THE PROMPT


THE OPTIONS

• greater is incorrect.
→ greater than must not be used before twice the national average to describe the rising of temperatures.

Greater than can be used to compare numbers, but not the rising of the numbers/temperatures.
Alaska's average temperatures have risen [at a rate that is] more than twice [the rate that] the national average [temperatures have risen]

→ To describe a rise in a national average, use more than twice the national average (and similar phrases)
This issue starts to get really confusing because greater than can be used:
to compare numbers (12 is greater than 10)
to compare things that themselves are numbers (the square footage in my office is greater than the square footing in my kitchen)
to compare sizes (the area covered by the Antarctic Desert is greater than the area covered by the Sahara desert)

→ General guideline: Use greater when the noun itself is a number. Use more than for countable or abstract nouns.

For a good overview of ways in which to use greater/more and less/fewer,, see here.
ELIMINATE A

• use more than twice the national average, not over twice the national average

• data compiled during the past 50 years released by Global Program.
→ the tacit that-clauses make this sentence dense; the word "and" between years and released would make the sentence clearer.
. . . data [THAT WAS ] compiled during the past 50 years [AND THAT WAS] released by Global Program.

• the phrase in keeping with is not wrong but GMAC probably would not use it
ELIMINATE B

• Meaning problem: in accordance with should be according to
→ In accordance with means in a way that agrees with or follows rules, laws, regulations, traditions, and the like.
Correct: In accordance with the Fourteenth Amendment, officials who aided or abetted seditious rioters should be forbidden from ever holding office again.
The data are not laws. The data are not rules. The data are not bossing people around.
The data are telling us something.
→ According to means as stated by or as attested by.
According to a taped interview, the former administration kept the danger of COVID from the American public.
ELIMINATE C

• 50-year-old data is strange. Why would a program collect and release data that was 50 years old?
It makes more sense that the program would collect data for 50 years and then release it.

• I have peeked at (E). Option E avoids the "filler" words that had been
Hmm. Weird meaning and Option E is better.
ELIMINATE D

• bingo
→ according to data means that the data tells us XYZ
→ more than twice the national average is the correct phrasing

The answer is E.

COMMENTS


Gotta keep it brief.

Good to excellent explanation. Tonight, everyone gets kudos. Stay safe!

Alaska is feeling the impact of global warming more than its fellow states as average temperatures in Alaska have risen greater than twice the national average, according to data released by the U.S. Global Change Research Program that was compiled over the past 50 years.

This was between C and E for me :/ -- almost a toss up.

A) greater than twice the national average, according to data released by the U.S. Global Change Research Program that was compiled over the past 50 years.
'greater than twice the national average' is an incorrect phrase when describing something that 'have risen ..'

B) over twice the national average, in keeping with data compiled during the past 50 years released by the U.S. Global Change Research Program.
'over twice the national average' is an incorrect phrase when describing the growth of something surpassing an object (national average).

C) more than twice the national average, in accordance with data compiled over the past 50 years and released by the U.S. Global Change Research Program.
I don't think this answer is better than E since 'in accordance with data' is redundant. We can make this choice better if we include 'according' instead of 'in accordance with data.

D) more than twice the national average, according to 50-year-old data that had been compiled and released by the U.S. Global Change Research Program.
'according to 50-year old data' is nonsensical since there exists an ambiguity, meaning that the data could be 50 years from the 15th century for all we know.

E) more than twice the national average, according to data compiled over the past 50 years and released by the U.S. Global Change Research Program.
Best of the rest.

Alaska is feeling the impact of global warming more than its fellow states as average temperatures in Alaska have risen greater than twice the national average, according to data released by the U.S. Global Change Research Program that was compiled over the past 50 years.

Average temperature is a countable noun, so we need to use "more than".

A) greater than twice the national average, according to data released by the U.S. Global Change Research Program that was compiled over the past 50 years. -> Incorrect to use "greater than".

B) over twice the national average, in keeping with data compiled during the past 50 years released by the U.S. Global Change Research Program. -> In keeping the with data....It is incorrect.

C) more than twice the national average, in accordance with data compiled over the past 50 years and released by the U.S. Global Change Research Program. -> "more than" is better. But, "in accordance" means "in compliance", not as stated by. So, it is incorrect.

D) more than twice the national average, according to 50-year-old data that had been compiled and released by the U.S. Global Change Research Program. -> Is data 50 years old, then how are we relying on it. Incorrect.

E) more than twice the national average, according to data com¬piled over the past 50 years and released by the U.S. Global Change Research Program. -> "more than" is better. Further, "according to" means "as stated by". which makes sense. Let's keep it.

So, I think E.

Alaska is feeling the impact of global warming more than its fellow states as average temperatures in Alaska have risen greater than twice the national average, according to data released by the U.S. Global Change Research Program that was compiled over the past 50 years.


A) greater than twice the national average, according to data released by the U.S. Global Change Research Program that was compiled over the past 50 years.

B) over twice the national average, in keeping with data compiled during the past 50 years released by the U.S. Global Change Research Program.

C) more than twice the national average, in accordance with data compiled over the past 50 years and released by the U.S. Global Change Research Program.

D) more than twice the national average, according to 50-year-old data that had been compiled and released by the U.S. Global Change Research Program.

E) more than twice the national average, according to data com¬piled over the past 50 years and released by the U.S. Global Change Research Program.


1. countable vs. uncountable noun: For temperature, I prefer more than vs. greater/over
2. in accordance with vs. according to: according to suits best here
3. 50 year old data? vs. data complied over the past 50 years.

IMO E
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