Use of English PRO

Public Art in Cities

Public art has become (0) AN important part of life in many cities. Murals, sculptures and installations can do more (1) .......... simply decorate streets; they can shape the identity of a place and encourage people to think about the area they live (2) .......... . In some neighbourhoods, artworks have even helped bring communities together by giving residents something to feel proud (3) .......... . Supporters argue that public art should be available (4) .......... everyone, not just those who visit galleries or museums. They also point out that it can attract tourists and improve neglected spaces. However, not everyone agrees (5) .......... how money should be spent, especially when cities face more urgent problems. Even so, many local councils believe that investment in art is worthwhile, provided it is planned carefully and created (6) .......... local people in mind. When artists work closely with communities, the results are often more meaningful and are less likely to be seen (7) .......... something imposed from above. In the end, the success of public art depends (8) .......... whether it reflects the people and stories of the city itself.

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

  1. Read the title and the whole text so that you understand what it is about.
  2. Read the whole sentence in which the gap occurs, to look for clues as to what kind of word you need.
  3. Check the words before and after each gap and look for grammatical collocations.
  4. Remember you must write only one word.
  5. You are never required to write a contraction. If you think the answer is a contraction, it must be wrong, so think again.
  6. Read the whole text through once you have completed it to make sure you have not missed any connectors, plurals or negatives.