Complete the text with the correct forms of the verbs in brackets and answer the questions. Where do you go when you want to know the latest business news, follow commodity prices, оr stay abreast of the latest scientific and technological developments? Today, the answer is obvious: you log on to the internet. Three centuries ago, the answer 1(be) just as easy: you2 (go) to a coffee-house. There, for the price of a cup of coffee, you 3(can) attend scientific lectures, or chat with like-minded people about literature or politics. Like today's websites, coffee-houses 4(be) lively. Collectively Europe's interconnected web of coffee-houses 5(form) the internet of the Enlightenment era.

The contrast between coffee and alcoholic drinks was reflected in the decor of the coffee houses that 6(begin) to appear in European cities, London in particular. They7(decorate) with bookshelves, mirrors, gilt-framed pictures and good furniture, in contrast to the rowdiness and gloom of taverns. According to custom, social differences 8 (leave) at the coffee-house door and anyone who started a quarrel had to atone for it by buying an order of coffee for all present.

Coffee9( be) the ideal drink. Its popularity owed much to the growing middle class оf information workers, who 10(do) mental work in offices rather than performing physical labour in the open, and found that coffee sharpened their mental faculties. Such men 11)be) not rich enough to entertain lavishly at home, but 12(can) afford to spend a few pence a day on coffee. Coffee-houses were nicknamed "penny universities" in a contemporary English verse which observed: "So great Universitie, I think there ne'er was any; In which you may a Scholar be, for spending of a penny.​

Today, if you want to know the latest business news, follow commodity prices, or stay updated on the latest scientific and technological developments, you can easily log on to the internet. However, three centuries ago, the answer to this question was just as easy - you would go to a coffee-house. In these coffee-houses, for the price of a cup of coffee, you could attend scientific lectures or have discussions with like-minded individuals about literature or politics. Just like modern-day websites, coffee-houses were lively and served as a hub of information exchange.

The interconnected network of coffee-houses across Europe formed what can be considered as the internet of the Enlightenment era. Coffee-houses were popular in European cities, especially London, and they were known for their decor that differed greatly from taverns. These establishments were decorated with bookshelves, mirrors, gilt-framed pictures, and good furniture, providing a contrasting atmosphere to the rowdiness and gloom of taverns. Furthermore, going to a coffee-house meant leaving social differences at the door since anyone who started a quarrel had to atone for it by buying coffee for everyone present.

Coffee was considered an ideal drink during this time. Its popularity was largely due to the growing middle class of information workers who performed mental work in offices rather than physical labor in outdoor settings. These individuals found that coffee sharpened their mental faculties. While they may not have been rich enough to host lavish gatherings at home, they could afford to spend a few pence a day on coffee. As a result, coffee-houses became known as "penny universities" as they provided an affordable space for individuals to engage in intellectual discussions and gain knowledge.

Now, let's focus on the completion of the text. In order to fill in the gaps with the correct forms of the verbs, let's analyze each sentence:

1. The answer to the question is in the past, so we use the past simple tense. Therefore, "was" is the correct form for the verb "be" in this sentence.
2. Since this action also happened in the past and is directly related to the previous sentence, we continue using the past simple tense. Therefore, "went" is the correct form for the verb "go."
3. This sentence talks about the ability to attend scientific lectures or chat with people, so we use the modal verb "can" to express this possibility. Therefore, "can" is the correct form for the verb "can."
4. Coffee-houses in the past are being described here, so we use the past simple tense. Therefore, "were" is the correct form for the verb "be."
5. Here, we are talking about the coffee-houses forming a web, which is a continuous action. Therefore, we use the present simple tense. Therefore, "form" is the correct form for the verb "form."

Let's move on to the next paragraph:

6. The coffee houses being described in the past are decorating with certain items, so we use the past simple tense. Therefore, "were" is the correct form for the verb "be."
7. This sentence is also describing actions in the past, so we use the past simple tense. Therefore, "were" is the correct form for the verb "decorate."
8. The custom of leaving social differences at the door and the consequences for quarrels also happened in the past. Therefore, we use the past simple tense. Therefore, "were" is the correct form for the verb "leave."
9. This sentence is describing the drink coffee in general. Therefore, we use the present simple tense. Therefore, "is" is the correct form for the verb "be."

Now, let's proceed with the last paragraph:

10. The information workers being referred to here performed mental work in the past, so we use the past simple tense. Therefore, "did" is the correct form for the verb "do."
11. This sentence is describing the characteristics of these men in the past. Therefore, we use the past simple tense. Therefore, "were" is the correct form for the verb "be."
12. The men being referred to could afford to spend on coffee in the past. Therefore, we use the past simple tense. Therefore, "could" is the correct form for the verb "afford."

To summarize, the completed text with the correct forms of the verbs is as follows:

"Where do you go when you want to know the latest business news, follow commodity prices, оr stay abreast of the latest scientific and technological developments? Today, the answer is obvious: you log on to the internet. Three centuries ago, the answer was just as easy: you went to a coffee-house. There, for the price of a cup of coffee, you could attend scientific lectures, or chat with like-minded people about literature or politics. Like today's websites, coffee-houses were lively. Collectively Europe's interconnected web of coffee-houses formed the internet of the Enlightenment era.

The contrast between coffee and alcoholic drinks was reflected in the decor of the coffee houses that began to appear in European cities, London in particular. They were decorated with bookshelves, mirrors, gilt-framed pictures and good furniture, in contrast to the rowdiness and gloom of taverns. According to custom, social differences were left at the coffee-house door and anyone who started a quarrel had to atone for it by buying an order of coffee for all present.

Coffee was the ideal drink. Its popularity owed much to the growing middle class оf information workers, who did mental work in offices rather than performing physical labour in the open, and found that coffee sharpened their mental faculties. Such men were not rich enough to entertain lavishly at home, but could afford to spend a few pence a day on coffee. Coffee-houses were nicknamed "penny universities" in a contemporary English verse which observed: "So great Universitie, I think there ne'er was any; In which you may a Scholar be, for spending of a penny.​""