Impersonal passive - popular myths

Even in the age of the Internet, popular myths are widespread. It , (widely / believe) for example, that the explorer Christopher Columbus had trouble persuading his sailors that they would not sail off the edge of a flat earth. Most people don’t realize that in fact few people (think) the earth was flat during this time. We also (assume) that Marco Polo brought back pasta from China although it (can / easily / show) that the Italians learned about pasta from the Arabs 600 years earlier.

Myths relating to science and nature are also common. It (often / say) that bats are blind, and we all (know) that bulls become angry when they see the colour red. We (believe) that if an earthworm is cut in half, two new worms are the result and it (commonly / accept) that goldfish have short memories - so short that they don't get bored swimming around their bowls. It
(frequently / claim) that chewing gum stays is the body for years; and how often have you heard people (say) that if you dropped a coin from the Empire State Building, it could kill a person? How many that the Great Wall of China is visible from the Moon? In fact, none of these is true.