59. In ten years of time, the population of China will begin to _______. So there will be fewer and fewer students in schools.

　 A. faint　 　　　B. reduce　 　　　C. fall　 　　　　D. decline

58. He was lying in the hospital __________, with his ribs broken.

　 A. half dead　　 　B. deadly　　　 　C. death　　　　 D. died

57. ---Do you know when the Chinese custom ______ from?

　　 ---It's hard to say. But its characteristics _______ the Tang Dynasty.

　 A. began; prove　 B. started; show　 C. is; appear　 D. dates; suggest

56. Only a few journalists _______ the story, which was about the president.

　 A. dared covered　　 B. dare covered　 C. dare to cover　 D. dared to cover

55. He rescued a child at the ______ of his own life and then left without being noticed.

　 A. danger　　　 B. risk　　　 C. cost　　　　 D. expense

54. You can ask for replacement or repairs, or even ______ when they have caused special losses.

　 A. damages　　 B. damage　 C. damaged　　 D. damaging

53. He knocked over a bottle of ink and _________ the table cloth.

　 A. damaged　　 B. harmed　 C. ruined　　 D. destroyed　

52. I was just talking to Margot when Jackson __________. (2005年高考湖南卷)

A. cut in 　　　B. cut down　　 　 　C. cut out　　　 　D. cut up

51. The editor ________ the article to make it fit the space available in a magazine.

A. turns down　 　B. cuts down　　 　C. cut up　　 　D. runs down

50. When you go abroad for further study, you should learn to adapt to the ______ of the destination country.

A. customs　　　 　B. habits　 　　　C. practice　　 　D. customers