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Test:ACT English
Adapted from “The Fear of the Past” inWhat’s Wrong with the Worldby G.K. Chesterton (1910)
The last few decades have marked bya special cultivation of the romance of the future. We seem to have made up our minds to misunderstand what has happened; and we turn, with a sort of relief, to stating what will happen—which is (apparently)more easy. The modern man no longer presents the memoirs of hisgreat grandfather; but is engaged inwriting a detailed and authoritative biography of his great-grandson. Instead of trembling before the specters of the dead,we shudder abject under the shadow of the babe unborn. This spirit is apparent everywhere, even to the creation of a form of futurist romance. Sir Walter Scott stands at thedawnof the nineteenth century for the novel of the past; Mr. H. G. Wells stands at the beginning of the twentieth century for the novel of the future. The old story, we know, was supposed to begin: "Late on a winter's evening two horsemen might have been seen . . ." The new storyhas to begin: "Late on a winter's evening two aviators will be seen . . ."The movement is not without its elements of charm;theres something spirited, if eccentric, inthe sight of so many people fighting over again the fights that have not yet happened; of people stillaglowwith the memory of tomorrow morning. A man in advance of the age is a familiar phrase enough. An age in advance of the age is really rather odd.
| 1. | Choose the answer that best corrects the bolded portion of the passage. If the bolded portion is correct as written, choose NO CHANGE. |
The last few decades had marked by
NO CHANGE
The last few decades have been marked by
The last few decades are being marked by
The last few decades marked by
