III. Close: Please choose the best answer to fill in the passage. 15 points
     Books are to mankind what memory is to the individual. They   16    the history of our race, thediscoveries we have made, and the accumulated knowledge and experience of many different timeperiods. They picture for us the wonder and beauty of nature and explain to us its many changes. Booksteach us how to face and overcome difficult challenges, and    17    us when we are grieving. Books canchange hours of boredom    18    moments of joy. They fill our minds with ideas and even a few happythoughts. Like a good memory, a good book is a    19    treasure. If you find yourself bored by a book thateducated people regard as important, be honest with yourself. The difficulty is probably not in the bookbut in you. Often a book, which now seems boring or difficult, will be easy to grasp and fascinating toread when you are more intellectually mature.
16.
(A) contain
(B) detain
(C) retain
(D) maintain
(E) obtain