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.
Digital Change
For many older adults, the pace of technological change can seem faster than at any previous point in their lives. Devices and services that were once optional have now become central (0) TO everyday communication, banking and even healthcare. As a result, many people find themselves expected to adapt quickly, regardless (1) .......... whether they feel prepared to do so. One difficulty lies in the fact (2) .......... digital systems are often designed by younger users and developers, who may underestimate how unfamiliar certain conventions appear to those who did not grow up with them. Tasks such as setting (3) .......... an online account or verifying identity through an app may seem straightforward to some, but they can be deeply frustrating to others. This is not to suggest that older generations are incapable (4) .......... learning new skills. On the contrary, many are perfectly willing to engage with technology, provided they are given support and enough time. What matters most is that training should be adapted (5) .......... their needs rather than imposed in a rushed or dismissive way. If this does not happen, people may withdraw from services on (6) .......... they increasingly depend. The consequence is not merely inconvenience but a growing sense of exclusion, (7) .......... can affect confidence and independence alike. In that respect, technological progress should be judged not only by what it makes possible, but also by whom it leaves (8) .......... .
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.