The history of taxis

Here is a reading activity (Use of English) in which you need to choose the best option for each numbered gap: 

The first known taxi was an Egyptian water cab in about 4000BC. In the 17th century, first in Paris, then in London, there were horse-drawn hackneys and as 1) soon/ long/early/well as 1623 London´s wherry-boat operators were already complaining that the hackneys 2) took/replaced/stole/robbed them of their living. 

Taxis soon came 3) about/under/for/above government regulation. In 1800, in Paris, the cabriolet, a speedy twwo-wheeled carriage 4) drawn/grabbed/fetched/run by a single horse, was dubbed the «cab» 5) and/but/also/afterwards in 1834, Joseph Hansom patented the Hansom Cab. Before the automobile became the taxi 6) to/for/as/of choice, there were a few eccentric efforts to improve 7) up/on/for/at the Hamson cab, but 8) then/it/at/there was Harry N. Allen who was the father of the taxi cab. 9) For/As/Along/To his New York vehicles he imported the French taxi- mètre, which 10) should/would/could/did measure taxes, 11) or/and/otherwise/thus «fares», and the «taxi cab» was born. 

12) Like/Just/Also/So as the men who made Hollywood were dreamers and entrepreneurs, so 13) were/did/could/had the men who made the taxis in America run. 14) Among/Along/According/Aside them was John Hertz, who got 15) for/into/with/on the taxi business in 1907. After reading a University of Chicago study that said yello was the colour 16) most/well/so/such easily spotted, he developed the Yellow Cab. He was 17) responsible/originator/manufacturing/successful for the purpose-built taxi and he 18) caused/let/made/produced it affordable-cabs had always 19) been/limited/gone/afforded for rich folk. He organized Yellow Cab companies in other towns, 20) as/like/with/apart New York City, and later set up the first car rental service. 

Answer key: 

1.early-2.robbed-3.under-4.drawn-5.and-6.of-7.on-8.it-9.For-10.could-11.or-12.Just-13.were-14.Among-15.into-16.most-17.responsible-18.made-19.been-20.like