# PTE RW FIB #27: Historical Settlement of New...

Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks #27 - Level 2 - Feeds Reading

> Below is a text with blanks. Click on each blank, a list of choice will appear. Select the appropriate answer choice for each blank.

Twelve hundred miles east of Australia ____ the islands of New Zealand. Long before they were ____ by Europeans, a Polynesian race of warriors, the Maoris, had sailed across the Pacific from the northeast and established a civilization ____ for the brilliance of its art and the strength of its military ____ . When Captain Cook visited these islands towards the end of the 18th century, he ____ that the population numbered about a hundred thousand.

## Answer

Twelve hundred miles east of Australia **lie** the islands of New Zealand. Long before they were **discovered** by Europeans, a Polynesian race of warriors, the Maoris, had sailed across the Pacific from the northeast and established a civilization **notable** for the brilliance of its art and the strength of its military **system** . When Captain Cook visited these islands towards the end of the 18th century, he **estimated** that the population numbered about a hundred thousand.

## Explanation

Blank 1 uses inverted word order: the place comes first, then the verb, then the subject "the islands" at the end. This subject is plural, and the verb must mean "be located," so you need "lie." "Locate" and "place" need an object. In blank 3, "notable for" means famous for. "Noticeable" and "visible" only mean easy to see.

## Hints

- Look at the words immediately surrounding each blank to determine the required part of speech.
- Consider the historical timeline mentioned in the text to choose words that fit the chronological flow.

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