Passage Comprehension: Filling Blank 3

The question asks us to choose the most appropriate word to fill in blank number 3 in the given passage. The sentence in context is:

People (2) ________ none of these things (3) ________ Johann Gutenberg of Strasbourg invented the printing press.

Let's analyze the options provided for blank 3:

• 1. have: This word doesn't fit grammatically or contextually. It seems like a verb and doesn't establish a relationship between the lack of printed materials and Gutenberg's invention.
• 2. till: This word means 'up to the time that'. The sentence "People had none of these things till Johann Gutenberg of Strasbourg invented the printing press" makes logical sense. It indicates that the situation (having no printed materials) existed up to the point in time when the invention occurred.
• 3. during: This word indicates simultaneity, meaning 'at the same time as'. The sentence "People had none of these things during Johann Gutenberg of Strasbourg invented the printing press" is awkward. It suggests people lacked materials while the invention process was happening, which isn't the intended meaning. The lack of materials existed *before* and *up to* the invention's completion.
• 4. while: Similar to 'during', 'while' indicates actions happening at the same time. Using it here ("People had none of these things while Johann Gutenberg of Strasbourg invented...") doesn't convey the correct meaning of the time period before the invention.

Choosing the Best Word for Blank 3

The passage contrasts a world without modern printed materials with the situation after the invention of the printing press by Johann Gutenberg. The word needed in blank 3 should connect the time before the invention to the event of the invention itself, indicating a time boundary.

The word 'till' (often used interchangeably with 'until') perfectly establishes this time relationship. It signifies that people lacked access to printed materials right up to the moment Gutenberg invented the printing press. This implies that after the invention, things changed.

Therefore, the sentence reads correctly as: "People (2) ________ none of these things till Johann Gutenberg of Strasbourg invented the printing press."

The word 'till' best fills the blank by indicating the time up to which the previous condition (having none of these things) existed.