The population of many Alaskan cities has ______ doubled in the past three years.
| A．as great as | B．as many as | C． more than | D．larger than |
He was a(n) ___________singer until the age of 40, when he turned professional.
| A．gifted | B．amateur | C．sacred | D．entire |
Contrary to what I had expected, he lost for ______.
| A．second time | B．a second time | C．second times | D．the second time |
______ the works of Leonardo da Vinci, the Louvre Museum has more than 6,000 other European paintings, ranging from the13th century to the 19th century.
| A．Except for | B．Except | C．In addition | D．Apart from |
Just as a book is often judged ______ by the quality and appearance of its cover, a person is judged immediately by his appearance.
| A．outwardly | B．initially | C．uniquely | D．previously |
No more of this fancy playing with words---I want some ______ talk here.
| A．direct | B．concise | C．straight | D．informal |