Use of English PRO

Digital Medicine

Technology now plays (0) AN increasingly central role in healthcare, from remote consultations to AI-assisted diagnosis. What was once seen as a useful addition to medical practice has, in many settings, developed (1) .......... an essential part of it. Hospitals rely on digital records, which allow staff to access patient information quickly and reduce the risk of errors caused (2) .......... illegible handwriting or missing files. At the same time, wearable devices can monitor heart rate, sleep patterns and activity levels, making it easier for doctors to identify problems before they develop (3) .......... something more serious. There are, however, concerns. Some critics argue that an overreliance on technology may come (4) .......... the expense of human judgement and face-to-face care. Others point out that not all patients are equally comfortable (5) .......... using apps or online systems, particularly older people or those with limited internet access. Even so, few would deny that technology has brought (6) .......... major improvements in efficiency and communication. The challenge now lies (7) .......... finding the right balance: using digital tools to support professionals rather than replace them, and ensuring that innovation benefits everyone, regardless (8) .......... age, income or location.

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

  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.