The Billy Possum stuffed toy ____ a skeptical public when it was introduced in 1909 as a potential rival to the popular teddy bear. In fact, one reporter wrote that the toy’s appearance was “likely to give a baby [a] nightmare.”
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Explanation
Context: Simple past + completed event: "when it was introduced in 1909," and the reporter "wrote."
Answer: B) faced
Why? The surrounding verbs are simple past and the event is finished, so the blank takes simple past.
Traps:
- A) is facing → present progressive; clashes with a 1909 event.
- C) faces → simple present; same clash.
- D) will face → future; the reaction already happened.