Find blank (x).

Directions: Read the following passage having some numbered blanks.

The time scale of the universe is very long as (i) _______ to that for human life. It was therefore not (ii) _______ that until recently, the universe was thought to be essentially static, and unchanging in time. On the other hand, it must have been obvious, that society is (iii) _______ in culture and technology. This indicates that the present (iv) _______ of human history cannot have been going for more than a few thousand years. Otherwise, we would be more advanced than we are. It was therefore (v) _______ to believe that the human race, and maybe (vi) _______ whole universe, had a beginning in the fairly recent past. However, many people were unhappy with the (vii) _______ that the universe had a beginning, because it seemed to (viii) _______ the existence of a supernatural being that created the universe. They preferred to (ix) _______ that the universe, and the human race, had existed forever. Their explanation for human progress was that there had been periodic floods, or other natural disasters, which (x) _______ set back the human race to a primitive state.