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The well-being of America's rural people and places depends upon many things - the availability of goodpaying jobs; (1)______ to critical services such as education, health care, and communication; strong communities; and a healthy natural environment. And, (2)______ urban America is equally dependent upon these things, the challenges to well-being look very different in rural areas than in urban areas. Small-scale, low-density settlement (3)______ make it more costly for communities and businesses to provide critical services. Declining jobs and income in the natural resource-based industries that many rural areas depend on (4)______ workers in those industries to find new ways to make a living. Low-skill, low-wage rural manufacturing industries must find new ways to challenge the increasing number of (5)______ competitors. Distance and remoteness impede many rural areas from being connected to the urban centers of economic activity. Finally, changes in the availability and use of natural resources located in rural areas (6)______ the people who earn a living from those resources and those who (7)______ recreational and other benefits from them. Some rural areas have met these challenges successfully, achieved some level of prosperity, and are ready (8)______ the challenges of the future. Others have neither met the current challenges nor positioned themselves for the future. Thus, concern for rural America is real. And, while rural America is a producer of critical goods and services, the (9)______ goes beyond economics. Rural America is also home to a fifth of the Nation's people, keeper of natural amenities and national treasures, and safeguard of a/an (10)______ part of American culture, tradition, and history

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How many times in the last hundred years or so have people talked of the imminent death of the book? Films were an early threat because they were so effective at telling stories in a visual way. Next there was radio, (26)...... stepped into the mid-twentieth century and provided such an alternative to books as drama, documentaries and discussions. When television arrived, many people believed that it would finish the book off. Nowadays, (27)............ the threat by TV, the book is thought to be endangered by computers and the Internet, and by other technological attractions (28).........  theCD and the video game, too Surely there are now reasons why (29).............  book ought to be dead, or at least very badly injured. If so, why does it not show proper respect for these reportedly less literate times (30)......... die out? There is clearly more than a single answer to this question. Firstly, we have more leisure time than we (31)..........  to, and people are generally living longer, which means there is more time to do more (including reading books). As (32)............ as this, there is the strength of the book as a tradition. We are all too dismissive of traditions in our modern world, but they can have very strong pull (33)....... us. Added to this, the book is such a practical tool: it doesn't cost too (34).......... , it is usually small enough to carry around, and it can easily be (35)......... . We will never go without books, because they have served us so well for so long

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All plants rely on nutrients taken from the soil in order to survive. However, in areas where the soil does not contain enough (35)_____ nutrients, some plants have adapted to (36) _____ their diets from another source: living organisms. Though they are few in number, carnivorous plants are (37)_____ fascinating beings that ―eat‖ anything from one-celled organisms to insects in order to survive. They are commonly found in marshlands. Carnivorous plants feature one of several types of ―traps‖ to ensnare prey, which they consume to make up for nutrients that may be missing from the soil. While there are over 400 species of carnivorous plants in the world today, some are more (38)_____ than others. The most well-known of these plants are the snap traps, which include the Venus flytrap. Snap traps are easily identified by their leaves, which are separated into two lobes that have the ability to fold together. Inside the lobes, the surface is covered with tiny hairs that are (39) _____ to movement. When the plant‘s prey brushes against the hairs, it triggers a closing mechanism that rapidly brings the two lobes together, trapping the prey (40)_____ inside. The response of the traps is phenomenal (41)_____ speed: the time between triggering the hairs and snapping shut is less than a second. As the prey struggles inside the trap, it only triggers more hairs, causing the leaves to tighten their (42) _____. The plant then secrets liquid chemicals from special glands into the trap to dissolve the prey and absorb all of its nutrients. Besides the Venus flytrap, only one other type of snap trap exists today, (43)_____ to as the waterwheel plant. The two share a common ancestor and differ only in a few ways. For instance, the waterwheel is an aquatic plant, while the flytrap is exclusively terrestrial. In addition, the flytrap feeds primarily on arthropods like spiders, while the waterwheel lives (44)_____ simple invertebrates, like certain types of plankton

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Nobody knows for certain what the origin of music was. Music is certainly older than poetry and painting but as early man had no way of (1) _______ it, we can only (2)_______ what it sounded like. Watching a child (3) ______ on a drum with its hands or a (4 ) ______ of wood, it is easy to see that this is the simplest of instruments. It does not (5) ______ much effort to produce a rhythm on it. Wall paintings show what some of the first instruments looked like. Early civilizations had already discovered the three basic ways of producing music: blowing into a tube, striking an object, and scraping a string. We know that western music comes from the (6) _______ Greeks. The musical scales we use now are (7) ______ on certain sequences of notes which the Greeks used to create a particular (8)_______.  Until the sixteenth century, most players of instruments were single performers, but as music became more (9)_______, orchestras and musical groups began to appear. This (10 ) _______ about the writing of music to be played byseveral musicians at one time. This can certainlybe called the birth of modern music

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You will make the interview process easier for the employer if you prepare relevant information about yourself. Think about how you want to present your (35)...... , experiences, education, work style, skills, and goals. Be prepared to supplement all your answers with examples that support the statements you make. It is also a good idea to review your resume with a critical eye and (36)........ areas that an employer might see as limitations or want further information. Think about how you can answer difficult' questions (37)....... and positively, while keeping each answer brief. An interview gives the employer a (38)....... to get to know you. While you do want to market yourself to the employer, answer each question with an honest (39).......... . Never say anything negative about past experiences, employers, or courses and professors. Always think of something positive about an experience and talk about that. You should also be (40).......... . If you are genuinely interested (41).......... the job, let the interviewer know that. One of the best ways to show you are keen on a job is to demonstrate that you have researched the organization prior to the interview. You can also (42)...........  interest by asking questions about the job, the organization, and its services and products. The best way to impress an employer is to ask questions that build upon your interview discussion. This shows you are interested and (43).........  close attention to the interviewer. It is a good idea to prepare a few questions in advance, but an insightful comment based on your conversation can make an even stronger statement. At the (44).............  of an interview, it is appropriate for you to ask when you may expect to hear; from the employer

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A recent issue of a language learning magazine has consulted a number of experts in the (1)________ of second language acquisition. Their advice may prove invaluable for those (2)______ a language course. One suggestion is that you (3)______whether you are likely to be successful at learning a language or not. Did you enjoy studying languages at school, for example? Do you have enough time to learn a language? The main (4)______will be your own time and effort. Therefore you must make sure that the course on offer leads to a (5)______ qualification. Also, be realistic in your (6)______. If you don't set achievable aims you are more likely to give up. Do not be deceived (7)______thinking that the most expensive courses are the best. (8)______around to get the best possible value for money. You should also bear in mind that the quicker you learn a language the more quickly you forget it. Sandra Miller, a French teacher, tried to teach herself German by enrolling on a (9)______ course. Already fluent in four languages and with a sound knowledge of teaching methodology her chances of (10)______progress were high. Three years on she remembers very little. She feels her biggest mistake was not to build on her previous studies. "I should have consolidated what I'd learnt by continuing to study, even if it were by myself.

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British parents are always complaining that their children spend too much time gluing to the telly and not enough (37)____ other activities like sports and reading. A survey recently carried out on people's viewing habits (38)____ not disapprove it. It shows that young people in Britain spend on (39)___ twenty three hours a week in front of the television, (40)_______ works out at over three hours every day. What is surprising, however, is the fact that the average adult watches even more: an incredible 28 hours a week. We seem to have become a nation of telly addicts. Just about (41)_______ household in the country has a television and over half have two or more. According (42)___ the survey, people nowadays don't just watch television sitting in their living room, they watch it in the kitchen and in bed as well. The Education Minister said a (43)___weeks ago that Britain's pupils should spend more time reading. Unfortunately, parents are not setting a good example: adults do (44)__ reading than young people. In fact, reading is (45)___ the bottom of their list of favorite pastimes. They would (46)____ listen to the radio, go to the cinema or hire a video to watch on their television at home

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We are using up the world‘s petroleum. We use (1)_________ in our cars and to heat our building in winter.Farmers use petrochemicals to (2) _________ the soil rich. They use them to kill insects (3) _________ eat plants. These chemicals go (4) _________ rivers and lakes and kill the fish there. Thousands of pollutants also go into the air and pollute it. Winds carry this (5) _________ air to other countries and other continents. Poor farmers use the same land over and (6) _________ . The land needs a rest so it will be better next year. However, the farmers must have food this year. Poor people cut down forests (7) _________ firewood. In some areas when the trees are gone, the land (8) _________ desert. Poor people can‘t save the environment for the (9) _________ . This is not a problem for one country or one area of the world. It is a problem for allhumans. The people and the nations of the world must work together to (10) _________ the world‘s resources

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Everyone wants to reduce pollution . But the pollution problem is ( 1 ) …………….. complicated as it is serious . It is complited ( 2 ) …………… much pollution is caused by things that benefit people . ( 3)………. , exhaust from automobiles causes a lartge percentage of air pollution . But the automobile (4 ) …..provides transportation for millions of people . Factories discharge much (5)……. the material that pollutes theair and water , but factories give employment to a large munber of people . Thus , to end (6)……… greatly reduce pollution immediately , people would have to ( 7) ….. using many things that benefit them . Most of the people do not want to do that , of course . But pollution can be ( 8) ….. reduced in several ways . Scientists and engineers can work to find ways lessen the (9) ………. Of the pollution that such things as automobiles and factories cause . Governments can pass and enforce laws that (10) ……….businesses and traffic to stop , or to cut down on certain polluting activities

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When naming a child, some parents seem to choose a name based simply on their personal preference. In other families, grandparents or professional name-makers come up with a child's name. In some cases, the time of a child's birth influences how the child's name is determined. In many European cultures, names are typically chosen by parents. Parents' choice for their child's name may be based on names of their relatives or ancestors. For example, in Italy, children are traditionally named after their grandparents. The parents generally use the father's parents' names first. If they have more children, then they will use the mother's parents' names. Similarly, some people in Eastern Europe name their children after relatives who have died. This tradition is seen as a means to protect the child from the Angel of Death. Traditionally in some Asian countries, a child's grandfather or a fortune-teller chooses the child's name. In contrast to the tradition of naming children after relatives, the child's name is chosen to influence the child's character. For example, names may be based on a connection to certain elements such as fire, water, earth, wood, or metal. Or the name might include a written character meaning beauty, strength, or kindness. In certain African cultures, when a child is born plays a large part in determining the child's name. In Ghana's Akan culture, the day a child is born determines the child's name. But each day has different names for boys and girls. For instance, a boy born on Friday is named Kofi, whereas a girl born on the same day is named Afua. Both Kofi and Afua mean "wanderer" or "explorer." Children with these names are seen as travelers. No matter where the name comes from, a child's name is the first gift in life. Whether the name is chosen according to preference or dictated by tradition, it reflects something about a child's culture. For that reason, all names should be treasured and respected.
3. The word "means" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ______.

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No educational medium better serves as a means of spatial communication than the atlas. Atlases deal with such invaluable information as population distribution and density. One of the best, Pennycooke’s World Atlas, has been widely accepted as a standard owing to the quality of its maps and photographs, which not only show various settlements but also portray them in a variety of scales. In fact , the very first map in the atlas is a cleverly designed population cartogram that projects the size of each country if geographical size were proportional to population. Following the proportional layout , a sequence of smaller maps shows the world’s population density, each country’s birth and death rates, population increase and decrease , industrialization, urbanization , gross national product in terms of per capita income, the quality of medical care, literacy, and language. To give readers a perspective on how their own country fits in with the global view, additional projections despite the world’s patterns in nutrition, calorie and protein consumption, health care, number of physicians per unit of population, and life expectancy by region. Population density maps on a subcontinental scale, as well as political maps, convey the diverse demographic phenomena of the world in a broad array of scales.

In the passage, the word “invaluable” is closest in meaning to     .

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Artist Kit Williams was always interested in trying new things, so when it was suggested that he should (1) _______ a book, he preferred to write his own story rather than work with someone else's. He hit (2) _______ a new idea . What better way to attract people's (3) _______ to his work than to give his readers the chance to take part in a treasure hunt? So Kit made a golden pendant in the (4) _______ of a hare and buried it underground at a secret location. The words and pictures in his book, Masquerade, (5) _______ clues as to where the hare was buried. Almost two million readers from all over the world joined in the rush to solve the puzzle. The race was open to all, and no one had any advantage - the treasure was as likely to be found by a clever child of ten as it was by a university professor. After more than two years, the golden hare was found by a businessman who called himself Ken Thomas, although this was actually a (6) _______ name. It appears that "Thomas" subsequently sold the hare for a large (7) _______ of money. Afterwards some people (8) _______ that the discovery of the hare was not based purely on the information in the book, but was the result of a complex (9) _______ in which "Thomas" was helped by a former girlfriend of Kit Williams. However, "Thomas" has always firmly (10) _______ these claims

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Why did you decide to read, and will you keep reading to the end? Do you expect to understand every single part of it and will you remember anything about it in a fortnight‘s ..35….? Common sense ..36… that the answers to these questions depend on ―readability‖- whether the ..37… matter is interesting, and the argument clear and the layout attractive. But psychologists are trying to …39… why people read – and often don‘t read certain things, for example technical information. They also have examined so much the writing as the readers Even the most technically confident people often 40… instructions for the video or home computer in favor of hands- on experience. And people frequently take little notice of consumer information, whether on nutritional labels or in the small print of contracts. Psychologists researching reading …41…. to assume that both beginners and competent readers read everything put in front of them from start to finish. There are ….42….among them about the role of eyes, memory and brain during the process. Some people believe that fluent readers take in very letter or word they see; others …43….that reader rely on memory or context to carry them from one phrase to another. But they have always assumed that the reading process is the same: reading starts, comprehension ….44……, then reading stops

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the undelined part that needs correction in each of the following questions:
Under the Medicare insurance policy, people approaching 65 may enroll during the seven-month period that includes three months before the sixty-fifth birthday, the month in which the birthday falls, and three months after the birthday. However, if they wish the insurance coverage to begin when they reach 65, they must enroll three months before their birthday. People who do not enroll within their first enrollment period may enroll later, during the first three months of each year. Those people, however, must pay 10% additional for each twelve-month period that elapsed since they first could have enrolled.
The monthly premium is deducted from social security payment, railroad retirement or civil service retirement benefits.

The period after the sixty-fifth birthday during which people may apply for Medicare is     .

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.
The warming of the Earth  is  caused  by  exhaust  gas  from  automobile  engines,  fatories  and  power (1)........... . Carbon dioxide goes up into the atmosphere, and it form a kind of screen that keeps or allows the sunshine in but stop the Earth heart (2)...............getting out. It works like a greenhouse, that’s  why  we call (3).............. the Green House effect. Because of this effect, the Earth is getting warmer all the time. This (4)................in temperature will cause big changes to the world’s climate. The sea level will increase as the ice (5)....................... the poles will melt.

(2)...............................

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks.
In many countries of Northern Europe, including Scandinavia, Finland, Northern Russia, and the Baltic states, ice swimming is closely connected with the tradition of sauna, (1)......... has led to the creation of a new activity where stays in the sauna are (2)......... with quick 'pauses' in ice water. In Russia, ice swimmers are called what can be literally translated as 'walruses '. The north of Europe, (3)............, is not the only place where winter swimming is practised regularly. A large ice swimming movement exists in the UK, based in a famous location: the Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park in London. In Harbin, Northern China, about 200,000 people ice-swim in the Songhua River every winter. The oldest ice swimming club in the United States, the Coney Island Polar Bear Club of New York, organises an annual (4)....... on New Year's Day. In Canada, 'Polar Bear Swims; 'Plunges' or 'Dips' are a New Year's Day tradition in (5)........ communities as well, the biggest one taking place in Vancouver since 1920.

(3)...........................

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

      Contrary to popular belief, one does not have to be a trained programmer to work online. Of course, there are plenty of jobs available for people with high-tech computer skills, but the growth of new media has opened up a wide range of Internet career opportunities requiring only a minimal level of technical expertise. Probably one of the most well-known online job opportunities is the job of Webmaster. However, it is hard to define one basic job description for this position. The qualifications and responsibilities depend on what tasks a particular organization needs a Webmaster to perform.

      To specify the job description of a Webmaster, one needs to identify the hardware and software the website the Webmaster will manage is running on. Different types of hardware and software require different skill sets to manage them. Another key factor is whether the website will be running internally or externally (renting shared space on the company servers). Finally, the responsibilities of a webmaster also depend on whether he or she will be working independently, or whether the firm will provide people to help. All of these factors need to be considered before one can create an accurate webmaster job description.

      Webmaster is one type of Internet career requiring in-depth knowledge of the latest computer applications. However, there are also online jobs available for which traditional skills remain in high demand. Content jobs require excellent writing skills and a good sense of the web as a “new media”.

      The term “new media” is difficult to define because it compasses a constantly growing set of new technologies and skills. Specifically, it includes websites, email, internet technology, CD-ROM, DVD, streaming audio and video, interactive multimedia presentations, e-books, digital music, computer illustration, video games, virtual reality, and computer artistry.

      Additionally, many of today’s Internet careers are becoming paid-by-the-job professions. With many companies having to downsize in tough economic items, the outsourcing and contracting of freelance workers online has become common business practice. The Internet provides an infinite pool of buyers from around the world with whom freelancers can contract their services. An added benefit to such online jobs is that freelancers are able to work on projects with companies outside their own country.

      How much can a person make in these kinds of careers? As with many questions related to today’s evolving technology, there is no simple answer. There are many companies willing to pay people with Internet skills salaries well over $70,000 a year. Generally, webmasters start at about $30,000 per year, but salaries can vary greatly. Freelance writers working online have been known to make between $40,000 to $70,000 a year.

The word “vary” in paragraph 6 can be best replaced by ___________.

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the undelined part that needs correction in each of the following questions:
Rachel Carson was born in 1907 in Springsdale, Pennsylvania. She studied biology at college and zoology at Johns Hopkins University, where she received her master’s degree in 1933. In 1936, she was hired by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, where she worked most of her life.
Carson’s first book, Under the Sea Wind, was published in 1941. It received excellent reviews, but sales were poor until it was reissued in 1952. In that year she published The Sea Around Us, which provided a fascinating look beneath the ocean’s surface, emphasizing human history as well as geology and marine biology. Her imagery and language had a poetic quality. Carson consulted no less than 1,000 printed sources. She had voluminous correspondence and frequent discussions with experts in the field. However, she always realized the limitations of her nontechnical readers.
In 1962, Carson published Silent Spring, a book that sparked considerable controversy.
It proved how much harm was done by the uncontrolled, reckless use of insecticides. She detailed how they poison the food supply of animals, kill birds and fish, and contaminate human food. At the time, spokesmen for the chemical industry mounted personal attacks against Carson and issued propaganda to indicate that her findings were flawed. However, her work was proved by a 1963 report of the President’s Science Advisory Committee.

Why does the author of the passage mention the report of the President’s Science Advisory Committee (lines 14-15) ?

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

      Contrary to popular belief, one does not have to be a trained programmer to work online. Of course, there are plenty of jobs available for people with high-tech computer skills, but the growth of new media has opened up a wide range of Internet career opportunities requiring only a minimal level of technical expertise. Probably one of the most well-known online job opportunities is the job of Webmaster. However, it is hard to define one basic job description for this position. The qualifications and responsibilities depend on what tasks a particular organization needs a Webmaster to perform.

      To specify the job description of a Webmaster, one needs to identify the hardware and software the website the Webmaster will manage is running on. Different types of hardware and software require different skill sets to manage them. Another key factor is whether the website will be running internally or externally (renting shared space on the company servers). Finally, the responsibilities of a webmaster also depend on whether he or she will be working independently, or whether the firm will provide people to help. All of these factors need to be considered before one can create an accurate webmaster job description.

      Webmaster is one type of Internet career requiring in-depth knowledge of the latest computer applications. However, there are also online jobs available for which traditional skills remain in high demand. Content jobs require excellent writing skills and a good sense of the web as a “new media”.

      The term “new media” is difficult to define because it compasses a constantly growing set of new technologies and skills. Specifically, it includes websites, email, internet technology, CD-ROM, DVD, streaming audio and video, interactive multimedia presentations, e-books, digital music, computer illustration, video games, virtual reality, and computer artistry.

      Additionally, many of today’s Internet careers are becoming paid-by-the-job professions. With many companies having to downsize in tough economic items, the outsourcing and contracting of freelance workers online has become common business practice. The Internet provides an infinite pool of buyers from around the world with whom freelancers can contract their services. An added benefit to such online jobs is that freelancers are able to work on projects with companies outside their own country.

      How much can a person make in these kinds of careers? As with many questions related to today’s evolving technology, there is no simple answer. There are many companies willing to pay people with Internet skills salaries well over $70,000 a year. Generally, webmasters start at about $30,000 per year, but salaries can vary greatly. Freelance writers working online have been known to make between $40,000 to $70,000 a year.

It can be inferred from the passage that ___________.

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The most dominant and reliable features of facial expressions provide a constant channel of communication. They can be shifty and evasive; convey hate, fear, and guilt; or (35) _____ confidence, love, and support. Referred to as "mirrors of the soul" our eyes serve as the major decisive factor in (36) _____ the spoken words. The eyes of the man converse as (37) _____ as their tongues, with the advantage that the ocular dialect needs (38) _____ dictionary, but it is understood all over the world. When the eyes say one thing, and the tongue another, a practiced man relies on eyes. Except (39) _____ extremely shy individuals, most people look for social acceptance by studying the eyes of others Eyes also can (40) _____ indicate a positive or a negative relationship. People tend to look longer and more often at the people whom they trust, respect and care about than at those whom they doubt or (41) _____. Normal eye dilation is not under control of the individual. Personally characteristics such as introversion and extroversion also influence eye behavior. Eye behavior seems (42) ____ particular importance and is generally used to indicate whether one is open to communication. This can be observed when a teacher asks the class a question: students who think they know the answer will generally (43) ____ at the teacher, (44) ____ students who do not know the answer will usually try to avoid eye contact.

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How many times in the last hundred years or so have people talked of the imminent death of the book? Films were an early threat because they were so effective at telling stories in a visual way. Next there was radio, (26)...... stepped into the mid-twentieth century and provided such an alternative to books as drama, documentaries and discussions. When television arrived, many people believed that it would finish the book off. Nowadays, (27)............ the threat by TV, the book is thought to be endangered by computers and the Internet, and by other technological attractions (28).........  theCD and the video game, too Surely there are now reasons why (29).............  book ought to be dead, or at least very badly injured. If so, why does it not show proper respect for these reportedly less literate times (30)......... die out? There is clearly more than a single answer to this question. Firstly, we have more leisure time than we(31)..........  to, and people are generally living longer, which means there is more time to do more (including reading books). As (32)............ as this, there is the strength of the book as a tradition. We are all too dismissive of traditions in our modern world, but they can have very strong pull (33)....... us. Added to this, the book is such a practical tool: it doesn't cost too (34).......... , it is usually small enough to carry around, and it can easily be (35)......... . We will never go without books, because they have served us so well for so long