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.
King Juan Carlos
Juan Carlos I was (0) BORN in Rome in 1938, although he later became one of the most important figures in modern Spanish history. He was the grandson of Alfonso XIII, the king who had left Spain, and he returned to the country in 1948 so that he could be educated there. In 1969, General Franco officially named him as his successor, a decision (1) .......... surprised many people at the time. When Franco died in 1975, Juan Carlos became king and soon showed that he wanted to lead Spain (2) .......... democracy rather than dictatorship. One of the most significant moments of his reign came in 1981, when a group of armed officers tried to take control of parliament. The king appeared on television and spoke firmly to the nation, making (3) .......... clear that he opposed the coup. Many historians believe that his actions prevented the situation (4) .......... becoming even more dangerous. (5) .......... his later years were affected by controversy, Juan Carlos is still remembered by many Spaniards as the man (6) .......... helped guide the country through a difficult transition. In 2014, he abdicated in favour of his son, Felipe VI, who now serves (7) .......... king. Juan Carlos remains a complex figure, admired by some and criticised by others (8) .......... equal measure.
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.