# PTE Reading FIB #24: The Historical Significance...

Reading: Fill in the Blanks #24 - 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.

The "Encyclopédie" is a landmark publication in European history, edited by Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert. First issued in 1751, the Encyclopédie ____ over two decades to complete, involving the contributions of more than 140 authors, and ____ 28 volumes of text and illustrations. It was a triumph of collaborative scholarship, ____ any of its contemporaries in scope and depth and ____ a benchmark for future encyclopedias.

## Answer

The "Encyclopédie" is a landmark publication in European history, edited by Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert. First issued in 1751, the Encyclopédie **took** over two decades to complete, involving the contributions of more than 140 authors, and **comprising** 28 volumes of text and illustrations. It was a triumph of collaborative scholarship, **surpassing** any of its contemporaries in scope and depth and **setting** a benchmark for future encyclopedias.

## Explanation

Blank 1 needs a past tense verb before "over two decades to complete," as in "it took time" to finish. "Expending" is an -ing form and breaks the sentence. Blank 3 comes before "any of its contemporaries," so you need "surpassing," meaning doing better than. "Relying" would need "on," and "submitting" would need "to" after it.

## Hints

- Look for verbs that describe the passage of time or the act of creating a collection.
- Consider how participles function to describe the scale and influence of the work.

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