关键是看空白处加入的引导词在从句中做什么成份。从句communications were very difficult in the rural areas已经是一个完整的句子了。所以,只能加状语。如果用which,就是引领宾语从句,而从句中不缺宾语。从句中中缺一个时间状语,所以用in which或when来引导。
in which在句中做关系的代词,In which也可以用where来代替
which 在定语从句中做关系代词,本题缺少关系副词!也可用介词+which代替!