A、The U.S.A. B、Italy. C、China. D、Russia. B

M: Ruth, have you heard about the terrible lift accident that involves the death of a mother?
W: Yes, I do. Everybody is talking about it and I’m really sorry that the little boy lost her mother.
M: Me, too. You know what, I just happened to be reading something about the lifts, or elevators, as Americans call them, right before I read the news of the accident online.
W: Oh, really? What were you reading about?
M: Well, before the days of lifts, rich people lived on the ground floor and poorer people lived on the top floors and they had to use the stairs. Now though it’s the other way round—and that, in turn, has given rise to penthouses with their fantastic views.
W: That’s true.
M: And the history of lifts goes back a long way. It was mathematician Archimedes who invented the first lift in 236 BC. In the Middle Ages, there were examples of lifts being used for military purposes. Then they helped to move agricultural products around. They really came into their own—or became very useful—in the Industrial Revolution. And there were a wide range of methods used to drive them, too—water, steam power, electricity and so on.
W: Today, tall blocks of flats couldn’t exist without them.
M: It certainly is. Now, Ruth, I have a question. Do you know which country has the most lifts? The U. S. A. ? Italy? Or China?
W: I would say China. It’s such a large country with so many people.
M: Really? You sound so sure, but in fact you’re wrong. The answer is actually Italy.
W: Oh, it’s astonishing.
12. Where did rich people live before the days of lifts?
13. When did people begin to use lifts for military purposes?
14. What kind of power is mentioned in the passage used to drive lifts?
15. Which country has the largest number of lifts?