While larger banks can afford to maintain their own data-processing operations, many smaller regional and community banks are finding that the ( cost associated with ) upgrading data-processing equipment and with the development and maintenance of new products and technical staff are prohibitive.
A. cost associated with
B. costs associated with
C. costs arising from
D. cost of
E. costs of
这道题选了A,答案是B。上次答疑英老师说cost是不可数名词,不明白为什么选B。做题时感觉应该不是根据后面的谓语are来判断,因为谓语动词前面and连接了几个并列成分。现在review时不确定这些并列成分全都是修饰cost的,还是cost的并列。麻烦老师讲解。