(D) studied

　　117. The technique has uncovered new evidence from sediments that were deposited near the shores of the ancient oceans-plant microfossils and microscopic pieces of small animals. In many instances the specimens are less than one-tenth of a millimeter in diameter.

　　The word "instances" is closest in meaning to which of following?

　　(A) methods

　　(B) processes

　　(C) cases

　　(D) reasons

　　118. In many instances the specimens are less than one-tenth of a millimeter in diameter. Although they were entombed in the rocks for hundreds of millions of years, many of the fossils consist of the organic remains of the organism.

　　The word "entombed" is closest in meaning to which of following?

　　(A) crushed

　　(B) trapped

　　(C) produced

　　(D) excavated

　　119. Citizens of prosperous, essentially middle-class republics --- whether ancient Romans, seventeenth-century Dutch burghers, or nineteenth-century Americans --- have always shown a marked taste for portraiture.

　　The word "marked" is closest in meaning to which of following?

　　(A) pronounced

　　(B) fortunate

　　(C) understandable

　　(D) mysterious

　　120. In 1839 the daguerreotype was introduced to America, ushering in the age of photography, and within a generation the new invention put an end to the popularity of painted portraits. Once again an original portrait became a luxury, commissioned by the wealthy and executed by the professional.

　　The phrase "ushering in" is closest in meaning to which of following?

　　(A) beginning

　　(B) demanding

　　(C) publishing

　　(D) increasing

　　The word "executed" is closest in meaning to which of following?

　　(A) sold

　　(B) requested

　　(C) admired

　　(D) created