Question

after the 1819 expedition to the yucatán peninsula, survey maps ___ by josé calderón, a spanish - trained cartographer and military engineer commissioned by the crown to document roads, settlements, and hydraulic systems in new spain, circulated among european academies, reshaping assumptions about urban density in the classic maya period. subsequent annotations in the seville archive cite site measurements rather than traveler accounts.
21
which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of standard english?
a was compiled
b were compiled
c have been complied
d compiled

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze subject - verb agreement and verb tense. The subject “survey maps” is plural, so the verb must be plural. Option A “was compiled” is singular, so it's incorrect. Option C “have been complied” is incorrect as “complied” means to follow rules, not to create (we need “compiled” here). Option D “compiled” is a past - participle and can't function as a main verb here without an auxiliary. Option B “were compiled” has a plural verb (to agree with “maps”) and uses the correct past - passive tense (since the maps were the object of the action of compiling).

Answer:

B. were compiled