Read the text and choose the correct answer to fill in the gap in the sentence below.
He Didn’t Laugh
Mark Twain, the famous American author, was well known as a lecturer, and literary clubs often __________ \(to invite\) him to speak. Before one of his lectures a club member ____ \(to come\) up to him and said,
“Mr. Twain, people ___ \(to say\) that you can tell very funny stories. I hope that during your lecture you ___ \(to make\) my uncle ___ \(to laugh\). He ___ \(not to laugh\) for ten years.”
“I’ll do my best”, Mark Twain said.
At the beginning of his lecture, Mark Twain ____ \(to notice\) the club member who ____ \(to sit\) in front of him with a sad old man.
Mark Twain ____ \(to begin\) \(to tell\) jokes, one after another, long jokes and short jokes, new jokes and old jokes. Soon everybody ___ \(to cry\) with laughter. Everybody – but not the old man. He ____ \(to look\) at Mark Twain with his cold blue eyes. Mark Twain ___ \(to ashame\).
After the lecture, the club member ____ \(to thank\) Mark Twain because he ____ \(never to hear\) so many funny stories.
“They _____ \(not to be\) funny enough for your uncle. He _____ \(not even smile\)!” Mark Twain ___ \(to answer\).
“I’d like to thank you and say again my uncle ___ \(not to laugh\) for ten years. I want you to know he ____ \(not to hear\) anything for ten years. He ____ \(to be deaf\).”

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At the beginning of his lecture, Mark Twain \(7\) __________ \(to notice\) the club member who \(to sit\) in front of him with an old sad man.

• notice
• notices
• noticed
• had noticed