Use of English - Open Cloze
B2
Cambridge English B2 Exam
For questions 1-8, 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 Gardens
Many people think of gardens as something found only in the countryside, but urban gardening has become (0) MORE popular in recent years. In many cities, local residents have turned empty spaces into shared gardens, (1) .......... they grow vegetables, flowers and even small fruit trees. These projects are often started by people who want to improve their neighbourhoods and bring communities closer together. One reason for their success is that they do not depend (2) .......... expert knowledge. Even beginners can take part, provided they are willing to learn (3) .......... others. In addition, working in a garden can be relaxing, which is why many people see it (4) .......... a way to reduce stress. Some schools have also created gardens so that children can learn where food comes (5) .......... and how nature changes through the seasons. (6) .......... urban gardening may seem like a small activity, its effects can be significant. It can improve the appearance of an area, encourage healthier eating and even provide habitats for insects and birds. For this reason, many towns are now investing (7) .......... community gardening projects, hoping that they will continue to grow and have a positive effect (8) .......... local life.
About Use of English Open Cloze — Cambridge English B2
In this Cambridge English B2 Use of English Open Cloze exercise you read a short text and think of the one word that best fits each of the 8 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 B2 Open Cloze exercise?
There are 8 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.