prep-18

18. There is a widespread belief in the US and Western Europe that young people
have
                a smaller commitment to work and a career than their parents and
grandparents
            and that the source of the change lies in the collapse of the
'work ethic'.

A. a smaller commitment to work and a career than their parents and grandparents

B. less of a commitment to work and a career than their parents and grandparents

C. a smaller commitment to work and a career than their parents and grandparents

D. less of a commitment to work and a career than their parents and grandparents
had

E. a lessening of the commitment to work and a career than their parents and
grandparents had

A: 少助动词had会产生比较歧义，than前面有不止一个名词

B: 同上

C: 同上

D: correct

E: lessening of 应该改成less of，名词形式优于动名词；此外and a career和前面a lessening对称改变原意，the commitment to work和a career概念不对称

对这题E的错误原因有不同看法,个人觉得E错是因为没有比较级跟后面的than对应.考试的时候这么分析应该比笔记上分析更顺畅些.

大家看如何??