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1.        Native American burial sites dating back 5,000 years indicate that the residents of Maine at that time were part of a widespread culture of Algonquian-speaking people.

(A) were part of a widespread culture of Algonquian-speaking people

(B) had been part of a widespread culture of people who were Algonquian-speaking

(C) were people who were part of a widespread culture that was Algonquian-speaking

(D) had been people who were part of a widespread culture that was Algonquian-speaking（A）

(E) were a people which had been part of a widespread, Algonquian-speaking culture

Choice A is best because it correctly uses the simple past tense, the residents... at that time were, and because it is the most concise. In B and D, the replacement of were with the past perfect had been needlessly changes the original meaning by suggesting that the Native Americans had previously ceased to be part of the widespread culture. All of the choices but A are wordy, and in C, D, and E the word people redundantly describes the residents rather than the larger group to which the residents belonged. These choices are also imprecise because they state that the culture, rather than people, spoke the Algonquian language. Choice E displays inconsistent tenses and an error of pronoun reference, people which.

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