Asked by eman

Read the excerpt from Early Victorian Tea Set.

Desire for the drink increased in the eighteenth century, but government taxes kept the price high, so a vigorous smuggling trade developed to avoid the excise duty.

The phrase “FILL THE BLANK
” acts as a synonym context clue to help the reader understand “excise duty.”

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Fill the blank with "government taxes."

Explanation: "Government taxes" appears earlier in the sentence and serves as a synonym context clue for "excise duty" (an official tax on certain goods).