Use of English - Multiple Choice
C1
Cambridge English C1 Exam
For questions 1-8, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. Click the gaps to type your answer.
Design Thinking
In recent years, design thinking has gained a strong (0) REPUTATION as a practical approach to problem-solving in business, education and public services. Rather than jumping straight to solutions, it encourages people to begin by building a deep (1) .......... of the users they are trying to help. This human-centred method can be especially useful when organisations are faced (2) .......... complex challenges that do not respond well to conventional planning. A key strength of design thinking lies in its willingness to test ideas early. Teams are encouraged to produce rough models, gather feedback and (3) .......... improvements before too much time or money has been invested. This reduces the risk of becoming too (4) .......... to a single solution simply because a great deal of effort has already gone into it. Another advantage is that the process often brings together people from different backgrounds, allowing a wider range of perspectives to be taken (5) .......... account. As a result, solutions are more likely to deal (6) .......... the real causes of a problem rather than its most obvious symptoms. For all its benefits, however, design thinking is not a magic formula. It works best when it is applied thoughtfully and when leaders are prepared to (7) .......... up some control in order to let experimentation take place. Used well, it can (8) .......... to more creative, effective and lasting outcomes.
About Use of English Multiple Choice — Cambridge English C1
This is a Cambridge English C1 Use of English Multiple Choice exercise. Read the text and decide which word — A, B, C or D — best fits each of the 8 gaps.
Multiple Choice questions test your vocabulary in context: collocations, phrasal verbs, linking words and words with similar but slightly different meanings. Practising C1 exercises like this builds the instinct to choose the right option quickly in the real exam.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many questions does this C1 Multiple Choice exercise have?
It has 8 gaps, and each gap gives you four options (A–D) to choose from.
What does Cambridge Use of English Multiple Choice test?
It focuses on vocabulary in context — collocations, phrasal verbs, fixed phrases and words that look similar but are not interchangeable.
How can I get better at Multiple Choice?
Read widely, learn words together with the words they combine with, and always read the whole sentence — including the words after the gap — before choosing your answer.
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What to do
In this part, you read a text with eight gaps and choose the best word from four options to fit each gap.
Nothing prepares you for this test better than reading.
Read a lot. Candidates who often read in English (for work, for fun) find this part of the test manageable, while those who never read tend to find it very hard.
If you are 100% sure that two of the 4 choices are completely identical, then neither can be the answer. There is always only one word that fits grammatically and has the right meaning.
Usually the correct option will be part of a fixed phrase or collocation, a phrasal verb, a connector or the only word that fits grammatically in the gap.
Strategy
- Read the title and the whole text quickly to understand its general meaning before you attempt the task.
- Check the words before and after the gap.
- Choose the best option.
- When you have finished, read the text again with the words inserted to check that it makes sense.