Reading passages

149- The division of history into periods ............... .

A) is avoided by modern historians

B) was rejected in the Victorian Age
C) is both useful and deceptive
D) has been in use since the Middle Ages
E) serves no useful purpose at all


150- According to the passage, the study of history ..................... .

A) began in the Middle Ages and reached its height in the Victorian Age

B) has changed greatly in our time
C) includes a great variety of interrelated subjects
D) should concentrate on the reconstruction of past events
E) requires a knowledge of dates and periods


The practical advantage of prefabrication are two-fold: it is quicker and it does away with uncertainty. Speed in building is important these days because of the high cost of land: the time during which such an expensive commodity is out of use must be reduced to a minimum. And partly or wholly prefabricated methods of construction save time on the job because parts are prepared in the factory beforehand. Prefabrication does away with uncertainty because it means that the whole building is made of standard parts the behaviour of which is known and has been tested.


151- Since land is extremely valuable it is important that ..................... .

A) costs do not continue to rise

B) the building materials should also be expensive
C) people should not disagree as to the advantages of prefabrication
D) it does not remain out of use for long
E) building costs be reduced to a minimum


152- One advantage of using prefabricated parts is that ...................... .

A) buildings can be put up much faster

B) fewer skilled workmen are required
C) this method is much cheaper than standard methods
D) less land is required
E) there is more scope for experiment