More Tips and Practice- Part 1- Multiple Choice Cloze-Reading and Use of English

Tips for the B2 First (Cambridge English: First, FCE) Multiple Choice Cloze (Part 1)

Part 1, the Multiple Choice Cloze, focuses mainly on vocabulary but also occasionally grammar. Here are some tips to follow when attempting the Multiple Choice Cloze task:

• There will always be a title to the text. Use this to get an idea of the theme of the text.
• Read the text first before you attempt to answer any questions. Sometimes an understanding of the wider context is necessary in order to choose the correct word.
• A key tactic in this exercise is to look for clues around each gap. The word (or words) before or after the gap will often be part of a set phrase and will help you decide which of the choice of 4 words is the correct one.
• If you find it difficult to make a choice eliminate those you know are wrong and if necessary make a guess as to the correct answer – you might be lucky!

Let’s Practice

For Questions 1-8, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. There is an example at the beginning.

Example

(0)

A) say B) tell C) speak D) announce

Write the Perfect Crime Novel

Most people are born with the natural ability to (0) tell stories, but only a rare few have the determination to become professional authors, and even fewer have the joy of seeing their novels top the (1) …….. of bestselling books. Some of the world’s famous crime writers have achieved the (2) …….. success of all. Who can deny the appeal of famous detectives like Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot? Even if you haven’t read the (3) …….. books you will have seen them in films or on the TV.
If you have an ambition to become the next Agatha Christie what should you do? The best starting (4) …….. is to read lots of examples of crime fiction written by good authors. You will need a notebook to carry around with you or, even better, some loose (5) …….. of paper that you can (6) …….. notes on and then file into a folder. After all, the most everyday situation – for example, watching a woman get (7) …….. a train – may be the inspiration for your first bestseller.
Like any good recipe you have to know the main (8) …….. of a successful novel. These are: an original story, strong characters and a memorable setting

1- A queue          B  list                C  row          D  line

2- A  largest       B greatest         C  highest    D  prime

3- A  first            B  initial            C  early        D  original

4- A  spot           B  tip                  C  point        D  mark

5- A   strips        B  sheets            C  layers      D  pieces

6- A  complete  B  do                   C  fill            D  make

7- A  out             B  down              C  off            D  from

8- A  parts          B  ingredients   C  pieces     D  sections

Check your answers⇓

Answer key

1. list
2. greatest
3. original
4. point
5. sheets
6. make
7. off
8. ingredients