数字が読めれば 10 秒で解ける！ TOEFL - ITP

According to the last paragraph, how many companies

shared the costs of constructing the pipeline?

A. three

B. four

C. eight

D. twelve

この the last paragraph を示します。

One of the largest in the world, the pipeline cost approximately 

$8 billion and is by far the biggest and most expensive 

construction project ever undertaken by private industry. 

In fact, no single business could raise that much money, 

so eight major oil companies formed a consortium

in order to share the costs. Each company controlled oil rights

to particular shares of land in the oil fields and

paid into the pipeline-construction fund

according to the size of its holdings. 

Today, despite enormous problems of climate, 

supply shortages, equipment breakdowns, labor disagreements,

treacherous terrain, a certain amount of mismanagement, 

and even theft, the Alaska pipeline has been completed

and is operating.

気づかれましたか？

パイプラインの建設コストは莫大なので、___ つの主要石油企業が共同企業体を作ってそのコストを分担したとあります。

In fact, no single business could raise that much money, 

so eight major oil companies formed a consortium

in order to share the costs.

の部分ですね。これで正解は C. に決まりです。