【问】 (1) The sudden and unprecedented raise in the cost of living proved to be an unforseenadvantage because it helped him decide to leave the country at last. (TOEFL，71)

(2)“The price of the things keeps going up.”“Yes，but the interest paid on my saving account is certainly not____”

A. risen B. raise C. on the rise D. on the raise(TOEFL，73. 6)

查《最新高级英汉词典》，用作名词的raise：加薪;增加(=rise)。查WNCD，用作名词的raise：an increase in amount：as a：an increase of a bet or bid b：an increase in wages orsalary，既然名词raise作rise (an increase in amount)解，为什么试题(1)要求将raise改为rise，而试题(2)，要求选C，而不能选D呢?

【答】 名词raise在美国英语中用来表示“加薪”(an increase in wages or salary)已被看作是正式的书面英语。例如：

1. He thought about asking his boss for a raise. (EED)

他考虑请老板提高工资的事。

2. He received a raise not only in salary but in position as well. (FWF)

他不仅提高了工资，而且也提高了地位。

请对比英国英语的用法：

We all got a ￡ 6-a-week rise last month.

我们上个月的周薪都提高了6英镑。

但是，在其他情况下用raise来代替rise(an Increase in amount)目前尚被看作是非正式用法。而我们大家都知道，TOEFL的测试专家们是以考核考生正确运用正式的书面英语的能力为己任的。