--What is happening in that new area?

---New houses          over there.

are built

are building

have built

are being built

考查时态和语态。句意：在那个新区域里发生什么事情了？那儿建起来许多新的大楼。根据第一句时态is happening 可知，时态用现在进行时，故第二句也要用现在进行时，主语 houses与build 建立之间是被动关系，故用现在进行时的被动语态（am/is/are being done），此处为are being built，故选D项。

The old rules have to be          because they only applied to the circumstances that existed when they were made a hundred years ago.

developed

established

observed

revised

考查动词的辨析。句意：老的规则需要被修改因为它们只适合一百年制定时的状况。A.develop发展；培养；B.establish建立；C.observe观察；D.revise修改，由because they only applied to 可知它只适用于以前，需要修改。故选D项。

______about wild plants that they decided to make a trip to Madagascar for further research.

So curious the couple was

So curious were the couple

How curious the couple were

The couple was such curious

He punished the children          their carelessness         making them pay for the damage.

by; for

with; by

for; by

about; with

考查介词。句意：他因为孩子们的粗心惩罚他们赔偿损失。根据句意可知：“their carelessness"表示他们被惩罚的原因，需用介词for表原因。"making them pay for the damage"表示他们被惩罚的方式，需用介词by表方式。故选C项。

There's no simple solution          this problem.

of

for

to 

about

考查介词。句意：这个问题没有什么简单的解决方法。此处是短语“

the solution to....的解决方法”，应用介词to。故选C项。

With a lot of difficult problems           ,he feels like a cat on  hot bricks.

to settle

being settled

settling

settled

考查非谓语动词。句意： 因为有一大堆难题要解决，他感觉像像热锅上的蚂蚁。本句with +名词+to do sth,动词不定式表示的动作尚未发生或当时看来尚未发生。本句表示“因为有一大堆难题要解决”。故选A项。