From there, the tasty fruit 24 throughout other parts of civilization.
答案：(A) spread
過去式 spread（動詞原形跟過去式同形），配合整段過去式敘事，「這種美味的水果傳播到文明世界的其他地方」；to spread（不定詞，句子需要限定動詞）、should spread（情態動詞，不需要建議語氣）、will spread（未來式，不合過去式敘事）都不合。
spread 三態同形（spread-spread-spread），填進去以後看起來就像原形動詞，於是你會想「主詞 the tasty fruit 是單數，動詞不是應該加 s 嗎」，反而不敢選它。這正好是本題的關鍵：如果這裡是現在式，就必須寫成 spreads；既然沒有 s，就代表它是過去式。國中背過的 put-put-put、cut-cut-cut、cost-cost-cost 都是同一組三態同形的動詞（唯一要另外留意的是 read：三態拼法雖然一樣，過去式與過去分詞的發音卻要改成和 red 同音；spread 沒有這個變化，三個形式發音都相同）。
兩步。第一步，這個子句沒有別的限定動詞，空格必須是主要動詞，to spread 是不定詞，不能單獨擔任主要動詞，先刪掉。第二步看時態：前一句 Columbus brought it ... back to Europe、後面的 It was carried on sailing ships、句末的 came to Hawaii 全是過去式，這一段從頭到尾在講一段已經結束的歷史。同一份考卷第一篇的第 18 題也是靠「整篇過去式敘事」來定時態，兩題可以對照著看。
should spread 帶有「應該要傳播」的建議意味，但這裡是在陳述已經發生的事實。will spread 是未來式，與整段歷史敘述矛盾。to spread 除了不能當主要動詞，也有人把它誤讀成表目的的「為了傳播」，可是句首已經有 From there 交代起點，句子缺的是動詞，不是目的。
spread throughout（傳遍……各處）、spread to（傳播到）、spread the word（把消息傳出去）、from there（從那裡起）、be carried on ships（用船運送）、other parts of the world（世界其他地方）
The pineapple, long a symbol of Hawaii, was not a native plant. 21 , pineapples did not appear there until 1813. The pineapple was 22 found in Paraguay and in the southern part of Brazil. Natives planted the fruit across South and Central America and in the Caribbean region, 23 Christopher Columbus first found it.
Columbus brought it, along with many other new things, back to Europe with him. From there, the tasty fruit 24 throughout other parts of civilization. It was carried on sailing ships around the world because it was found to help prevent scurvy, a disease that often 25 sailors on long voyages. It was at the end of one of these long voyages that the pineapple came to Hawaii to stay.