In this passage based cloze question, choose the word that best completes the phrase at the beginning of the passage: "__________ so long ago, virtually everyone seemed ..."

Introduction / Context:
This cloze test question is taken from a passage discussing the Brexit referendum. The sentence begins: "__________ so long ago, virtually everyone seemed _____________ that a sizeable majority of British voters ____________ reaffirm their faith and confidence in a united Europe." You are asked to choose the correct word to complete the phrase "__________ so long ago". You must pay attention to common English expressions and the overall meaning of the passage.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The fragment in focus is "__________ so long ago, virtually everyone seemed ...".
• The options are "Not", "Far", "So", "Nor", and "Hardly".
• The passage is describing a time in the recent past when most people felt confident that Britain would stay in the European Union.
• The context suggests that this confidence existed not a very long time ago.

Concept / Approach:
A very common English phrase to indicate a recent time is "Not so long ago". It means "recently" or "a short time ago". This expression fits naturally at the beginning of a reflective sentence about public opinion before a major political event. The other options do not form a standard expression when combined with "so long ago". Therefore, recognising the fixed phrase "Not so long ago" is the key to answering this question correctly.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read the full fragment: "__________ so long ago, virtually everyone seemed ..." Step 2: Try "Not so long ago". This forms a very common expression meaning "a short time ago", which fits the idea that public opinion recently appeared stable. Step 3: Try "Far so long ago". This does not make sense in English and is not a recognised phrase. Step 4: Try "So so long ago". This is repetitive and ungrammatical. Step 5: Try "Nor so long ago". "Nor" is used after a negative clause, but there is no previous negative statement here. Step 6: Try "Hardly so long ago". Although "hardly" can be used with time, the normal phrase would be "hardly any time ago" or "hardly a year ago", not "hardly so long ago". Step 7: Conclude that only "Not" creates the familiar and meaningful phrase "Not so long ago".

Verification / Alternative check:
Consider the full sentence from a typical editorial: "Not so long ago, virtually everyone seemed confident that a sizeable majority of British voters would reaffirm their faith in a united Europe." This flows naturally and is exactly how many writers describe the shift in opinion leading up to the Brexit vote. Replacing "Not" with any of the other options produces awkward or incorrect sentences. This confirms that "Not" is the correct choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
"Far" does not work with "so long ago" without additional words like "from now". "So" by itself cannot start this phrase and leaves the time reference unclear. "Nor" requires a preceding negative clause, which is absent. "Hardly" does not combine idiomatically with "so long ago". As cloze tests usually aim to check knowledge of fixed expressions, any nonstandard combination should be rejected.

Common Pitfalls:
Some students may ignore the idea of fixed phrases and try to force a literal word like "So" into the blank because they see it repeated later in the passage. Others may be tempted by "Hardly" because it also expresses a small amount of time, but they forget that it must be part of a different structure. To avoid these traps, always recall common editorial phrases and think in terms of whole expressions rather than isolated words.

Final Answer:
The fragment should read Not so long ago, so the correct option is "Not".