in the number we discovered a considerable shortage in the number of toy animals and toy pianos shipped to us.
问题描述：
in the number
we discovered a considerable shortage in the number of toy animals and toy pianos shipped to us.
答
the number of表示一定数量的，后面+单数
in是介词。
全文意思为：我们发现了相当大的数量短缺玩具动物和玩具钢琴运到我们
答
。。。断句应该是这样的：
we discovered / a considerable shortage in / the number of toy animals and toy pianos shipped to us.
答
我们发现玩具动物和玩具钢琴的短缺
in是一个字,the number of要加toy animals才是一个字（ the number of toy animals=玩具动物的数量)
considerable根据
shortage短缺
discovered发现