Use of English - Open Cloze
B1
Cambridge English B1 Exam
For questions 1-6, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap. Click the gaps to type your answer.
City Library
Many towns are trying to improve public spaces, and the local library is often at the centre of these plans. In one town, the old library building was closed for repairs, so a temporary library was set up in a sports hall. At first, some people were unsure (0) ABOUT the change, but they soon discovered that the new space had several advantages. There was more room for events, and visitors could sit (1) .......... groups to read or study together. The library also offered activities for children, many of (2) .......... had never visited a library before. Parents were pleased because the staff were friendly and always ready to help. As a result, more families began to come regularly, and the number of books borrowed went (3) .......... . The town council is now thinking about whether to keep some of these ideas in the final design, so that the library will appeal (4) .......... people of all ages. If the plan succeeds, it could serve (5) .......... an example for other towns. It shows that even a temporary solution can lead (6) .......... lasting improvements.
About Use of English Open Cloze — Cambridge English B1
In this Cambridge English B1 Use of English Open Cloze exercise you read a short text and think of the one word that best fits each of the 6 gaps.
Open Cloze tests grammar and common fixed expressions — articles, prepositions, pronouns, auxiliary verbs and linking words. Only one word goes in each gap, and it is usually a small grammatical word rather than vocabulary.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many gaps are in this B1 Open Cloze exercise?
There are 6 gaps, and you must write exactly one word in each.
What kind of words go in the gaps?
Usually grammatical words: prepositions, articles, pronouns, auxiliaries, relative pronouns and parts of fixed phrases.
What is the best strategy for Open Cloze?
Read the whole text first for meaning, then look closely at the words around each gap — the answer almost always depends on the immediate grammar.
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What to do
This part consists of a short text with a series of gaps. There are no words from which to choose the answers, candidates have to think of a word which fits the gap correctly.
Errors in punctuation are ignored, although spelling must be correct.
Contractions (e.g. don’t, we’ve, won’t) count as two words. However, can’t is a contraction of cannot, which is one word.
Sometimes, there is more than one correct answer. Cambridge will always account for this and all options will be accepted. However, you should not write more than one answer.
Don't spend time in a word you don't know. Wasting time on this activity might cost you points later in the exam because you won’t have enough time to do other tasks well.
Strategy
- Read the title and the whole text so that you understand what it is about.
- Read the whole sentence in which the gap occurs, to look for clues as to what kind of word you need.
- Check the words before and after each gap and look for grammatical collocations.
- Remember you must write only one word.
- You are never required to write a contraction. If you think the answer is a contraction, it must be wrong, so think again.
- Read the whole text through once you have completed it to make sure you have not missed any connectors, plurals or negatives.