How does he manage to make a decent __________ with such low sales figures? (A) increase (B) payroll (C) living (D) rate 答案是c，但我覺得bc都能解釋得通？

"a decent living" 是一個常用的俗語．意思是"不錯的生活".
Ａ,B,D 都可以在某些情景上勉強解釋得通，但是都沒有Ｃ來得順．

A How does he manage to make a decent (A) increase (加薪) with such low sales figures?
可以用在瘋刺業務人員銷售量做不好還可以加薪

B How does he manage to make a decent (B) payroll (雇用人員) with such low sales figures?
可以用在瘋刺公司銷售量做不好還可以維持眾多冗員

C How does he manage to make a decent (C) living (生計) with such low sales figures?
可以用在瘋刺業務人員銷售量做不好還可以過得不錯的生活

D How does he manage to make a decent (D) rate (回報率) with such low sales figures?
可以用在稱讚公司銷售量做不好 竟然還可以維持眾 頗高的(投資)回報率.


一般考試規則都會說明是不是單選/複選.
若是是單選,那你就要選"best answer" 那這題只好選C了!

to make A with B = 用B來做成A
What do you want to make with these eggs?
=你要用這些蛋來做什麼？
How does he manage to make a decent living with such low sales figures?
=他怎麼有辦法靠這麼低的銷售額來維持家人的生計？（應該是辦不到的，所以我才有此一問）
這題只能選C（he可能是一個店主：收入與支出有連動的關係）
to make a decent living =過著滿像樣的生活（這是一個片語）
He earns a decent living.=他有相當不錯的收入。

The payroll of a company or an organization are the people who work for it and are paid by it.所以如果選payroll，不合to make A with B的關係。
They had 87,000 employees on the payroll.
在語意上，payroll也不適合接用decent的修飾

The rate at which something happens is the speed with which it happens.
A rate is the amount of money that is charged for goods or services.
The rate of taxation or interest is the amount of tax or interest that needs to be paid.同理選rate，也不合to make A with B的關係。
在語意上rate不適合接受decent的修飾。

on the increase＝在增加中
increase =「增加額」或「增加量」
There was a stead increase in population.
在語意上，increase也是不適合decent的修飾。
本題如果選increase，同樣是不通的。

其實B與C都對 但是這要看對方的賺錢的目的。
B是指賺得足夠吃飯的多餘金額收入而不一定是講賺生活費。
C通常是用到賺錢養活自己及家人 (大部分是包括吃喝 有時候也會指玩樂的費用在上)。