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.
Leading by Example
Good leadership is often discussed in terms of vision, confidence and decision-making, but accountability is just (0) AS important. A leader who accepts responsibility (1) .......... both success and failure creates a culture in which others are more willing to do the same. This matters because teams quickly notice whether standards apply to everyone or only to those lower down. When mistakes are made, accountable leaders do not hide (2) .......... excuses or blame. Instead, they explain what went wrong, what has been learned, and how similar problems can be prevented (3) .......... the future. In doing so, they show that authority is not something to be used merely (4) .......... protecting one’s image, but for building trust. Employees are far more likely to remain committed if they believe their manager acts (5) .......... honesty and fairness. Accountability also helps organisations improve, since it encourages people to reflect (6) .......... their decisions rather than ignore uncomfortable results. In the long run, leadership depends not only on inspiring others, but also on being willing to answer (7) .......... difficult questions. Without that, even the most talented leader may struggle to hold a team together and guide it (8) .......... lasting success.
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.