Currently, the American armed forces are the largest professional military on the planet. Other (1) have professional soldiers, (2) not as many as the United States. For thousands of years, it was (3) that professional soldiers were superior to (4) timers. But (5) most of history, few nations could (6) an army of professionals, at least not on a permanent basis. It washt (7) the late 20th century that countries began to (8) large, permanent, all-volunteer armed forces that were carefully (9) and trained for combat. Britain was the first, when it phased out conscription in 1962. In 1975, the United States followed (10) . For over a century, conscription has been seen (11) the way to remain (12) p without breaking the bank. But the conscripts did not stay in uniform long enough to get really good at fighting. Britain and American were the first two nations to realize that conscription was so (13) that the voters would pay extra to 14 a professional force. Within a decade, an army of professionals begins to pay (15) . The professionals are not only more (16) on the battlefield, but are also, if carefully (17) (for education and aptitude) more likely to constantly develop better ways to (18) This produces a tremendous battlefield (19) It doesn’t make you (20) , but it does make you very difficult to defeat.
Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1.19（）
A．advantage
B．harmony
C．hazard
D．savage
参考答案：A
解析：
[考点解析] 选项A“advantage”(优势)是对前面一句话的概括和总结，本句话中的代词“this”指代的是前一句话的内容。前一句话表明：职业军人不仅战场上的战斗力强，而且还能不断地开拓出更好的战斗方式。这就是战场上的一种优势(advantage)。考生在解题时要注意代词在上下文语义上的功能和作用。