In 1981 children in the United States spent an average of slightly less than two and a half hours a week doing household chores; by 1997 they had spent nearly six hours a week.

A.     chores; by 1997 they had spent nearly six hours a week

B.     chores; by 1997 that figure had grown to nearly six hours a week

C.    chores, whereas nearly six hours a week were spent in 1997

D.    chores, compared with a figure of nearly six hours a week in 1997

E.  chores, that figure growing to nearly six hours a week in 1997

正确答案B，请教E错在哪里?

顶

拜托斑斑们看看哪

B is the best.  it's the year of 2006.   Thus, by 1997 + 过去完成时也没错.  前半句的一般过去时是为了说一过去的事实.

E is wrong due to its structure, which is sentence,+ N1.  (N1= that figure)  But "that figure" 不是 chores 的宾同.   Moreover,  the meaning of "in 1997" is completely different from that of "by 1997".

我也同意选E. 有人能指出E有什么问题吗？