A. But for
B. Except for
C. Apart from
D. Except that
16. If the scheme is ____carried out without waste of time or energy
I shall be completely satisfied.
B. noticeably
C. appropriately
D. efficiently
17. One day we all may find it useful to have a（n） ____for sending documents， writing any pictures across the telephone lines.
A. receiver
B. echo
C. extension
D. facility
18. To their credit the Department of Energy ____these ideas and funded a detailed study.
A. took over
B. took on
C. took up
D. took to
19. Feeling that she was in the right， she took ____at the dirty remark.
A. protection
B. offense
C. defense
D. guard
20. They agreed to share in common any ____of funds after all expenses were paid in full.
A. sufficiency
B. surpass
C. excess
D. surplus
21. He was ____her in intelligence.
A. below
B. under
C. beneath
D. down
22. It took a lot of imagination to come up with such an ____ plan.
A. bright
B. clever
C. brilliant
D. ingenious
23. In the refining process， rice and flour lose much of their ____.
A. acid
B. alcohol
C. vitamin
D. sulphur