Use of English!

What? Why? How?

Parts 1 and 2

A friendly
reminder
I can show you HOW to do
the exam exercises, I can
tell you WHY they were
chosen for the exam, and
I can advise you on WHAT
to do to prepare but I
cant make you study. You
have to do that yourself.
The help I can give you is
only effective if you are
ready to be responsible
for your own success.

Please dont
be like this
asshole.

PART 1
MULTIPLE
CHOICE
CLOZE

Lets get started

Part 1 isabout vocabulary with some grammar.
You are given a text with some words missing you must rebuild the text by choosingthe correct
word from a choice of 4. To make it even more fun,
the 4 choices are usually quite similar.

How to prepare at home

Nothing prepares you for the Reading test better than reading.

Read a lot.

Candidates who oftenreadin English (for work,

for fun) find this part of the test manageable, while those who
never read tend to find it very hard.
If you are 100% sure that two of the 4 choicesare completely
identical, then neither can be the answer. There is always
onlyoneword that fits grammatically and has the right meaning.
Remember not to waste time thinking of the answer to
theexample! The missing wordis shown right above the
headline (in the grey box).
Double-check every sentence for prepositions that might link to
the missing word. For example: some verbs are always followed
by 'for', others are never followed by 'for'. If the word 'for' is in
the sentence, it's likely to be important.

If you are 100% sure that

two of the 4 choicesare
completely identical,
then neither can be the
answer. There is always
onlyoneword that fits
grammatically and has
the right meaning.
Remember not to waste
time thinking of the
answer to theexample!
Double-check every
sentence for prepositions
that might link to the
missing word.

1.Read the title.

It's about black

bears. Do you know anything about black
bears? (You probably know a lot about black
beers, but that might not help here.) Maybe
you know that black bears are scary and
can climb trees.

2. Quickly read the text.

Reading the two paragraphs gives us an
idea of the topic - the biologist likes bears
and doesn't think they are so scary.

3.You read the rest of the

sentences twice, three
times, but you can't think of
any answers. You don't know these
words. Disaster? Not really - there are lots
of other points available in the Reading and
Use of English test. You decide to move on

1. Look at question1. Which option collocates

with 'trust'? Maybe you thinkcatch
trustandwin trustsound good, but you're
not sure which one is right. Just choose one
and go to the next question. This is a part of
the test where we don't want to spend too
much time.
2. For question 2 you've
decidedinsightorvisionboth sound good.
You aren't sure which one... until you read the
sentence again. It says 'into their behaviour'.
Into! That links with insight. 'Insight into their
behaviour' - yes, it sounds good. Let's choose
that.
3. Question 3 -You have read a lot of texts in
English and the only one of these words you
have ever seen at the start of a sentence is
Contrary. You choose that. Lucky you read all
thoseBBCarticles!
4. You look at space 4 quickly, and think the

Five or six minutes into the exam,

youranswer paper looks like this:

3 points you're
pretty sure
about and one
that's 50/50.
And you didn't
waste a single
second of time.
Great!

United Kingdom Travel Guide

Read the title.

Quickly read the
text. Reading the
two paragraphs
gives us an idea of
the topic.
Dont waste time
on the example
question (0)!

Despite its 0_____ small size, the United Kingdom is one of the most
culturally 1______ countries on Earth, populated by four main native
nationalities, plus later arrivals from all over the world. The United
Kingdom consists of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales),
plus Northern Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands
(principally Jersey and Guernsey) are also parts of the British Isles,
but somewhat confusingly not officially part of the UK.
The UK is also a geologically diverse country, with such landscapes as
the rolling moors of Yorkshire, the lakes and mountains of the Lake
District and Scotland, and the 2______ forests of Nottinghamshire or
the 3_____ beaches of Wales. All this, 4_____ genteel villages with
chocolate-box cottages or vibrant cities at the forefront of modernity,
means the UK has something to 5_____ everyone.
London is the natural 6_______ point for visitors and is a great
introduction to this varied country, with famous sights such as the
Houses of Parliament and the London Eye and 7______ exhibitions in
the National Gallery, Natural History Museum and Tower of London.
8_____ away from the capital are the university cities of Oxford and
Cambridge, with their elegant architecture, and Windsor, home to the
Queen's famous castle residence.

If you are 100% sure

that two of the 4
choicesare
completely identical,
then neither can be
the answer. There is
always onlyoneword
that fits grammatically
and has the right
meaning.
Remember not to
waste time thinking of
the answer to
theexample!
Double-check every
sentence for
prepositions that
might link to the
missing word.

United Kingdom Travel Guide

Despite its 0_____ small size, the United Kingdom is one of the most culturally 1______
countries on Earth, populated by four main native nationalities, plus later arrivals from all
over the world. The United Kingdom consists of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales),
plus Northern Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands (principally Jersey and
Guernsey) are also parts of the British Isles, but somewhat confusingly not officially part of
the UK.
The UK is also a geologically diverse country, with such landscapes as the rolling moors of
Yorkshire, the lakes and mountains of the Lake District and Scotland, and the 2______
forests of Nottinghamshire or the 3_____ beaches of Wales. All this, 4_____ genteel villages
with chocolate-box cottages or vibrant cities at the forefront of modernity, means the UK
has something to 5_____ everyone.
London is the natural 6_______ point for visitors and is a great introduction to this varied
country, with famous sights such as the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye and
7______ exhibitions in the National Gallery, Natural History Museum and Tower of London.
8_____ away from the capital are the university cities of Oxford and Cambridge, with their
elegant architecture, and Windsor, home to the Queen's famous castle residence.
0.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

A) relatively B) clearly
C) slightly
D) actually
A) friendly
B) widespread
C) various
D) diverse
A) middle-aged
B) elderly
C) ancient
D) ageing
A) shocking B) stunning
C) frightening
D) shining
A) as well as
B) in addition
C) including
D) also
A) for
B) purpose
C) volunteer
D) offer
A) origin
B) beginning
C) starting
D) commencing
A) renowned
B) known
C) obvious
D) infamous
A) near by
B) shortly
C) not far
D) closely

United Kingdom Travel Guide

You don't know these

words. Disaster? Not
really - there are lots
of other points
available in the
Reading and Use of
English test. You
decide to move on to
part 2 without wasting
any more time here. If
you manage your time
well, you'll be able to
come back here and
have another think.
And if not, you can
just take a guess at
the answer.

Despite its 0_____ small size, the United Kingdom is one of the most culturally 1______
countries on Earth, populated by four main native nationalities, plus later arrivals from all
over the world. The United Kingdom consists of Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales),
plus Northern Ireland. The Isle of Man and the Channel Islands (principally Jersey and
Guernsey) are also parts of the British Isles, but somewhat confusingly not officially part of
the UK.
The UK is also a geologically diverse country, with such landscapes as the rolling moors of
Yorkshire, the lakes and mountains of the Lake District and Scotland, and the 2______
forests of Nottinghamshire or the 3_____ beaches of Wales. All this, 4_____ genteel villages
with chocolate-box cottages or vibrant cities at the forefront of modernity, means the UK
has something to 5_____ everyone.
London is the natural 6_______ point for visitors and is a great introduction to this varied
country, with famous sights such as the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye and
7______ exhibitions in the National Gallery, Natural History Museum and Tower of London.
8_____ away from the capital are the university cities of Oxford and Cambridge, with their
elegant architecture, and Windsor, home to the Queen's famous castle residence.
0.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

A) relatively B) clearly
C) slightly
D) actually
A) friendly
B) widespread
C) various
D) diverse
A) middle-aged
B) elderly
C) ancient
D) ageing
A) shocking B) stunning
C) frightening
D) shining
A) as well as
B) in addition
C) including
D) also
A) for
B) purpose
C) volunteer
D) offer
A) origin
B) beginning
C) starting
D) commencing
A) renowned
B) known
C) obvious
D) infamous
A) near by
B) shortly
C) not far
D) closely

The vacuum cleaner

Read the title.

Quickly read the
text. Reading the
two paragraphs
gives us an idea of
the topic.
Dont waste time
on the example
question!

Until about 250 years ago, households did not take dirt as ..(1).. as
they do now - it was a fact of life, and that was that. Cleaning often
consisted of an annual ..(2)... called 'spring cleaning' when the
furniture was moved aside, and all the linen products in the house
were cleaned. Carpets and rugs were taken outside, hung on ropes
and had the dust ..(3).. out of them - an exhausting and messy
process.
The industrial revolution brought about a major change - as new ..
(4).. became available to make homes cleaner, a corresponding
interest in '..(5).. hygiene' appeared in households. This in turn led to
the ..(6).. of further products, one of which was the vacuum cleaner.
..(7).. has it that when one of the first vacuum cleaners was
demonstrated, a kindly scientist took the proud inventor..(8).. , and
offered a bit of advice that was to become ..(9).. to the future
evolution of the product - 'make it suck, not blow'.
The first vacuum cleaners appeared in the 1860s in the United
States. They were operated by hand pumps and were almost as ..
(10).. as spring cleaning. It was only when electric motors had
become sufficiently ..(11)... to become portable that vacuum
cleaners became common household items. Most of today's major ..
(12).. - including Electrolux and Hoover - were born in the 1920s.
The household ..(13).. that vacuum cleaners suck up is mostly dead
skin cells - humans ..(14).. millions of cells every day. A much smaller
proportion comes from dust and soil carried into the house from ..

The vacuum cleaner

Until about 250 years ago, households did not take dirt as ..(1)..
as they do now - it was a fact of life, and that was that. Cleaning
often consisted of an annual ..(2)... called 'spring cleaning' when
the furniture was moved aside, and all the linen products in the
house were cleaned. Carpets and rugs were taken outside, hung
on ropes and had the dust ..(3).. out of them - an exhausting and
messy process.
The industrial revolution brought about a major change - as
new ..(4).. became available to make homes cleaner, a
corresponding interest in '..(5).. hygiene' appeared in
households. This in turn led to the ..(6).. of further products, one
of which was the vacuum cleaner.
..(7).. has it that when one of the first vacuum cleaners was
demonstrated, a kindly scientist took the proud inventor..(8).. ,
and offered a bit of advice that was to become ..(9).. to the
future evolution of the product - 'make it suck, not blow'.
The first vacuum cleaners appeared in the 1860s in the United
States. They were operated by hand pumps and were almost as ..
(10).. as spring cleaning. It was only when electric motors had
become sufficiently ..(11)... to become portable that vacuum
cleaners became common household items. Most of today's
major ..(12).. - including Electrolux and Hoover - were born in the
1920s.
The household ..(13).. that vacuum cleaners suck up is mostly

If you are 100% sure that two of the 4 choicesare completely

identical, then neither can be the answer. There is always
onlyoneword that fits grammatically and has the right
meaning.
Remember not to waste time thinking of the answer to
theexample!
Double-check every sentence for prepositions that might link to
the missing word.

1. a) importantlyb)
seriously
2. a) ritual
b)
3. a) cleaned
b)
4. a) products
b)
developments
5. a) home
b)
internal
6. a) fabrication b)
development
7. a) story
b)
8. a) away
b)
9. a) standard b)
esteemed
10.a) laborious b)
11.a) scientific b)
advanced
12.a) brands
b)
trademarks

crucially

c) considerately d)

result
c) resolutiond) scrub
taken
c) beaten
d) sucked
concepts
c) ideals
d)
domestic

c) homely

d)

appearing c) recreation d)
epic
c) legend
aside c) aback
crucial
c) regular

d) tale
d) along
d)

hard
c) nefarious d) straining
forward
c) technological d)
marks

c) makes

d)

The vacuum cleaner

Until about 250 years ago, households did not take dirt as ..(1)..
as they do now - it was a fact of life, and that was that. Cleaning
often consisted of an annual ..(2)... called 'spring cleaning' when
the furniture was moved aside, and all the linen products in the
house were cleaned. Carpets and rugs were taken outside, hung
on ropes and had the dust ..(3).. out of them - an exhausting and
messy process.
The industrial revolution brought about a major change - as
new ..(4).. became available to make homes cleaner, a
corresponding interest in '..(5).. hygiene' appeared in
households. This in turn led to the ..(6).. of further products, one
of which was the vacuum cleaner.
..(7).. has it that when one of the first vacuum cleaners was
demonstrated, a kindly scientist took the proud inventor..(8).. ,
and offered a bit of advice that was to become ..(9).. to the
future evolution of the product - 'make it suck, not blow'.
The first vacuum cleaners appeared in the 1860s in the United
States. They were operated by hand pumps and were almost as ..
(10).. as spring cleaning. It was only when electric motors had
become sufficiently ..(11)... to become portable that vacuum
cleaners became common household items. Most of today's
major ..(12).. - including Electrolux and Hoover - were born in the
1920s.
The household ..(13).. that vacuum cleaners suck up is mostly

If you are 100% sure that two of the 4 choicesare completely

identical, then neither can be the answer. There is always
onlyoneword that fits grammatically and has the right
meaning.
Remember not to waste time thinking of the answer to
theexample!
Double-check every sentence for prepositions that might link to
the missing word.

1. a) importantlyb)
seriously
2. a) ritual
b)
3. a) cleaned
b)
4. a) products
b)
developments
5. a) home
b)
internal
6. a) fabrication b)
development
7. a) story
b)
8. a) away
b)
9. a) standard b)
esteemed
10.a) laborious b)
11.a) scientific b)
advanced
12.a) brands
b)
trademarks

crucially

c) considerately d)

result
c) resolutiond) scrub
taken
c) beaten
d) sucked
concepts
c) ideals
d)
domestic

c) homely

d)

appearing c) recreation d)
epic
c) legend
aside c) aback
crucial
c) regular

d) tale
d) along
d)

hard
c) nefarious d) straining
forward
c) technological d)
marks

c) makes

d)

Whats missing in this picture?

PART 2
OPEN
CLOZE

In part 2 there is a text with words

missing. Whereas in part 1 you pick from a
choice of words, in part 2 there is no such
help. You have to use your knowledge of
grammar to produce the right word.
Tips
1. Write only one word. One! Only! Cambridge consider contractions like 'won't' to
be two words (will not), so that will never be an answer in part 2.
2. Start by reading the title, then quickly read the whole text. This will help tell
you if words should be positive or negative.
3. Sometimes more than one word might be possible - for example if 'whereas'
fits, 'while' might also fit. Either answer is okay, but don't write both.
4. This is one part of the exam where looking at the answers you get wrong while
preparing is a goldmine. In fact, the whole next section is about that.

An
Incredibly
Detailed
Analysis of
Part 2

Andrew, the English teacher who started CAE Exam

Tips, went through every 'open cloze' test in every
Cambridge book he could find and made an Excel
spreadsheet of all the answers. The results were very
interesting and a little bit surprising.
The most common answers were (in order of
frequency):
to-being-which-for-with-one-not-as
Do you know the grammar rules behind those words?
What sort of sentence uses the word 'to'? If you're
reading a book at the moment, would it be useful to
take a page and see how many times the word 'to' is
used, and maybe study those sentences? Yes! I like the
way you think!

An
Incredibly
Detailed
Analysis of
Part 2

a) If the missing word is at the start of the sentence, ask

yourself if a gerund fits. Many answers were -ing forms
-havingandbeingwere very frequent.

Some
advice
based
on the
data

b) Of the relative pronouns, the most common by far

waswhich. Study defining and non-defining relative clauses!
c) 'With' came up frequently, but so did 'without'. That's
why you should read the text as a whole before you start
thinking of the answers.
d) Similarly, 'if' was very common, but so was 'unless'.
Unless means 'if not', so again, reading the whole text to get
the writer's opinion is vital!
e) While 'to be' was, naturally, the most common verb and
has its own section, other verbs were quite common. Mostly
they are verbs which are useful in some advanced
grammatical structures. For example, 'have' (and has, had,
etc) are useful for making perfect tenses. Do is useful for
emphatic language. Take is used in many phrasal verbs.

Some
MORE
advice
based
on the
data

f) Linking phrases! You need to know these for the writing

and speaking parts, but if you have mastered the
wordswhereas,although,however,despite, spite (in the
phrasein spite of), there are many easy points to collect in
this part of the exam. Alsobut,so,while, and such things.
g) Prepositions. Everyone's least favourite part of English.
Except Cambridge. Cambridge LOVES prepositions. Look for
uses ofin,of,by,out,before,after, and all the rest.
h) These words aren't the most frequent, but there will be 3
or 4 in your text
no,there,once,even,such,since,it,myself(orthemse
lvesetc),what,either, andthese.
i) The! Its amazing how many times the was the answer.
Poor little a was much less common.

a) If the first word is missing, is it

a gerund? (-ing)
b) Of the relative pronouns,
the most common by far
waswhich.
c) 'With' came up frequently,
but so did 'without'.
d) Similarly, 'if' was very
common, but so was 'unless'
e) Beware of phrasal verbs! Take
is used in many phrasal verbs.
f) Linking
phrases!-whereas,although,
however,despite, spite (in the
phrasein spite of), there are
many easy points to collect in
this part of the exam.
Alsobut,so,while, and such
things.
g) Prepositions Look for uses
ofin,of,by,out,before,after,
and all the rest.
h)
no,there,once,even,such,
since,it,myself(orthemselves
etc),what,either, andthese.
i) The!

1. It's something of a mystery how ancient bridge builders

succeeded______spanning this wide river.
2. Are you sure you want to go on holiday to that part of the
world, considering all the problems ______ are right now?
3. Life hasn't been found on any planet in the solar system,
______ from our own.
4. The city of Istanbul in Turkey was known ______
Constantinople until the early 20th century.
5. In ______ to a company car and large annual bonuses,
we are also offering help in finding a new house.
6. The difficulty with ______ he managed to speak showed
how upset he was.
7. I love Lebanese food but what's the country itself ______
? Tell me about the weather, for example.
8. ______ deep is that river? Do you think we'll need a boat
to cross it?

Question 1 in.
Question 2
there.
Question 3
apart.
Question 4 as.
Question 5
addition.
Question 6
which.
Question 7 like.
Question 8 how.

1. It's something of a mystery how ancient bridge builders

succeeded______spanning this wide river.
2. Are you sure you want to go on holiday to that part of the
world, considering all the problems ______ are right now?
3. Life hasn't been found on any planet in the solar system,
______ from our own.
4. The city of Istanbul in Turkey was known ______
Constantinople until the early 20th century.
5. In ______ to a company car and large annual bonuses,
we are also offering help in finding a new house.
6. The difficulty with ______ he managed to speak showed
how upset he was.
7. I love Lebanese food but what's the country itself ______
? Tell me about the weather, for example.
8. ______ deep is that river? Do you think we'll need a boat
to cross it?

An
Incredibly
Detailed
Analysis of
Part 2

REMEMBER!!!!
The most common answers were (in
order of frequency):
to-being-which-for-with-one-
not-as

a) If the first word is missing, is it

a gerund? (-ing)
b) Of the relative pronouns,
the most common by far
waswhich.
c) 'With' came up frequently,
but so did 'without'.
d) Similarly, 'if' was very
common, but so was 'unless'
e) Beware of phrasal verbs! Take
is used in many phrasal verbs.
f) Linking
phrases!-whereas,although,
however,despite, spite (in the
phrasein spite of), there are
many easy points to collect in
this part of the exam.
Alsobut,so,while, and such
things.
g) Prepositions Look for uses
ofin,of,by,out,before,after,
and all the rest.
h)
no,there,once,even,such,
since,it,myself(orthemselves
etc),what,either, andthese.
i) The!

1. The first night's talk will touch on topics______as

ornithology and global warming.
2. You're ______ from perfect, Jon. Only last year, you lost
those files, remember?
3. The lack of authority from higher levels in the company
is ______ of the problems the review will look into.
4. I used to understand how to work this phone but I no
______ do! Can you help me?
5. I went to bed very late and slept terribly, ______ the
result that I feel awful today.
6. ______ your poor record of turning up on time, we want
to extend your contract because we like your work.
7. An increase in tourism ______ 17% helped the country
recover from recession.
8. Jenkins is ______ more a marketing expert than my
grandfather. He's a fraud!

Question 1
such.
Question 2 far.
Question 3 one.
Question 4
longer.
Question 5
with.
Question 6
despite.
Question 7 of.
Question 8 no.

1. The first night's talk will touch on topics______as

ornithology and global warming.
2. You're ______ from perfect, Jon. Only last year, you lost
those files, remember?
3. The lack of authority from higher levels in the company
is ______ of the problems the review will look into.
4. I used to understand how to work this phone but I no
______ do! Can you help me?
5. I went to bed very late and slept terribly, ______ the
result that I feel awful today.
6. ______ your poor record of turning up on time, we want
to extend your contract because we like your work.
7. An increase in tourism ______ 17% helped the country
recover from recession.
8. Jenkins is ______ more a marketing expert than my
grandfather. He's a fraud!

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR

RESOURCES FOR BETTER
STUDYING:
1) Identify your weak points, the
things that are most frustrating,
or the things you dont
understand and STUDY THOSE
FIRST. But limit it to 10 or 20
minutes per day only.
2) READ. Read, read, read, read.
Anything. As often as you can.
3) Keep track of what youre
learning. Did you get a new
word? Write it down. Did you
learn a new grammar rule?
Write it down.
4) Review actively. Try to USE the
things youve learned, not just
read over them. Reading your
notes without actively applying
the information is a 100%

Ok, so, write 1

thing youre
going to do
this week to
improve your
study habits.
Just one thing
that you can
do every day
(with a time
limit).