og 101

summersmile

Even though the direct costs of malpractice disputes amounts to a sum lower than one percent of the $541 billion the nation spent on health care last year, doctors say fear of lawsuits plays a major role in health-care inflation.

(A) amounts to a sum lower

(B) amounts to less

(C) amounted to less

(D) amounted to lower（C）

(E) amounted to a lower sum

关于last year的修饰问题：even though last year...这样就知道last year 是修饰整个分句，但是放在分句句末我觉得会产生修饰the nation spent on health care 的歧异？
这样的话，若B项 改成：amout to less.就不知道该选B还是C？

牛牛指教！

jade_lee

以下是引用summersmile在2005-1-24 23:42:00的发言：

Even though the direct costs of malpractice disputes amounts to a sum lower than one percent of the $541 billion the nation spent on health care last year, doctors say fear of lawsuits plays a major role in health-care inflation.

(A) amounts to a sum lower

(B) amounts to less

(C) amounted to less

(D) amounted to lower（C）

(E) amounted to a lower sum

关于last year的修饰问题：even though last year...这样就知道last year 是修饰整个分句，但是放在分句句末我觉得会产生修饰the nation spent on health care 的歧异？---就是修饰the nation spent on health care ，没歧义。
这样的话，若B项 改成：amout to less.就不知道该选B还是C？

牛牛指教！

我不是NN,试着解释一下。我认为此处的last year 久失修

joe11

同问。

The correct choice must feature a verb that agrees with the plural noun costs and refers to an action completed last year (past tense).

OG 认为 last year 是修饰整个句子的。

lilyzy

好象是有问题. 如果有B改成,amount to less, 我也会选B.

buckeyegirl

我觉得从意思上理解是（今年）比去年的541 billlion少了1%，那整个句子应该只能用和主句一致的现在时啊？哪位NN指点一下啊，拜托了。