2)Directions: Read the following passage and choose the best alternative to complete each blank.
The stamp collector can learn a great …1….from the colorful pieces of paper he puts in his album. In addition to learning some basic things about organization and systematic arrangement, the stamp collector can receive a good course in history and geography from stamps. As a collector progresses and becomes …2…specialized, stamps teach him some basic facts about engraving and printing.
Stamps are excellent sources of historical information….3….every nation celebrates its military heroes and political leaders on its….4…stamps. but scientist and artists, from Einstein to Beethoven also grace the stamps of the world. Famous battles are frequently commemorated….5….buildings and scenes which have historical significance. Several of the …6….stamps are beautiful, full-color reproductions of the …7….masterpieces of different historical periods.
Stamps also offer instruction….8….geography. it doesn’t take long before a beginning collector checks the locations of the countries from which….9….stamps come. Nations like Liechtenstein, San Marino, Andorra, Gabon, Ghana and Afghanistan, ….10…unknown to many, are usually quite familiar to stamp collectors. Moreover, each country…11…to use stamps to advertise its natural wonders. Such renowned attractions as Yosemite National Park, Victoria Falls, Mount Everest, and the Bay of Fundy appear on the stamps of the nations….12….whose borders they lie.