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Practice Reading: Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown) ID: #5461 Mayan 2
Instructions ›
Below is a text with blanks. Click on each blank, a list of choices will appear. Select the appropriate choice for each blank.
Excavations  have  recently  been  carried  out  on  an  interesting  Mayan  house  in  Central  America.  The  house  dates    the  9th  century,  and  it  has  turned  out  to  be  of  great  interest  to  archaeologists.    is  particularly  remarkable  about  the  house  is  that  its  walls  are  covered  with  tables    detailed  astronomical  calculations.  These  tables  suggest  that  Mayan  society  had  considerable  understanding  of  astronomy  at  a  much  earlier  time    was  previously  thought  to  be  the  case.  The  tables  focus  on  lunar  cycles.  This  was  important  to  the  Mayans  because  they  believed  that  there  were  six  different  gods  of  the  moon,    of  which  would  take  his  turn  to  be  in  charge  of  the  cycle  at  any  given  time.

Result:

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Correct answer: from

Explanation: The preposition 'from' indicates the starting point in time, which is appropriate here as it specifies the century the house dates back to. This aligns with the grammatical structure of the sentence, where 'from' introduces the time reference.

Meaning: 'From' means starting at a particular point in time, indicating the origin of the date.

Wrong options:

  • to: The preposition 'to' indicates a direction or endpoint, which does not fit the context of dating something.
  • of: The preposition 'of' indicates possession or belonging, which is not suitable for indicating a time reference.
  • by: The preposition 'by' suggests a deadline or limit, which does not correctly convey the idea of dating something.
Correct answer: What

Explanation: The word 'What' introduces a clause that seeks to identify or specify something, making it suitable for the context of asking about the remarkable features of the house. It fits grammatically as a subject of the clause.

Meaning: 'What' is used to ask for information about something, in this case, the remarkable aspects of the house.

Wrong options:

  • Which: The word 'Which' is used to specify among options, but here it does not fit as it implies a choice rather than a description.
  • Where: The word 'Where' indicates a location, which is irrelevant in this context as we are discussing characteristics, not places.
  • Why: The word 'Why' seeks a reason, which does not align with the intent of identifying remarkable features.
Correct answer: showing

Explanation: The gerund 'showing' functions as a present participle that describes the ongoing action of the tables, fitting grammatically and contextually as it indicates what the tables are doing.

Meaning: 'Showing' means to display or present information, in this case, the astronomical calculations.

Wrong options:

  • showed: The past tense 'showed' does not fit here as it implies a completed action rather than a current state.
  • shown: The past participle 'shown' requires an auxiliary verb to function correctly, which is not present in this structure.
  • show: The base form 'show' does not fit grammatically as it does not agree with the structure of the sentence.
Correct answer: than

Explanation: The word 'than' is used for making comparisons, which is appropriate here as it contrasts the previous understanding with the new information about Mayan society's knowledge of astronomy.

Meaning: 'Than' is used in comparisons to indicate a difference between two things, in this case, the previous thought and the new evidence.

Wrong options:

  • there: The word 'there' indicates a place or existence, which does not fit the comparative context of the sentence.
  • that: The word 'that' is used to introduce a clause but does not serve the comparative function needed here.
  • then: The word 'then' refers to a time sequence, which is not relevant in this comparative context.
Correct answer: each

Explanation: The word 'each' refers to individual items within a group, making it suitable here as it emphasizes the distinct roles of the gods in the lunar cycle, fitting grammatically and contextually.

Meaning: 'Each' means every one of two or more considered separately, highlighting the individual roles of the gods.

Wrong options:

  • every: The word 'every' implies all members of a group collectively, which does not emphasize individuality as 'each' does.
  • most: The word 'most' indicates the majority, which does not accurately reflect the individual nature of the gods' roles.
  • all: The word 'all' refers to the totality of a group, lacking the individual focus that 'each' provides.

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