A、Just before Columbus left. B、Just after Columbus left. C、Two hundred years before Columbus left. D、After 1300. C

Marco Polo was born in Venice, Italy, about 1254.At that time Europeans knew almost nothing of peoples and nations on other continents, except in the areas of Asia and Africa touching the Mediterranean.
    In 1271 Marco Polo, his father and his uncle set out on a journey to the fabled lands of China. After four years of hard journey, finally they arrived at the great city of the ruler of China.
    In China, Marco Polo found people with a culture quite different from his own. He saw palaces grander than any in Europe, sculptures of great beauty, large, finely-carved precious stones.., a new world full of many wonders. After leaving China, Marco Polo traveled to Japan, southeastern Asia, India, and eastern Africa as a representative of the Chinese ruler.
    In 1292—two hundred years before Columbus—the great voyager set out for home. The stories of China he brought back spread quickly throughout Europe. Europe was never again the same.