Reading passages

174- The writer of this passage thinks that his new book on Fortran is justified 
because .................... .
A) computer science is quite new with little relevant literature 
B) it brings a new approach to computer programming languages 
C) computer professionals have not as yet recognise the changes occurring in computer 
science 
D) it will boost the sale of computers all over the world 
E) it will alter the concept of computer science among academia 
 
Until 1980s most British museums and art academies considered watercolour an 
amateur pursuit or a preliminary to serious work in oils. Many British watercolorists 
saw the medium as a holiday diversion, using portable paint boxes and a free style to 
make what they called "snapshots" of their travels. However, a few recognised the 

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exceptional capacity of watercolour as a medium of art to provide clear and luminous 
colours in works that would evoke the ever-changing nature of lakes and rivers they 
knew so well, and ultimately compete for supremacy with oil painting in major art 
collections.
 
175- We can infer from the passage that, in Britain, it was a long time before 
watercolours.................. .
A) were taken seriously as a means of art 
B) lost their appeal like oils 
C) fell out of public interest 
D) became an amateur hobby among the ordinary people 
E) were confined to the depiction of lakes and seas 
176- According to the passage, not many British artists thought that watercolour 
...................... .
A) had been overworked for many decades 
B) and oil painting were equally effective as mediums for the portrayal of human 
feelings 
C) had always been more significant than oil painting 
D) was only to be used as a hobby on holidays 
E) was an ideal art form for representing nature in its various shades and colours