Use of English PRO

A Small Decision, Big Impact

It’s easy to assume that meaningful change only happens when governments pass laws or companies invest millions. Yet, in everyday life, progress often begins with a single person deciding to do things (0) DIFFERENTLY. A colleague of mine, for instance, grew tired of complaining about waste in the office kitchen and decided to (1) .......... matters into her own hands. She didn’t lecture anyone; she simply labelled the bins clearly and left a short note explaining what went where. At first, people were sceptical and a few even (2) .......... fun at the idea. But she stuck with it, and within a week the amount of rubbish in the general bin had (3) .......... noticeably. What surprised me most was how quickly others began to (4) .......... in. Someone brought in a box for used batteries; another person offered to organise a monthly clothes swap. Of course, not every initiative runs smoothly. There were moments when the system (5) .......... down—usually when the kitchen got busy and nobody wanted to think. Still, the overall trend was positive, and it made me realise that habits are easier to change when the effort feels (6) .......... rather than imposed. Looking back, the lesson is simple: if you want people to act, you need to make the right choice the (7) .......... of least resistance. Once that happens, good behaviour can (8) .......... on its own.

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

  1. Read the title and the whole text quickly to understand its general meaning before you attempt the task.
  2. Check the words before and after the gap.
  3. Choose the best option.
  4. When you have finished, read the text again with the words inserted to check that it makes sense.