CLOZE TEST 1

The biggest obstacle to learning is boredom. Try to become truly interested in

the subject as it is easier to remember something (1)_______________
fascinates you. A good example for this is the encyclopaedic knowledge most
football fans have about their sport. However, if the book is dry, you will
(2)_______________ to employ extra effort. Ask challenging questions,
understand what the author (3)_______________ written, find points of debate
in the material (4)_______________ that it will start to become more
interesting.

Finding images or pictures to illustrate dull facts is (5)_______________ of the

most successful ways of committing potentially boring knowledge to memory.
(6)________________, taking notes and establishing key words will enable you
to remember better. Work on a maximum of five key words at a time.
(7)_______________ doing these, close your eyes and try to visualise what you
have read or written.

Some people believe (8)_______________ listening to music helps them learn

better. However, there is (9)_______________ much evidence that listening to
any kind of music helps your concentration, relaxes your mind or cuts out
background distraction. One study of 40 law students in the USA revealed that
they remembered information better (10)_______________ they were not
listening to music.

The First Letter System is useful for complicated titles of organisations, short
lists of names or key words that have to (11)_______________ kept in the right
order. Research has shown that as many (12)_______________ one third of
students sitting high-level examinations use this technique.
 CLOZE TEST 2

Forty years ago, people from the north of Europe began to invade the
Mediterranean. For hundreds of years, the population of Europe
(1)_______________ been increasing at an enormous rate. In the fifteenth
century, it stood at approximately fifty million and (2)_______________ the end
of the nineteenth century, it had doubled. Before this population, people
(3)_______________ to earn their living directly from the land or sea. However,
the majority of this expanding population did not follow this and tried different
ways (4)_______________earn money.

In the first years of the twentieth century, most of them remained there.
Transport was (5)_______________slow, difficult and expensive that only the
wealthy (6)_______________ afford to leave the wetter, cloudier parts of
Europe and go down to the sunny shores of the Mediterranean. A few towns
along the coast of Italy and southern France began to build expensive hotels
(7)_______________ visitors could stay but their numbers were still relatively
low.

After (8)_______________ Second World War, the introduction of cheap air

travel, together with greater prosperity for everybody, made a visit to the
Mediterranean possible for the majority of Europeans. And there were now some
490 million of them.

The result was a huge annual migration. In the summer of 1973,

(9)_______________ a detailed survey was carried out, it was estimated that
sixty million people travelled south to the sea. Now, the annual total
(10)_______________ thought to be more than a hundred million. Most of them
come during the short, three month summer season and stay within a
(11)_______________ hundred yards off the coast.
 CLOZE TEST 3

Many stolen paintings have a strange history. However, (1)_______________ of

the strangest was that of a painting by the famous 16th century painter Bruegel,
stolen from the Courtauld Institute in London in the eighties. It
(2)_______________ fallen into the hands of four thieves in London,
(3)_______________ were trying to make a quick profit. (4)_______________
they showed the painting to an art expert, however, they had no idea
(5)_______________ much it was worth. One of them said: “we got this old
man (6)_______________ come in and have a look at the painting. He was
talking about something. (7)_______________, he turned around, saw the
painting and fainted. (8)_______________, I thought it was probably valuable.”

Two months later, the gang phoned (9)_______________ art expert, because
they didn’t believe in the first one. They (10)_______________ also told by him
that the painting was worth 2-3 million. They then tried to sell the painting back
to the gallery from (11)_______________ it had been stolen. The gallery
contacted the police and a meeting with the gang (12)_______________
arranged. The gang asked for the money (13)_______________ be brought in
two suitcases in unmarked banknotes. However, (14)_______________ the
meeting took place, the deal fell through and no money changed hands.

A short time (15)_______________, the four were arrested. The police found
the painting (16)_______________ top of a wardrope. When the gang were told
they were (17)_______________ arrested in connection with the Bruegel, one
of them said: “What’s a Bruegel? I thought it was rubbish!”.
 CLOZE TEST 4

Many people believe that watching television has resulted in lower reading
standards in schools. (1)______________ , the link between television and
printed books is not as simple as that. In many countries, television actually
encourages us (2)______________ read: for example, when a book is turned
into a TV series, (3)______________ sales often go up.

One study of this link examined six-year-old children who (4)______________

viewing a special series of 15-minute programmes at school. The series was
designed to encourage love of books as (5)______________ as to develop the
basic mechanical skills of reading. Each programme was an animated film of a
children’s book. The story was read aloud (6)______________ certain key
phrases from the book appeared on the screen, beneath the picture. Whenever a
word (7)______________ read, it was also highlighted on the TV screen.

One finding was (8)______________ watching these programmes was very

important to the children. (9)______________ something prevented them from
seeing a programme, they were very disappointed. What’s more, they wanted to
read the books (10)______________ the different parts of the series were
based on.

The programmes also gave the children self-confidence. As a

(11)______________ of the familiarity with the stories, they would sit in pairs
and read the stories aloud to (12)______________ other. On one occasion, the
children showed great sympathy (13)______________ discussing a character in
a book because they themselves (14)______________ been moved when
watching the character on television.
 CLOZE TEST 5

Today, there are libraries in almost every town in the world. Even in areas
(1)______________ there are no libraries, there are often mobile libraries which
take books from one village to (2)______________. However, in the days when
books were copied by hand (3)______________ than printed, libraries were
very rare. The reason is simple: books took a very long time
(4)______________ produce, and there were very (5)______________ copies
of any given work around. The greatest library of all, that in Alexandria,
(6)______________ 54,000 books. In the ancient world, this number
(7)______________ considered huge. It was the first time that anyone
(8)______________ ever collected so many books from all around the world
under one roof. There are many theories about (9)______________ these books
were lost. (10)______________ is that the library accidentally burned down.
Another is that one of the rulers of the city ordered the books to
(11)______________ burned. They were taken to various places and it took six
months to burn them. No matter what happened, the collection there was
priceless. (12)______________ of the library’s treasures were lost forever –
only some books were recovered. We cannot even know (13)______________
exactly the library contained.
 CLOZE TEST 6

When it comes to educating tomorrow’s leaders, it (1)______________ be

wrong to assume that there is a formula that can (2)______________ applied to
turn people into great leaders. However, it is possible to prepare youngsters for
leadership (3)______________ teaching them some essential skills. We all have
the potential to lead and, (4)______________ importantly, the ability to
improve our skills. The first step is to let young people look at the great leaders
(5)______________ know about them. They will soon realize that leaders
(6)______________ their own, personal way of leading. On the other hand,
youngsters (7)______________ feel discouraged when they are faced with the
prospect of comparing themselves (8)______________ famous leaders. We
need to give them examples of leadership (9)______________ can be found all
around us.

There are countless opportunities to pick up leadership skills. It is advisable for

them to keep a journal (10)______________ they can record their experiences
as leaders, (11)______________ if they may seem small or unimportant. They
can write down (12)______________ they did well and also how they did them.
This is (13)______________ a waste of time because this journal
(14)______________ be a valuable reference for years.
 CLOZE TEST 7

Five little stars from London, aged between 9 and 11, are (1)______________
prepared for a career as pop stars. They look much the same
(2)______________ other children in the smart uniforms of the London school
(3)______________ they attend. However, when their friends are thinking
(4)______________ homework or what’s for dinner tonight, Jade, Jessica, Fiona
and Carmen are wondering (5)______________ they will be at the top of the
pop music charts. The group has already recorded several songs as
(6)______________ as a pop video and their first single is (7)______________
released next month.

A leading record company decided to create the group and the girls were chosen
on the basis (8)______________ their appearance and singing ability. The
group’s image is not a glamorous one, (9)______________. The company was
keen to point out that the girls are dressed (10)______________ jeans and T-
shirts on the video, just like (11)______________ children of their age and they
certainly do not wear make-up. As the girls are all at stage school, they sing and
dance (12)______________ part of their education and the company is working
closely with the girls’ parents and teachers (13)______________ make sure that
their schoolwork (14)______________ not suffer. The girls, however, will not be
allowed to spend any money (15)______________ they make lots of money. It
will be paid into a special bank account (16)______________ they are older.
 ANSWER KEY
CLOZE TEST 1
1. that / which
2. have / need
3. has
4. so
5. one
6. therefore
7. by
8. that
9. not
10. if
11. be
12. as

CLOZE TEST 2
1. had
2. at / by
3. had / used
4. to
5. so
6. could
7. where
8. the
9. when
10. is
11. few

CLOZE TEST 3
1. one
2. had
3. who / that
4. when
5. how
6. to
7. then
8. therefore
9. another
10. were
11. where
12. was
13. to
14. before / when
15. later
16. on
17. being
CLOZE TEST 4
1. however
2. to
3. the
4. were
5. well
6. and / while / when
7. was
8. that
9. when
10. which / that
11. result
12. each
13. to
14. had

CLOZE TEST 5
1. where
2. another
3. rather
4. to
5. few
6. had
7. was
8. had
9. how
10. one
11. be
12. most
13. what

CLOZE TEST 6
1. would
2. be
3. by
4. more / most
5. to
6. have
7. may / might / can / could
8. with
9. which / that
10. where
11. even
12. what
13. not
14. may / can
CLOZE TEST 7
1. being
2. as
3. which / that
4. when / while
5. when
6. well
7. being
8. of
9. though / however
10. in
11. the / other
12. as
13. to
14. does
15. although
16. until