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.
Global Supply Chains
Global supply chains have transformed the way goods are produced and distributed, allowing companies to source materials in one country, manufacture components in another, and sell finished products worldwide. This system has brought clear benefits, such as lower costs and wider consumer choice, but it has also made businesses more vulnerable (0) TO disruption. When one link in the chain fails, the effects can spread rapidly (1) .......... borders, affecting production schedules, prices and availability. Recent events have shown that firms can no longer rely (2) .......... efficiency alone; they must also plan for resilience. This means investing in alternative suppliers, holding greater stock, and understanding exactly where risks may arise. Some experts argue that companies have focused too heavily (3) .......... reducing costs, without considering the long-term consequences of dependence on distant producers. Others point (4) .......... that international networks still offer major advantages, provided they are managed carefully. In response, many organisations are now looking (5) .......... ways to shorten delivery times and improve flexibility. Governments, too, have become more interested (6) .......... securing access to essential goods. The debate is no longer simply (7) .......... globalisation is good or bad, but how supply chains can be made more reliable in a world (8) .......... uncertainty has become the norm.
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.