Although all book towns have a great number of bookshops, that’s where the similarities 13 .
答案：(C) end
that's where the similarities end 是固定說法，意為「相似之處就到此為止」，呼應下一句各書鎮各有特色；form（形成）方向相反，count（計算、重要）、matter（重要）都無法與 that's where 構成這個說法。
end 你大概只記得「結束」，腦中畫面是時間或事件（The meeting ended at five.）。這裡結束的卻是 the similarities——講的是「兩者像到哪裡為止」。
先確認空格在句中是什麼功能：that's where the similarities ___，where 引導的子句裡 similarities 是主詞，空格就是它的動詞。四個選項都是動詞，句法過不了篩，要靠語意。關鍵在下一句：Each of these towns shows unique features of its own.（每個書鎮都有自己獨特的地方。）unique 與 similarities 正好相對，作者用它畫出界線——相似到此為止，再往下都是差異。驗算法：把 that's where…ends 換成中文的「到此為止」唸一遍——雖然所有書鎮都有很多書店，但相似之處就到此為止，接回下一句的「各有特色」，語氣銜接得上。順帶把 end 的兩個用法分清楚：名詞是「端點」，make ends meet（收支相抵）就是讓收入與支出兩端碰在一起；本題是動詞，走到那個端點。一句記完：Both charts show that students spend most of their time in class, but that's where the similarities end.（兩張圖都顯示學生大部分時間都在上課，但相似之處也就到此為止。）〔情境取材自 111 學測參考試卷作文題：美國高中生的時間分配〕
四個都能接在 similarities 後面當動詞，錯在語意方向。form 是「形成」，會讀成「相似之處就是在這裡形成的」——方向相反，下一句講的是差異，不是相似如何產生。count 與 matter 都可表示「重要、有分量」，放進來變成「相似之處在這裡才重要」，但下一句沒有承接重要性這條線，而是列舉各鎮的不同；count 另有「計算」一義，那個用法需要受詞，也接不上。
That's where…ends（…到此為止）、come to an end（結束）、end up（最終落得）、make ends meet（收支相抵）、have a lot in common（有許多共同點）、unique features（獨特之處）。其中 make ends meet 這一組考過 3 個年度，95 年第 19 題 →、106 年第 22 題 →都出現過。
A book town is a rural town in which second-hand and antiquarian bookshops are concentrated. The concept was 11 by Richard Booth, who opened the first second-hand bookshop in Hay-on-Wye, UK in 1961. Following him, many local people opened their own bookshops, and the small town soon became a model of sustainable rural development and tourism.
Since the 1970s, book towns like Hay on-Wye 12 up all over the world. Although all book towns have a great number of bookshops, that's where the similarities 13 . Each of these towns shows unique features of its own. Some have many small private shops, while others have organizations steered by volunteers. Some even run regular activities to attract visitors. For example, an annual book festival is held in Hay-on-Wye. Clunes, in Australia, holds a monthly book talk that hosts authors to discuss their latest 14 .
As digital reading is changing our traditional way of reading, book towns like Hay-on-Wye are particularly important to 15 . The feel of a book, the smell, the weight, and the knowledge that a particular book might be more than a hundred years old—all these highlight the importance of preserving the physical book as a complement to technology.