8.They( )the plan to see whether it could really be carried out.

2. Passage 19 Throughout her working life， a ship — like a motorcar — must be serviced regularly if she is to remain efficient. After a period at sea she must be overall checked and any necessary repairs must be made. There are also instances when a ship must be converted from being one kind of carrier to another. Most of today‘s oil， for example， is carried by huge super-tankers. The smaller tankers， many of which are still in good condition， can be converted into bulk carriers(散货船) for the transport of sugar， coal or ore. Conversion or repair work is carried out in a dry dock， a huge hole cut into the ground and lined with concrete. At one end are large gates separating the dock from the river or sea. When these gates are opened， water pours into the dock and fills it. A ship can then enter the dock， where it is carefully fastened in an upright position. When the ship is positioned inside the dock， the gates are closed and the water is pumped out. The vessel slowly settles on to wooden blocks. Wooden supporters are put in position between the ship and the sides of the dock to prevent her from rolling over. Great care is taken to make sure that the ship rests evenly on the keel(龙骨)blocks to prevent damage being done. As soon as the ship is firmly positioned， repair or conversion work can begin on her body or superstructure. Many smaller tankers have been converted into bulk carriers because( ).

1. Passage 19 Throughout her working life， a ship — like a motorcar — must be serviced regularly if she is to remain efficient. After a period at sea she must be overall checked and any necessary repairs must be made. There are also instances when a ship must be converted from being one kind of carrier to another. Most of today‘s oil， for example， is carried by huge super-tankers. The smaller tankers， many of which are still in good condition， can be converted into bulk carriers(散货船) for the transport of sugar， coal or ore. Conversion or repair work is carried out in a dry dock， a huge hole cut into the ground and lined with concrete. At one end are large gates separating the dock from the river or sea. When these gates are opened， water pours into the dock and fills it. A ship can then enter the dock， where it is carefully fastened in an upright position. When the ship is positioned inside the dock， the gates are closed and the water is pumped out. The vessel slowly settles on to wooden blocks. Wooden supporters are put in position between the ship and the sides of the dock to prevent her from rolling over. Great care is taken to make sure that the ship rests evenly on the keel(龙骨)blocks to prevent damage being done. As soon as the ship is firmly positioned， repair or conversion work can begin on her body or superstructure. According to the passage， in what way is a ship like motorcar?

5. Passage 18 Students can travel in the United States without spending too much money if they follow these suggestions. A travel agent can give you information on special economy fares for trains， buses and planes. Think about hiking or biking for a part of your trip， too. You‘ll not only save money， but you‘ll also see a lot more of the country. Some students may want to travel by car. Be sure to think about going with other students — many colleges have ―ride boards‖ that list when and where other students plan to travel. Many radio stations provide the same sort of service — they announce who‘s driving where， when， how many riders they will take and what the expenses will be. There are many inexpensive， older hotels near bus or train stations. Check your travel guide for names of the best. Many parts of the country also have youth hostels where young people can stay for only a few dollars a night. You don‘t have to eat in restaurants all the time， but we don‘t recommend a diet of candy and cola， either. You can usually get a healthy， cheap breakfast in a restaurant. If the weather is warm， you can buy food in supermarkets or at roadside stands and have a picnic for lunch. For dinner you can get the names of good， cheap restaurants from travel guides or friends. To save money， you can( ).

4. Passage 18 Students can travel in the United States without spending too much money if they follow these suggestions. A travel agent can give you information on special economy fares for trains， buses and planes. Think about hiking or biking for a part of your trip， too. You‘ll not only save money， but you‘ll also see a lot more of the country. Some students may want to travel by car. Be sure to think about going with other students — many colleges have ―ride boards‖ that list when and where other students plan to travel. Many radio stations provide the same sort of service — they announce who‘s driving where， when， how many riders they will take and what the expenses will be. There are many inexpensive， older hotels near bus or train stations. Check your travel guide for names of the best. Many parts of the country also have youth hostels where young people can stay for only a few dollars a night. You don‘t have to eat in restaurants all the time， but we don‘t recommend a diet of candy and cola， either. You can usually get a healthy， cheap breakfast in a restaurant. If the weather is warm， you can buy food in supermarkets or at roadside stands and have a picnic for lunch. For dinner you can get the names of good， cheap restaurants from travel guides or friends. According to the passage， staying at youth hostels is( ).

3. Passage 18 Students can travel in the United States without spending too much money if they follow these suggestions. A travel agent can give you information on special economy fares for trains， buses and planes. Think about hiking or biking for a part of your trip， too. You‘ll not only save money， but you‘ll also see a lot more of the country. Some students may want to travel by car. Be sure to think about going with other students — many colleges have ―ride boards‖ that list when and where other students plan to travel. Many radio stations provide the same sort of service — they announce who‘s driving where， when， how many riders they will take and what the expenses will be. There are many inexpensive， older hotels near bus or train stations. Check your travel guide for names of the best. Many parts of the country also have youth hostels where young people can stay for only a few dollars a night. You don‘t have to eat in restaurants all the time， but we don‘t recommend a diet of candy and cola， either. You can usually get a healthy， cheap breakfast in a restaurant. If the weather is warm， you can buy food in supermarkets or at roadside stands and have a picnic for lunch. For dinner you can get the names of good， cheap restaurants from travel guides or friends. If you want to share rides with others， you can get information( ).

2. Passage 18 Students can travel in the United States without spending too much money if they follow these suggestions. A travel agent can give you information on special economy fares for trains， buses and planes. Think about hiking or biking for a part of your trip， too. You‘ll not only save money， but you‘ll also see a lot more of the country. Some students may want to travel by car. Be sure to think about going with other students — many colleges have ―ride boards‖ that list when and where other students plan to travel. Many radio stations provide the same sort of service — they announce who‘s driving where， when， how many riders they will take and what the expenses will be. There are many inexpensive， older hotels near bus or train stations. Check your travel guide for names of the best. Many parts of the country also have youth hostels where young people can stay for only a few dollars a night. You don‘t have to eat in restaurants all the time， but we don‘t recommend a diet of candy and cola， either. You can usually get a healthy， cheap breakfast in a restaurant. If the weather is warm， you can buy food in supermarkets or at roadside stands and have a picnic for lunch. For dinner you can get the names of good， cheap restaurants from travel guides or friends. To see more of the country， you‘d better travel( ).

1. Passage 18 Students can travel in the United States without spending too much money if they follow these suggestions. A travel agent can give you information on special economy fares for trains， buses and planes. Think about hiking or biking for a part of your trip， too. You‘ll not only save money， but you‘ll also see a lot more of the country. Some students may want to travel by car. Be sure to think about going with other students — many colleges have ―ride boards‖ that list when and where other students plan to travel. Many radio stations provide the same sort of service — they announce who‘s driving where， when， how many riders they will take and what the expenses will be. There are many inexpensive， older hotels near bus or train stations. Check your travel guide for names of the best. Many parts of the country also have youth hostels where young people can stay for only a few dollars a night. You don‘t have to eat in restaurants all the time， but we don‘t recommend a diet of candy and cola， either. You can usually get a healthy， cheap breakfast in a restaurant. If the weather is warm， you can buy food in supermarkets or at roadside stands and have a picnic for lunch. For dinner you can get the names of good， cheap restaurants from travel guides or friends. The passage tells students( ).

5. Passage 17 Since we are social beings， the quality of our lives depends in large measure on our interpersonal relationships. One strength of the human conditions is our tendency to give and receive support from one another under stressful circumstances. Social support consists of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties. Those of us with strong support systems appear better able to cope with life changes and daily hassles. People with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties. Studies over a range of illnesses， from depression to heart disease， reveal that the presence of social support helps people fend off illness， and the absence of such support makes poor health likely. Social support cushions stress in a number of ways. First， friends， relatives， and co-workers may let us know that they value us. Our self-respect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others despite our faults and difficulties. Second， other people often provide us with informational support. They help us to define and understand our problems and find solutions to them. Third， we typically find social companionship supportive. Engaging in leisure-time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distracting us from our worries and troubles. Finally， other people may give us instrumental support ― financial aid， material resources and needed services — that reduces stress by helping us resolve and cope with our problems. Social companionship is beneficial in that( ).

4. Passage 17 Since we are social beings， the quality of our lives depends in large measure on our interpersonal relationships. One strength of the human conditions is our tendency to give and receive support from one another under stressful circumstances. Social support consists of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties. Those of us with strong support systems appear better able to cope with life changes and daily hassles. People with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties. Studies over a range of illnesses， from depression to heart disease， reveal that the presence of social support helps people fend off illness， and the absence of such support makes poor health likely. Social support cushions stress in a number of ways. First， friends， relatives， and co-workers may let us know that they value us. Our self-respect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others despite our faults and difficulties. Second， other people often provide us with informational support. They help us to define and understand our problems and find solutions to them. Third， we typically find social companionship supportive. Engaging in leisure-time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distracting us from our worries and troubles. Finally， other people may give us instrumental support ― financial aid， material resources and needed services — that reduces stress by helping us resolve and cope with our problems. Helping a sick neighbor with some repair work is an example of( ).

3. Passage 17 Since we are social beings， the quality of our lives depends in large measure on our interpersonal relationships. One strength of the human conditions is our tendency to give and receive support from one another under stressful circumstances. Social support consists of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties. Those of us with strong support systems appear better able to cope with life changes and daily hassles. People with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties. Studies over a range of illnesses， from depression to heart disease， reveal that the presence of social support helps people fend off illness， and the absence of such support makes poor health likely. Social support cushions stress in a number of ways. First， friends， relatives， and co-workers may let us know that they value us. Our self-respect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others despite our faults and difficulties. Second， other people often provide us with informational support. They help us to define and understand our problems and find solutions to them. Third， we typically find social companionship supportive. Engaging in leisure-time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distracting us from our worries and troubles. Finally， other people may give us instrumental support ― financial aid， material resources and needed services — that reduces stress by helping us resolve and cope with our problems. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word ―cushions‖ (Para. 2) ( )?