PSAT 8 9 Writing And Language Test

Questions 1–10 are based on the following passage. Expanding Europe’s Understanding In 1295, Italian explorer and trader Marco Polo returned to his home of Venice after 24 years of travel along the Silk Road to China. He brought with him precious gems—such as [1] diamonds, rubies, and, sapphires—as well as a Chinese navigation device: the compass. Polo also [2] carried, alongside the diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and compass , knowledge he had [3] gained; from his journey east. He introduced the ideas of paper currency and burning coal for heat, and he showed Europeans that their societies were not the only advanced civilizations. [4] Polo, along with his father and uncle, had set out to deliver items to China, a journey that took them over three years to complete. Upon arriving in China, Polo became appointed as a diplomat to assist the ruler Kublai Khan. In this [5] role as a diplomat, Polo traveled extensively in the Chinese empire and throughout Asia. He encountered many things that were unknown in [6] Europe . 5.