 1 percent of the $541 billion the nation spent on health care last year, doctors say fear of lawsuits plays a major role in health-care inflation.
101. Even though the direct costs of malpractice disputes amounts to a sum lower than one percent of the $541 billion the nation spent on health care last year, doctors say fear of lawsuits plays a major role in health-care inflation.
(A) amounts to a sum lower (B) amounts to less (C) amounted to less (D) amounted to lower (E) amounted to a lower sum
The correct choice must feature a verb that agrees with the plural noun costs and refers to an action completed last year (past tense). The verb amounts in A and B fulfills neither condition, and amounts to a sum in A is redundant. The same redundancy occurs in E, and the construction a lower sum than is awkward and imprecise in the context of the sentence. In D, the adjective lower is erroneously used in place of the noun less as object of the preposition to Choice C is best. 请问:OG解释中黑体字部分是什么意思?难道less 是名词? 那么什么时候用 less 什么时候用 lower,有比较客观的判断标准吗?难道光凭语感判断? 谢谢大家!