For questions 7 – 12, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C, or D) best fits each gap.
                                          The need for aged buildings
Cities need old buildings so (7) .......... it is probably impossible for vigorous streets and districts to grow without them. By old buildings I mean not museum-piece old buildings, not old buildings in an excellent and expensive (8) .......... of repair – (9) .......... these make fine ingredients – but also a good lot of ordinary old buildings, including some (10) .......... ones. If a city area has only new buildings, the enterprises that can exist there are automatically (11) .......... to those that can support the high cost of new construction, such as chain stores and restaurants, supermarkets and banks. Neighbourhood bars, small grocery shops, good bookstores and antique shops seldom can. The only harm of aged buildings to a city district is the harm that eventually comes of nothing but old age – the harm that lies in everything being old and everything becoming (12) .......... .
`7`   A. seriously         B. badly         C. greatly         D. exceedingly
`8`   A. mode              B. case          C. state           D. condition
`9`   A. although         B. let alone         C. whereas        D. seeing as
`10`  A. overrun        B. downturned        C. rundown        D. upheld
`11`  A. limited          B. curbed         C. checked         D. hampered
`12`  A. let through       B. worn out       C. pulled up       D. filled in