Use of English - Open Cloze
C1
Cambridge English C1 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.
Urban Beekeeping
Urban beekeeping has grown rapidly in recent years, with hives appearing on rooftops, balconies and in community gardens. What was once regarded (0) AS a rural activity is now seen by many city residents as a practical way to support biodiversity. Bees play a crucial role in pollination, without (1) .......... many plants would struggle to reproduce. In addition, urban areas can sometimes offer a more varied supply of flowers (2) .......... certain farming regions, where large areas of land are given over to a single crop. There are, however, challenges involved. New beekeepers need to learn not only how to care for the insects, but also how to manage hives responsibly so (3) .......... they do not disturb neighbours. In some places, local authorities have introduced rules, (4) .......... means anyone wishing to keep bees must check regulations carefully. Supporters argue that city-based beekeeping helps people reconnect with nature and become more aware (5) .......... seasonal change. Critics, on the other hand, point out that too many managed hives in one area may compete (6) .......... wild pollinators for food. Whether urban beekeeping continues to expand will depend (7) .......... how well cities balance enthusiasm for the practice with concern for the wider environment. What is certain is that it has brought (8) .......... a new discussion about the relationship between urban life and the natural world.
About Use of English Open Cloze — Cambridge English C1
In this Cambridge English C1 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 C1 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.