# PTE Reading FIB #20: Factors Influencing Truffle...

Reading: Fill in the Blanks #20 - Level 2 - Feeds Reading

> In the text below some words are missing. Drag word from the box below to the appropriate place in the text. To undo an answer choice, drag the word back to the box below the text.

There is evidence that truffles have been around for over 150 million years, but ____ being around for so long, they've remained ____ - some species were only discovered in the past 20 years, and other species haven't even been discovered. Truffles are notoriously difficult to grow and are seasonal, so the amount of time ____ in growing truffles, their ____ production, the labor-intensive extraction process, and their short shelf life are what make truffles so expensive.

## Answer

There is evidence that truffles have been around for over 150 million years, but **despite** being around for so long, they've remained **elusive** - some species were only discovered in the past 20 years, and other species haven't even been discovered. Truffles are notoriously difficult to grow and are seasonal, so the amount of time **invested** in growing truffles, their **limited** production, the labor-intensive extraction process, and their short shelf life are what make truffles so expensive.

## Explanation

Blank 1 comes before "being around," so you need a word that takes an -ing form and shows contrast. "Despite" fits, since truffles are old yet still hard to find. "Through" does not show contrast. Blank 2 follows "remained," and the dash explains that some species are still undiscovered. "Elusive" means hard to find.

## Hints

- Look for words that signal a contrast between the long history of the organism and its recent discovery.
- Consider which words describe the difficulty of finding or producing a rare item.

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