Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 44 to 48.

Colleges in the UK have not always had a large quantity of libraries. As _______(44) as 1967 about half of the colleges in the UK had no libraries at all. The _______(45) of public college libraries increased dramatically when the federal government passed the Education Act of 1968, _______(46) given money for college districts to advance their education programs and facilities, including their libraries. _______(47), many educationalists said that since the legislation was passed federal spending has not increased sufficiently to meet the rising _______(48) of new library technologies such as computer databases and Internet access.