prep2012-sc-64关于their numbers还是不明白

xushi19911011

Prep2012-Pack1-SC-064 VSC002625 hard
Although beavers can still be found throughout the western United States, their number has declined compared with the eighteenth century, when the abundance of beavers lured armies of European trappers into the Rocky Mountain region to slaughter them for their pelts.
A. their number has declined compared with
B. their numbers have compared with
C. their numbers have declined since
D. their numbers have in comparison to those of
E. the number of them declined since


答案：C

E选项时态错我明白，但是我觉得就应该用the number of啊，beaver就只能有一个数量啊，不管变不变化也只有一个数量啊。
而numbers：the numbers of these two people are 17 and 19./ the numbers of beaver and cat are ... and ... .所以感觉numbers应该表示几种东西的一些数字符号，而指某个东西的数量就应该用number啊

看了一个帖子说 the number of them 错，因为这个结构of后面要跟具体名词，可是我不是太能被这个解释说服。。。

跪求NN出来解答

xushi19911011

再顶～～～～～～～～～～～～～

xushi19911011

哎，有没有专门讨论语法的群呃。。。。每次有问题这么问都好累啊

xushi19911011

怒顶～～～～～～～～～～·

xushi19911011

顶到NN出现为止～～～～～～～～～

aillen922

楼主可以参考下面这个贴，很强大
http://forum.chasedream.com/thread-226606-1-1.html

xushi19911011

aillen922 发表于 2013-6-19 00:53
楼主可以参考下面这个贴，很强大
http://forum.chasedream.com/thread-226606-1-1.html

看完之后，发现对于这个知识点给了这么一句话“这一类用法是最难的，还没有找到最有说服力的解释。但是作题的时候，我们可以借用其他方面的线索，排除错误项”。。。。

好吧。。。。

xushi19911011

还有没有能给出明确的解释的哇，不甘心啊

suzibi

the number of 表示的是一个整体，是个总数。而原文强调的数量下降。强调的是“数量”

啦啦噜啦啦

the best way to resolve your concern about this one is just to accept that apparently the GMAT is okay with this construction. file that away for future reference in case you see something like this on the actual test. the best "explanation" i can give is that there are multiple populations of beavers in the US, and each one has a certain number of individuals in it. perhaps if the GMAT said "their number" it may have suggested there was only one large group of beavers..
来自http://www.manhattangmat.com/forums/although-beavers-can-still-be-found-throughout-the-t15923.html