大全498題 and 大全840題

jeffyang

請問各位高手一個 cost的語法問題：

大全498題
It has been estimated that the annual cost to the United States of illiteracy in lost industrial output and tax revenues is at least $20 billion a year.
(A) the annual cost to the United States of illiteracy in lost industrial output and tax revenues is at least $20 billion a year
(B) the annual cost of illiteracy to the United States is at least $20 billion a year because of lost industrial output and tax revenues
(C) illiteracy costs the United States at least $20 billion a year in lost industrial output and tax revenues
(D) $20 billion a year in lost industrial output and tax revenues is the annual cost to the United States of illiteracy
(E) lost industrial output and tax revenues cost the United States at least $20 billion a year because of illiteracy

AnswerC)
根據Office Guide #110的解釋是：
(a)(d)(e)錯誤的解釋
cost 與 of illiteracy 要緊靠在一起

但是大全840題,不也是在cost 與 of meeting....之間插入了to the United States petroleum industry ?
雖然這一題可以用時態解決

The United States petroleum industry’s cost to meet environmental regulations is projected at ten percent of the price per barrel of refined petroleum by the end of the decade.
(A) The United States petroleum industry’s cost to meet environmental regulations is projected at ten percent of the price per barrel of refined petroleum by the end of the decade.
(B) The United States petroleum industry’s cost by the end of the decade to meet environmental regulations is estimated at ten percent of the price per barrel of refined petroleum.
(C) By the end of the decade, the United States petroleum industry’s cost of meeting environmental regulations is projected at ten percent of the price per barrel of refined petroleum.
(D) To meet environmental regulations, the cost to the United States petroleum industry is estimated at ten percent of the price per barrel of refined petroleum by the end of the decade.
(E) It is estimated that by the end of the decade the cost to the United States petroleum industry of meeting environmental regulations will be ten percent of the price per barrel of refined petroleum.

gemj

高级问题！
cost to the united states of illiteracy
cost to the united states petroleum industry of meeting
结构确实很相似，难道是因为第二个用的是分词meeting，而第一个用的是名词；
还是因为840题的E其实也不好，只不过它是矮子里的将军？

PopularKing

cost to the united states of illiteracy
cost to the united states petroleum industry of meeting
这俩个看起来一样，但其实不然。
关键看划线部分是否合乎逻辑：
(1) ”美国的文盲“ 不和逻辑，因为美国这个国家不可能是文盲。只能是文盲造成美国。。。(C)
(2) “美国石油业的复合。。标准” 是合乎逻辑的。

mjiehu

one is verb - illiteracy costs
one is noun - the cost ... of meeting

dandan74

好例子，这两道题牵扯了名词和动名词的微妙区别：
498题中，of 表示possession所以接近illiteracy比较好，同时the united states of illiteracy不合逻辑。
大全840题中，of doing sth, doing sth是一个动名词，注意动名词有些动作的特征，而the united states petroleum industry可以做meeting的主语，所以这里可以插入而不引起起义，相反，如果去掉to the united states petroleum industry, 到底是谁 meeting 反而不清楚了。

dandan74

当然如果此题有meeting ... will cost the united states... .的选项就好了。