Reading - Missing Sentences
B1
Cambridge English B1 Exam
A few sentences have been removed from the text below. For each question, choose the correct answer. There are extra sentences which you don't need to use.
A Community Swap Shop
In my town, a new project called the Swap Shop has become very popular. It is a place where people bring things they no longer need and take something different home. (1) ........... The organisers say it helps families save money and reduces waste at the same time. The idea started when the local library ran out of space for donated books. A volunteer suggested using the empty room next door for a monthly exchange event. (2) ........... Soon, people were bringing not only books, but also clothes, toys, and small kitchen items. When you arrive, a volunteer checks that your things are clean and in good condition. Then you put them on the right table, for example “Children’s Clothes” or “Games”. (3) ........... This rule keeps everything fair, especially on busy Saturdays. Some people worry that the Swap Shop will harm local businesses. However, most items are second-hand and would probably be thrown away otherwise. (4) ........... It has also become a friendly meeting place, where neighbours chat while they look for bargains. The project is still growing, and the team is planning a special “repair corner” with simple tools and advice. (5) ........... If it works well, the organisers hope to run the Swap Shop every week instead of once a month.
About Reading Missing Sentences — Cambridge English B1
This Cambridge English B1 Reading Missing Sentences exercise removes several sentences from a text. Read the text and choose the sentence that best fits each gap; there are extra sentences you do not need to use.
It tests how well you follow the development of ideas and use reference words, pronouns and linking expressions to see how the parts of a text fit together.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Reading Missing Sentences?
A text has gaps where sentences were removed. You choose the correct sentence for each gap from a list that includes extra, unused options.
What does it test?
Cohesion and coherence — how ideas connect through reference words, linkers and the logical flow of the text.
Any tips for Missing Sentences?
Read the sentences before and after each gap carefully and look for reference words (this, they, however) that link the missing sentence to the text.
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What to do
This part is one of the longest texts that you must read. 5 sentences were removed. Your task is to choose the right sentence in the right gap.
Be careful there are 3 extra sentences you don’t need.
Some of the questions ask about facts and some ask about opinions. You’ll always be able to find the answers in the text.
Strategy
- The first thing you should do is to read the whole text to get a general understanding of what it is about.
- Then, look at each numbered space in turn and choose one of the sentences to fit the gap. In order to do this, you not only need to check that the meaning is correct for the gap but also that it fits grammatically with the sentences before and after the gap.
- Once you have chosen the sentence that you think fits best, quickly check that the other sentences don’t fit and try to decide why they are wrong.
- Once you have found all the missing sentences, read the text once more to make sure that it all makes sense.
