OG89

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（前面是is,这儿为什么用were?）

(D)  every thirty-two pupils now have one micro­computer, four times as many than there were

(E)   every thirty-two pupils now has one microcom­puter, four times as many as（为什么这儿不是省略？）

Choices A, B, and C appropriately use the construction "one X for every thirty-two Y's" to describe the ratio of computers to pupils, but only C, the best answer, is error-free. In A, are does not agree with the subject, one microcomputer; furthermore, in A, B, and D, than is used where as is required. Choices D and E reorder and garble the "one X ..." construction, making four times as many refer illogically to pupils.

顶一下

BTW， (E)   every thirty-two pupils now has one microcom­puter, four times as many as 中four times as many as 为什么不是对microcomputer的一种修饰呢？

回答1楼的问题：英语中只有one for every这样的比率才用单数，其他比率通通用复数。在本题中，比较的基数一样都是32个学生，现在是拥有一台电脑，那以前就只能是1以外的数字，所以必然是were。

回答2楼的问题：比较状语从句的逻辑主语为主句主语。这里主句主语是pupils。