John H. Haaren
The grammatical errors in this passage are intentional.
1 At last the Venetians left (19)friends, went to the Black Sea and took ship for Venice.
2 They (20)away so long and were so much changed in appearance that none of their relations and old friends knew them when they arrived in Venice. As they were dressed in Tatar costume and sometimes spoke the Chinese language to one another, they found (21)hard to convince people that they were members of the Polo family.
3 At length, in order to show that they were the men that they declared (22) to be, they gave a dinner to all their relations and old friends. When the guests arrived they were greeted by the travelers, arrayed in gorgeous Chinese robes of crimson satin. After the first course they appeared in crimson damask; after the second, they changed (23)costumes to crimson velvet; while at the end of the dinner they appeared in the usual garb of wealthy Venetians.
4 ‘Now, my friends,’ said Marco, ‘I (24)you something that will please you.’ He then brought into the room the rough Tatar coats which he and his father and uncle had worn when they reached Venice. Cutting open the seams, he took ¬(25)inside the lining packets filled with rubies, emeralds and diamonds. It was the (26)collection of jewels ever seen in Venice.
5 The guests were now persuaded that their hosts were indeed what (27) claimed to be.
Question
Look at the blank with the number 20 in the passage. Which of these answers correctly completes the sentence?
Responses
A beenbeen
B had beenhad been
C done beendone been
D were been
1 answer
The correct answer to complete the sentence at blank number 20 is:
B. had been
So the complete sentence would read: "They had been away so long and were so much changed in appearance that none of their relations and old friends knew them when they arrived in Venice."
