Multiple Choice Cloze
Which Will You Pick?
Today we are going to see how we should approach the first task in the Reading and Use of English Paper.
By the way, did you know that Multiple-Choice Cloze is not part of the Use of English, but Reading section?
What the task looks like
Multiple-Choice Cloze consists of a text in which there are eight gaps (plus one gap as an example). Each gap represents a missing word or phrase. The text is followed by eight sets of four words or phrases, each set corresponding to a gap. You have to choose which one of the four words or phrases in the set fills the gap correctly.
You are required to draw on your lexical knowledge and understanding of the text in order to fill the gaps. Some questions test at a phrasal level, such as collocations and set phrases. Other questions test meaning at sentence level or beyond, with more processing of the text required. A lexico-grammatical element may be involved, such as when you have to choose the option which fits correctly with a following preposition or verb form.
Consider all the options carefully before deciding on an answer. Some of the options may be very tempting, but only one will be semantically and grammatically correct in that particular context.
What is tested
(Choose the best option, then check your answers in the Answer Key below.)
COLLOCATIONS
I’m writing with ____ to what we discussed at the last meeting.
A respect B honour C favour D regard
SET PHRASES
I’ve been a bit under the ____ with a cold, but it’s finally clearing up.
A air B climate C clouds D weather
PHRASAL VERBS
Carly seems to have ____ off skateboarding since she had that accident.
A gone B given C taken D put
CONNECTING WORDS
He decided to go, ____ his family begged him not to.
A although B despite C otherwise D if
CONFUSABLE WORDS
The power plant can’t be built here, as diggers uncovered priceless ____ on the premises.
A artistry B artwork C artefacts D arts
Today we’ll look at collocations and confusable words in more detail. I suggest you first go through the activities, and then do the exam practice. Have fun!
Collocations
Collocations are words that often appear together. They are very common, and using them correctly makes your English more natural. A collocation might be a verb + a noun, or an adjective + a preposition, or a noun + a noun, etc. For example, we say make a decision, not do a decision.
B2 First
Write take, make, have or do.
1 ___ a complaint
2 ___ the blame
3 ___ a great time
4 ___ well
5 ___ an idea
6 ___ care of
7 ___ changes
8 ___ somebody a favour
9 ___ research
10 ___ the first move
11 ___ fun
12 ___ a trick
13 ___ a deep breath
14 ___ a party
15 ___ the right thing
C1 Advanced
Match words from column A and column B to make collocations.
A
dysfunctional
lifelong
juicy
incessant
dire
deeply
B
noise
gossip
consequences
family
offensive
friends
C2 Proficiency
Match the adjectives in list A with the nouns in list B to form collocations. More than one answer may be correct.
List A: innate rugged remote gaunt strict savage ruthless balanced trustworthy
List B: appearance fear beast behaviour landscape nature spot hierarchy diet
Example: innate fear, innate behaviour
Confusable Words
Sometimes, two or more words in English have very similar meanings. For example, engine and motor both refer to a machine that produces power but they’re not always used in the same context: a vacuum cleaner, for example, has a motor, not an engine. So you need to know the difference in meaning and usage between words like these as well as tell the difference between words which look similar but have different meanings, such as recipe and receipt.
Understanding confusable words is a key part of English vocabulary.
B2 First
Choose the correct word.
1 My uncle is such an amazing cook / cooker that he ought to start his own catering business.
2 Don’t loose / lose this recipe, I haven’t got a copy of it.
3 I would advice / advise you to try it before you add any salt.
4 That omelette was very tasteful / tasty, thanks.
5 Being vegetarian can work out quite economic / economical – meats adds a lot to your shopping bills.
6 This diet seems to be having a great affect / effect on my health.
7 There’s nothing nicer than the sight / site of a bowl of fresh strawberries.
8 Have you brought / bought all the shopping in from the car?
9 That was such a big main course. I don’t think I can manage to eat desert / dessert.
10 Would you like another piece / peace of this delicious carrot cake?
C1 Advanced
Write a word in each gap to complete the sentences.
- decision / decisiveness
Margaret was known for her _____, but when it came to hiring a new engineer, she couldn’t take a _____. - eventful / eventual
During the ____ year in the power plant’s history, the two fires and numerous strikes led to its ____ shutdown. - goodness / goodwill
As a gesture of ____, she offered support to the families of the trapped miners out of the ____ of her heart. - hearing / hearsay
The supervisor testified at the ____ that any evidence concerning the plant’s lack of safety was all ____ and not proven fact. - historic / historical
These _____ records show that the opening of the nation’s first power plant was indeed a ____ event. - habitable / inhabited
The neighbourhood was ____ prior to the power plant explosion, but no one lives there any more as it’s no longer ____. - manageable / managerial
The staff were shouting and the situation was not ____, but Neil tried to calm them down, as it was his ____ duty. - moral / morale
If worker ____ is low, they are liable to revolt so the ____ of the story is: keep employees happy and they’ll continue to work.
C2 Proficiency
a) Words describing LIGHT. Match the words with their meanings.
sparkle flash glow shimmer gleam flicker glint glisten
1 shine unsteadily or keep going on and off
2 shine brightly, especially with reflected light
3 shine in a bright but brief or sudden way
4 shine with a soft, tremulous light
5 give out steady light without a flame
6 give out or reflect small flashes of light
7 shine brightly with flashes of light
8 shine with a sparkling light, especially something wet
b) Complete a-h with a word from the list above in its correct form. Sometimes, there is more than one correct answer.
a The pavements were ____ after the heavy downpour of rain .
b The window cleaner polished the glass until it ____.
c The candle flame ____ as the wind blew through the open window.
d The diamond rings ____ in the jeweller’s window.
e The light from the warning beacon ____ every ten seconds.
f As we sat on the beach, the sea ____ in the sunlight.
g Sally noticed the ____ of excitement in her son’s eyes as she mentioned the theme park visit.
h The solar lights look attractive ____ in the garden at night .
How to tackle the task
- Read the title and the whole text to get the general meaning, ignoring the gaps.
- Look at the example, as the first sentence may give you more information about the topic.
- Try to guess the missing word before looking at the answer choices.
- Consider each of the options, eliminating those you know are incorrect.
- Check that the word you choose for each gap makes sense in the context of the text as a whole.
- Check that the answer you choose fits the sentence grammatically.
- When you have finished, read the text again to make sure it makes sense.
Important!
There may be times when you won’t know all the words in the answer choices. One strategy is to use a process of elimination to find the answer, in which you cross out all the choices you know are wrong and choose from the remaining options. Another tip is to choose the answer that first came to mind when you read the text and ignore the unknown words. If all else fails, try guessing the answer, but never leave it blank.
Exam Practice
B2 First
The oldest leather shoe in the world
Archaeologists (0) ___ that a perfectly preserved 5,500-year-old shoe has been discovered in a cave in Armenia in south west Asia. It is (1) ___ to be the oldest leather shoe ever found.
The shoe was made of a single piece of leather, stitched at the front and back, and was shaped to fit the wearer’s foot. It had been (2) ___ with grasses, either for warmth or to make sure it kept its shape. ‘The shoe is relatively small but we can’t say for (3) ___ whether it was worn by a man or a woman,’ says Dr Ron Pinhasi, an archaeologist on the research (4) ___ ‘We thought at first that it was about 600-700 years old because it was in such good shape.’
Shoes of this type from later periods have turned (5) ___ in archaeological excavations in various places in Europe, and shoes of a very similar design were still being used on the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland as (6) ___ as the 1950s. It’s (7) ___ a style which (8) ___ popular for thousands of years.
0 A report B describe C inform D tell
1 A accepted B regarded C assessed D believed
2 A stuffed B loaded C pushed D blocked
3 A clear B specific C true D certain
4 A class B force C team D company
5 A over B into C up D about
6 A recently B lately C presently D immediately
7 A correctly B exactly C precisely D obviously
8 A held B stood C remained D lasted
C1 Advanced
Long hours and health don’t mix
Women are much healthier when they (0) ___ it easy, (1) ___ a new survey. Those who work long hours are more likely than men to indulge in unhealthy behaviour such as eating snacks, smoking and drinking caffeine. (Long hours have no such (2) ___ on men.) One positive benefit of long hours for both sexes, however, is that alcohol (3) ___ is reduced.
The study, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, is part of a wider study by psychologists from the University of Leeds, into the effects of stress on eating. ‘Stress causes people to (4) ___ for unhealthy high-fat and high-sugar snacks in preference to healthier food choices,’ says researcher Dr Daryl O’Connor of the University of Leeds. ‘People under stress eat less than usual in their main meals, including their vegetable (5) ___ , but shift their preference to high-fat, high-sugar snacks instead.
‘Our (6) ___ are disturbing in that they show stress produces harmful changes in diet and leads to unhealthy eating behaviour,’ continues Dr O’Connor. An overwhelming (7) ___ of evidence shows the importance of maintaining a balanced diet in (8) ___ of reducing the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases – and that means eating a low-fat diet and five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
0 A make B take C do D have
1 A betrays B sustains C reveals D conceals
2 A contact B clash C conflict D impact
3 A beverage B consumption C expenditure D acceptance
4 A choose B select C design D opt
5 A intake B influx C emission D immersion
6 A instructions B rulings C findings D institutions
7 A lump B body C sack D packet
8 A moments B sessions C terms D senses
C2 Proficiency
The Victorian music hall
In Victorian Britain, an (0) ___ popular place of entertainment was the music hall. Shows were full of songs of all kinds, in which the audience was (1) ___ to join in the chorus. Between 1900 and 1910, however, music halls (2) ___ a dramatic change in character and (3) ___ their emphasis on eating, drinking and singing to variety shows, where families went to see, among other acts, great (4) ___ like Roman chariot races, or diving contests. Although temporarily (5) ___ by the 1914-18 war, the music halls were to (6) ___ their popularity for many years after this. However, the advent of radio (7) ___ to be increasingly detrimental to live entertainment and a further (8) ___ was dealt to it with the arrival of the cinema.
0 A overridingly B overreachingly C overpoweringly D overwhelmingly
1 A indebted B obliged C constrained D indulged
2 A subjected B submitted C underlined D underwent
3 A rearranged B fluctuated C shifted D relocated
4 A spectacles B parades C exhibitions D displays
5 A obstructed B halted C terminated D checked
6 A retain B absorb C grasp D reserve
7 A claimed B turned C resulted D proved
8 A setback B disaster C blow D crash
ANSWER KEY
collocations
I’m writing with regard to what we discussed at the last meeting.
in/with regard to = concerning a particular subject
set phrases
I’ve been a bit under the weather with a cold, but it’s finally clearing up.
under the weather = not feeling well
phrasal verbs
Carly seems to have gone off skateboarding since she had that accident.
go off sth/sb = stop liking
connecting words
He decided to go, although his family begged him not to.
although + clause (subject + verb)
despite + noun/gerund
‘otherwise’ and ‘if’ do nor make sense as this sentence is not a conditional
confusable words
The power plant can’t be built here, as diggers uncovered priceless artefacts on the premises.
artefact = an ornament, tool, or other object that is made by a human being, especially one that is historically or culturally interesting
artistry = the creative skill of an artist, writer, actor, or musician
artwork = the pieces of art, such as drawings and photographs, that are used in books, newspapers, and magazines
arts = the making, showing, or performance of painting, acting, dancing, music, etc.
COLLOCATIONS
B2 First
1 make a complaint
2 take the blame
3 have a great time
4 do well
5 have an idea
6 take care of
7 make changes
8 do somebody a favour
9 do research
10 make the first move
11 have fun
12 do a trick
13 take a deep breath
14 have a party
15 do the right thing
C1 Advanced
dysfunctional family
lifelong friends
juicy gossip
incessant noise
dire consequences
deeply offensive
C2 Proficiency
innate fear / behaviour
rugged appearance / landscape
remote landscape / spot
gaunt appearance
strict behaviour / hierarchy / diet
savage appearance / beast / behaviour / nature
ruthless behaviour / nature
balanced behaviour / nature / diet
trustworthy behaviour / nature
CONFUSABLE WORDS
B2 First
1 My uncle is such an amazing cook that he ought to start his own catering business.
2 Don’t lose this recipe, I haven’t got a copy of it.
3 I would advise you to try it before you add any salt.
4 That omelette was very tasty, thanks.
5 Being vegetarian can work out quite economical – meats adds a lot to your shopping bills.
6 This diet seems to be having a great effect on my health.
7 There’s nothing nicer than the sight of a bowl of fresh strawberries.
8 Have you brought all the shopping in from the car?
9 That was such a big main course. I don’t think I can manage to eat dessert.
10 Would you like another piece of this delicious carrot cake?
C1 Advanced
1 Margaret was known for her decisiveness, but when it came to hiring a new engineer, she couldn’t take a decision.
2 During the eventful year in the power plant’s history, the two fires and numerous strikes led to its eventual shutdown.
3 As a gesture of goodwill, she offered support to the families of the trapped miners out of the goodness of her heart.
4 The supervisor testified at the hearing that any evidence concerning the plant’s lack of safety was all hearsay and not proven fact.
5 These historical records show that the opening of the nation’s first power plant was indeed a historic event.
6 The neighbourhood was inhabited prior to the power plant explosion, but no one lives there any more as it’s no longer habitable.
7 The staff were shouting and the situation was not manageable, but Neil tried to calm them down, as it was his managerial duty.
8 If worker morale is low, they are liable to revolt so the moral of the story is: keep employees happy and they’ll continue to work.
C2 Proficiency
a)
1 flicker
2 gleam
3 flash
4 shimmer
5 glow
6 glint
7 sparkle
8 glisten
b)
a glistening
b sparkled
c flickered
d sparkled
e flashed/flashes
f shimmered/sparkled
g gleam/flicker
h glowing
EXAM PRACTICE KEY
B2 First
1 D
2 A
3 D
4 C
5 C
6 A
7 D
8 C
C1 Advanced
1 C
2 D
3 B
4 D
5 A
6 C
7 B
8 C
C2 Proficiency
1 B (if you are obliged to do sth, you are forced to do sth out of duty; constrained is wrong because it usually has the notion of unwillingness on the part of the person being constrained)
2 D (undergo a change is a fixed expression meaning experience a change; subjected is wrong because it is usually used in the passive and requires the preposition to (e.g. were subjected to))
3 C (shift (their) emphasis is a fixed expression meaning change (their) emphasis)
4 A (spectacles are performances or events (usually a variety) that are very exciting to look at)
5 B (if something is temporarily halted, it is stopped for a short time; terminated is wrong because it means ended completely; checked is wrong because it means controlled or stopped from increasing / getting worse)
6 A (retain means to continue to have sth)
7 D (proved is the only option which fits the grammatical structure (+ to be))
8 C (to deal a blow to sth/sb (passive: a blow is/was dealt to sth) is a fixed expression meaning to be very shocking or harmful to sth/sb)
Sources and References:
Gude, K., Duckworth, M., Rogers, L., Cambridge English Proficiency Masterclass, OUP, 2013
Mann, M., Taylore-Knowles, S., Improve Your Skills, Use of English for First, Macmillan Education, 2014
Mann, M., Taylore-Knowles, S., Improve Your Skills, Use of English for Advanced, Macmillan Education, 2014
www.cambridgeenglish.org
Betsis, A., Mamas, L., Succeed in Cambridge English, GlobalELT, 2014