29.Which of the following was NOT mentioned as a characteristic of western grasses?
(A) They have tough stems.
(B) They are not affected by dry weather.
(C) They can be grown indoors.
(D) They contain little moisture.
30.The word "hard" in line 26 is closest in meaning to
(A) firm
(B) severe
(C) difficult
(D) bitter
31.According to the passage, the cattle helped promote the growth of the wild grasses by
(A) stepping on and pressing the seeds into the ground
(B) naturally fertilizing the soil
(C) continually moving from one grazing area to another
(D) eating only small quantities of grass.
Question 32-44
Seventeenth-century houses in colonial North America
were simple structures that were primarily functional carrying
over traditional designs that went back to the Middle Ages.
During the first half of the eighteenth century, however,
houses began to show a new elegance. As wealth increased,
more and more colonists built fine houses.
Since architecture was not yet a specialized profession in
the colonies, the design of buildings was left either to amateur
designers or to carpenters who undertook to interpret architectural
manuals imported from England. Inventories of colonial
libraries show an astonishing number of these handbooks for
builders, and the houses erected during the eighteenth century
show their influence. Nevertheless, most domestic architecture
of the first three-quarters of the eighteenth century
displays a wide divergence of taste and freedom of application of
the rules laid down in these books.
Increasing wealth and growing sophistication throughout
the colonies resulted in houses of improved design, whether
the material was wood, stone, or brick. New England still
favored wood, though brick houses became common in Boston
and other towns, where the danger of fire gave an impetus to
the use of more durable material. A few houses in New
England were built of stone, but only in Pennsylvania and adjacent
areas was stone widely used in dwellings. An increased use of
brick in houses and outbuildings is noticeable in Virginia and
Maryland, but wood remained that most popular material even
in houses built by wealthy landowners. In the Carolinas, even
in closely packed Charleston, wooden houses were much more
common than brick houses.
Eighteenth-century houses showed great interior improvements
over their predecessors. Windows were made larger
and shutters removed. Large, clear panes replaced the small
leaded glass of the seventeenth century. Doorways were larger
and more decorative. Fireplaces became decorative features of
rooms. Walls were made of plaster or wood, sometimes elaborately
paneled. White paint began to take the place of blues,
yellows, greens, and lead colors, which had been popular for
walls in the earlier years. After about 1730, advertisements
for wallpaper styles in scenic patterns began to appear in
colonial newspapers.
32.What does the passage mainly discuss?
(A) The improved design of eighteenth-century colonial houses.
(B) A comparison of eighteenth-century houses and modern houses.
(C) The decorations used in eighteenth-century houses.
(D) The role of carpenters in building eighteenth-century houses.
33. What was one of the main reasons for the change in architectural style in eighteenth-century North America?
(A) More architects arrived in the colonies.
(B) The colonists developed an interest in classical architecture.
(C) Bricks were more readily available.
(D) The colonists had more money to spend on housing.