OPEN CLOZE TEST REVIEW:

Inspiration
I have had what, I think, is the most extraordinary day of my life. While the events are (1)______ clear in
my mind, I wish to write them down. Let me introduce (2)______.
My name is Lawrence Terrel. I am 35 years old, and in perfect health, I have never been ill in my life, not
(3)______ for a day. I am an artist. I am (4)______ very successful, but I earn enough money to
(5)______ care of my needs. My only near relative, a sister, passed (6)______ three years ago, so I have
no family.
I ate breakfast this morning at eight. After I (7)______ read the morning paper, I smoked my pipe and let
my mind wander. I hoped I would think of (8)______ to draw. The room was very hot, even (9)______
the door and window were open. I had decided to go to the public swimming (10)______ when an idea
for a drawing came to me.
I began to (11)______. I was so interested in my work that I forgot to eat lunch. I did not stop until the
clock struck five. I looked at what I had done. For a hurried picture, I felt it was the best thing I had
(12)______ drawn.

Holidays with friends

I always used to go to Porchester (1)______ my summer holidays. It is a quiet little town, full of old and

interesting buildings. Very (2)______visitors ever go there, so there are no crowds. I enjoyed its sleepy

atmosphere. I work in a big city, so a holiday in Porchester was a complete change (3)______ my usual

life. Besides, I found (4)______ about the history of the place. I wanted to learn how life used to be in

Porchester – the stories of (5)______ people and buildings.

I made notes on (6)______ these things (7)______ my holidays and I soon knew (8)______ about the
history of Porchester than most of the people (9)______ lived there.

I am not a rich man and I cannot afford to stay in hotels. (10)______ Jack Thompson heard that I wanted

to spend my holidays in Porchester again all these years later, he invited me to stay with (11)______.
Jack and I were in the Army (12)___
Teenage Deejay Contest
Dear Teenager,
Have you ever (1)________ to be a deejay? Now, here's the chance to make your dream (2)________
true! Superhits Radio Station will be organizing a 'Teenage Deejay Contest 2002'. Here is how the
contest works: every week, we will select two promising teenagers to co-host our one hour radio
(3)________ 'The Spice of Life'. At the end of ten weeks, our judges will select three teenagers who have
performed the best and they will be (4)________ the winners.
Attractive prizes will be given away. All participants will (5)________ ten albums and a beautiful
souvenir T-shirt each. In (6)________, our top three winners will get gift vouchers of two hundred to five
hundred dollars. They may even get the opportunities to host other shows at our station in the future.
You do not need (7)________ experience at all. We will (8)________ you with all the training you need.
Our criteria are that you must be articulate and enthusiastic. You should also have a deep love for music.
If you think you (9)________ the bill, do call us at 333444 today to register your name. We will require
you to go for a voice audition first. So if you want to be on the air, don't (10)________ this opportunity
of a lifetime!
Alex Brook
You should never believe that you are too young to (1)________ a difference. (2)________, as an
example, a 14-year-old school student from Pittsburgh in the USA, Alex Brook. Alex was a little more
environmentally aware than his peers. He certainly showed initiative, persistence and innovation in his
approach to reducing waste. His school, like most, produce huge (3)________ of worksheets, fliers and
letters home to parents. Of course, many people complained (4)________ the amount of paper that was
being used, but Alex went one (5)________ further. He wondered (6)________ switching fonts would
make an impact on the amount of ink used by the school, and he (7)________ out to discover which font
was the most eco-friendly.
He looked at the 5 most commonly used characters in English, enlarged them, printed them onto card
and cut them (8)________. He did this in 4 of the common computer fonts (Garamond, Times New
Roman, Century Gothic and Comic Sans). Weighing the size of each letter, he calculated that his school
could reduce its ink consumption by 24% – simply by switching to the thinner letters of Garamond. He
claimed that this would represent a saving of an incredible $21,000 (9)________ annum.
After further thought, Alex made more ambitious claims, estimating that a similar switch could save the
US Federal Government $136 million. His ideas grabbed the (10)________, although further analysis
undermined his bold claims. Many pointed (11)________ that switching to paperless communication
would save both ink and paper. However, his ideas certainly succeeded in focusing attention
(12)________ one small change in the font use: an impressive feat for a teenager.___ during the war

and we were good friends.

The Submarine
Special boats designed to dive and operate beneath the surface of the sea, submarines were first
devised in 1620 and hand-operated (1)________ were invented in the 1770s. By the 1870s, a steam-
operated submarine in use which had a fire to heat water to (2)________steam but when it dived, the
chimney had to be pulled down and the fire put out. In the twentieth century, submarines were
developed and used during (3)________ World Wars by the opposing naval forces. They were
(4)________ by petrol-driven engines while on the surface but operated on batteries beneath the sea,
and today diesel is used in modern submarines of this (5)________. All submarines operate on a similar
principle, as (6)________ as diving and rising to the surface is concerned. They have hollow ballast tanks
beneath the outer ‘skin’ which are filled with air when the craft is on the surface. In (7)________ to dive,
valves are (8)________ and water enters the tank driving out the air, so the submarine becomes heavier
and (9)________. To return to the surface, compressed air is pumped into the tanks, with the valves
open so that the water is forced out. (10)________, the submarine becomes lighter again and rises to
the surface with wing-like hydroplanes providing control as it dives and rises.

Wasted Potential
One day it will seem strange (1)________ retrospect, that we spent much more thought and effort on

developing human ability than making good (2)________ of it, once we had it. There are innumerable

examples. We (3)________ in casual conversation and occasionally they catch a journalist’s attention.

Doctors provide a good source of complaints: they (4)________ to undergo a particularly protracted and

detailed training and, at the end of it, many of them spend a substantial part of their (5)________ day in

relatively routine or clerical operations. Has anyone ever considered how much money could be saved

by splitting (6)________ these two aspects of a GP’s job? Nurses have recently reiterated their age-old

complaint that their scarce and skilled womanpower is frittered (7)________ in quite unskilled work.

The educational work is (8)________ of examples of highly paid specialists typing their own letters with

two (9)________. We promote top research academics to headships of departments and give them

inadequate support services. Even in business, the provision of secretarial help tends to go by seniority
and not by the (10)________ of routine work that has to be done.
French fries
You probably think that French fries is a legacy of France. However, this is not (1)______. In
fact, this delicious snack originates (2)______ Belgium. One day, a cook in Belgium was
preparing a stew (3)______ his employer’s guests. He chopped (4)______ several potatoes into
small slices to be thrown into the stew. However, (5)______ he was transferring the potato
slices to the pot, he accidentally dropped them into the frying pan. The cook stared at the
potatoes (6)______ dismay. He had no more potatoes (7)______ in his kitchen and he did not
know what to (8)______ his guests. While the cook stood wondering what to do (9)______, the
aroma of fried potatoes enveloped the kitchen. The cook eyed the sizzling potatoes (10)______
curiosity. He took a slice and tasted (11)______. He realized it was delicious. His guests also
(12)______ this dish delicious. When his guests (13)______ him for the name of the dish, he
told them it was “Pommes fries”, which (14)______ “fried potatoes” in French. From then
(15)______, people began ordering potatoes the French way. These potatoes eventually came
to be known (16)______ “French fries”.
Yawning
Why do people yawn?
No one seems to know the exact (1)______. Some people believe that we yawn (2)______ we
do not have enough oxygen in our bodies. In (3)______ words, we yawn to breathe in
(4)______ oxygen. People also believe that yawning is associated (5)______ boredom. For
example, (6)______ a monotonous and dull lesson, you may feel bored (7)______ death. At
that time, you are (8)______ to yawn very often.
Yawning can also (9)______ contagious. Have you ever had the experience of a long wait at the
doctor’s clinic? During the wait, some may give a long, tired yawn. When this (10)______, other
people in the room may start to yawn too.
A psychologist, Dr Mike, did some research (11)______ yawning. In one of (12)______
experiments, Dr Mike asked his subjects to record down the times of the day (13)______ they
yawn. He discovered that yawning is most common during two times of the day – the hour
before sleep (14)______ the hour after waking. He concluded that yawning is related
(15)______ stretching. People tend to yawn when they stretch themselves.
Dr Mike also (16)______ several other interesting findings. (17)______ of these findings is that
people who read about yawning would start yawning. In fact, according to him, people
(18)______ think of yawning would start yawning.
Challenges of Left-Handedness
About one (1)_________ of ten people is left-handed. As the (2)_________ of the population is
right-handed, the left-handed person may face problems in (3)_________ his everyday
activities. For example, the left-handed person may have difficulties using objects that are made
for right-handed people. These objects include can-openers, scissors and certain musical
instruments. Why are some people left-handed ? One theory for this is that our body is
'asymmetrical'. This (4)_________ that both halves of our bodies are not (5)_________ the
same. For example, your right foot may be slightly larger than your left one. Your right hand
may be different in appearance from your left. This kind of 'asymmetry' takes (6)_________
throughout the entire body. When it comes to the brain, there is a left half and a right half as
well. These (7)_________ halves have very different functions. The left half of the brain deals
with logical functions such as reading and writing. The right half, on the other (8)_________,
helps us to think creatively. For people who are right-handed, it is the left side of the brain that
predominates. For left-handed people, however, the reverse is (9)_________. For them, it is the
right side of the brain that is dominant. Thus, such people would tend to use the left side of
their bodies in (10)_________ they do.
Understanding PPPD
According to a study by the American Journal of Men’s Health, 13.3 percent of expectant
fathers experience elevated (1)_________ of depressive symptoms during their partner’s third
trimester of pregnancy. As for the postpartum period, estimates of the number of men
experiencing PPPD in the first two months after birth (2)_________ from 4 to 25 percent.
Symptoms of PPPD are not (3)_________ those of maternal postpartum depression, which also
include frustration or irritability; becoming stressed easily; feeling discouraged; fatigue; lack of
motivation; isolation (4)_________ family and friends. “However, men and women may
experience their depressive symptoms (5)_________ in terms of manifestation,” says Sheehan
Fisher, PhD, perinatal clinical psychologist and assistant professor in the department of
psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University. “There’s research (6)_________
the concept of ‘masculine depression’ that suggests men may report and engage in
externalizing behaviors, such as aggression, hypersexuality, and substance use in (7)_________
to depression,” he says. Experts claim the treatments for PPPD may be diverse, but they include
psychotherapy and prescribing an antidepressant (8)_________ SSRI. It is also emphasized that
diet, exercise, and meditation can (9)_________ an important role in alleviating symptoms of
depression. The first step is recognizing that mental illness doesn’t discriminate. Anyone can be
affected by depression, (10)_________ dads.12: Students are required to ____________ simple
experiments. TAKE
The Millennial Generation and Their Digital Legacy
They are the generation born approximately between 1980 and 2000. What (1)_________ them
from their parents (known as Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, and Generation X,
born between (2)_________ 1960s and 1980s) is that they have been (3)_________ up
surrounded by digital technology and mass (4)_________. Not only are they (5)_________ with
apps, IPhones and social networking, but many of them have been responsible for bringing
(6)_________ the communications revolution. (7)_________ successful young entrepreneurs,
like Mark Zuckerberg, they have not been afraid to aim (8)_________ in their quest to realize
their ambitions. Along the way these entrepreneurs have accrued riches beyond their wildest
(9)_________. Well-educated and industrious, they see no limits to what they can do and trust
(10)_________ technology to get them there.
The Role of Journalists in News Gathering
Journalists gather the news in a number of different (1)_________. They may get stories from
pressure (2)_________ which want to air their views in public. They seek publicity
(3)_________ their opinions and may hold press (4)_________ or may issue a press release. A
person who especially wishes to attract news (5)_________will try to (6)_________ a sound
bite in what they say. It is particularly hard for journalists to get material (7)_________ the silly
season. Journalists also get stories by tapping useful sources (8)_________ by monitoring
international news (9)_________ like Reuters. The more important a story is, the more
(10)_________
The Evolution of Skateboarding
The development of the sport of skateboarding can be (1)__________ back to the early 1890s,
when children in California used wooden boards to ‘surf’ the streets. During the 1950s, the
(2)__________ of the sport increased and manufacturers began producing the first factory-
made boards. By the 1960s, the sport had (3)__________ an impressive following, not just in
the USA, but (4)__________.
However, by 1965, (5)__________ about safety resulted in regulations being (6)__________ to
ban skateboarding in most public places in the USA. This effectively killed the sport there for
the next decade. Companies that had been making a (7)__________ selling skateboards
suddenly faced huge losses and many (8)__________ out of business. Over the next eight years
a few enthusiasts continued practising the sport but, although they tried hard to raise its
profile, they were (9)__________ in their efforts.
Then in 1973, some technological breakthroughs revolutionised the sport. The invention of new
materials (10)__________ that manufacturers (11)__________ strengthen the boards but at
the same time make them lighter and more manoeuvrable. Such improvements also made the
boards (12)__________ dangerous and pressure from an increasing number of users
(13)__________ to the installation of special skateboarding parks. Despite the various
(14)__________ it has suffered over the years, the sport is now stronger than (15)__________.
Year-Round Schooling
Many educators believe that it is better for students to (1)__________ school all year round
than to have a long summer vacation. Ideally, the summer can (2)__________ every bit as
productive as the time spent in a classroom. The vacation should be a carefree time, spent
outdoors or with family but, (3)__________ that most parents work, it is all too often the case
that children are left unsupervised. All students forget a certain amount of (4)__________ they
have learned so teachers are obliged to spend time at the beginning of the year reviewing parts
of the curriculum from the (5)__________ grade. Studies have shown that children from low-
income families fall (6)__________ behind during the summer than children from wealthier
backgrounds. One study found that while middle-class children slightly improved their reading
skills over the summer months, their (7)__________ from low-income families lost more than
two months in reading achievement.
In order to (8)__________ the problem, some school districts have adopted a year-round
schedule with a series of shorter breaks (9)__________ of a three-month summer vacation. A
national study (10)__________ out by the Ohio State University found, however, that year-
round schools had no significant impact (11)__________ how much children learn. They found
that children learned about as (13)__________ in year-round schools as they did in schools
using a nine-month calendar. And while poorer students at the beginning suffer ‘learning loss’
during the summer months, those at the year-round schools also did (13)__________ during
the shorter breaks. The author of the (14)__________ suggested that poor children
(15)__________ to attend more days of school, otherwise they will fall behind.
The Disappearing Darkness
Astronomers rate the darkness of our skies on a (1)__________ of 9 (brightest) to 1 (darkest).
Most of us spend our lives in the radiance of levels 5 through 8, only rarely venturing into areas
ranked 3 or darker. Because of the rapid growth of (2)__________ pollution over recent
decades, most Americans under 40 have never known real darkness. All over the globe our
nights are growing brighter, and almost (3)__________ are they growing darker. We are just
beginning to learn the true cost of all this light. Studies increasingly (4)__________ our overuse
of light at night with (5)__________ concerns such as sleep disorders, diabetes, obesity, and
cancer. (6)__________ studies report the damaging ecological consequences, the tremendous
waste of energy, and even the decrease (7)__________ safety and security. (8)________, the
steady loss of darkness from our lives is (9)_______ easily measured, for like the similarly
endangered qualities of solitude and quiet, the true value of darkness is barely (10)______ of.
The Evolution of News
The newspaper industry began to (1)__________ during the twentieth century as new
technologies emerged. Newspaper circulation dropped as radio and television broadcast news
(2)__________ directly into homes, providing instantaneous reports (3)__________ the latest
events. (4)__________ the 1990s, the Internet has become an increasingly important
(5)__________ of news. Thousands of Web sites offer news today, ranging from official
government sites, to professional news organizations, to aimless, discursive blogs. Internet
access, social (6)__________, and mobile devices enable people all over the world to capture
photographs and video of events and publish them online for a global (7)__________. Some
critics claim that the Internet (8)__________ pernicious effects on the news industry, eroding
standards of journalism and spreading rumours and opinions (9)__________ of facts. Others
applaud the Internet’s contribution to the industry and to democratic debate. While the
argument rages on, perceptive audiences learn to (10)_________ fact from fiction, and the
steady churn of technology prepares the way for the future course of the evolution of the news
The Lost City of Stone
Deep in the deserts of Jordan (1)_______ an ancient city. Through a narrow gorge, it emerges
into view, revealing awe-inspiring monuments cut into the surrounding cliffs. What is this
astonishing city? Who built it, and why?
Ruined cities in remote places have always fascinated the human imagination. Petra drew the
attention of early 19th century European travelers through the remarkable published accounts
of a Swiss explorer (2)_______ Burckhardt. The city was unmarked on modern (3)_______ and
had not been seen by outsiders for more than 500 years. Early visitors arrived on camels’ backs
and on foot to marvel (4)_______ Petra's grandeur.
Two thousand years ago, Petra stood at a crossroads of the ancient Near East. Petra began as a
gathering (5)_______ for Nabataean traders carrying incense, spice and perfume along two
major ancient caravan routes. Commercial traffic to and from Petra steadily increased from the
first century B.C. to the mid-first century A.D. to keep (6)_______ with the growing demand for
luxury goods in Rome, Greece and Egypt. (7)_______ this time, the city became a bustling hub
of international commerce and culture. The Nabataeans also developed the technology to
harness natural springs in (8)_______ to grow fertile crops and lush gardens.
Petra was an important stop for travelers on their journey. The Nabataeans (9)_______ shelter
and water – for a fee – and foreign traders also paid toll and customs taxes in (10)_______ for
safe passages. This money (11)_______ finance the Nabataeans' commercial empire,
(12)_______ these former nomads to create a spectacular capital city.
The Nabataeans also erected monumental tombs, memorializing their kings and leaders. But
(13)_______ time, things changed. Eventually, the city (14)_______ silent, forgotten by the
outside world.
Understanding Metathesis in Linguistics and Spoonerisms
In linguistics, metathesis (1)_______ to the reversal of phonemes in a word. This can come
about by accident, as in the common mispronunciation “aks” (2)_______ ask or the common
(and correct) pronunciation of iron as “i-orn.” It may come about on (3)_______, as in various
language games.
The Reverend Archibald Spooner, an Oxford dean, was (4)_______ for his unintentional
transpositions and gave his (5)_______ to the particular metathesis he represented:
spoonerisms. Most famous spoonerisms once (6)_______ to Spooner are now believed to be
apocryphal, but they are (7)_______ amusing; for (8)_______, his supposed advice to a
substandard student: “You have deliberately tasted two worms and will leave Oxford by the
next town drain.” Spoonerisms are funny when the metathesis involved changes one word into
(9)_______, and they seem
Bribery
Bribery seems to be more prevalent (1)_______ days. Perhaps (2)_______ of the problem is
that it can be easily confused with offering rewards or inducements. Rewards are undoubtedly
positive; for example, a bonus (3)_______ at work is par for the course almost everywhere.
However, it is not (4)_______ true for other inducements. The offer of incentives by
construction companies to those who make decisions when (5)_______ for a contract to build
something is virtually unacceptable. The submission of an inducement to a policeman so that
he would overlook your minor traffic (6)_______ should not be considered positively either,
though it might help add to his rather meagre (7)_______. Though often connoted (8)_______,
the word ‘bribe’ can sometimes be looked on favorably. For example, in Poland, parents seem
to (9)_______ the dilemma of offering their offspring some bribe to encourage them to strive
for better results at school. They may reap some (10)_______ in the short (11)_______, but is it
really a good thing? Perhaps it may require some deeper (12)_______.
The Impact of Technology
We live surrounded by objects and systems that we (1)_______ for granted, and which
profoundly change the (2)_______ we behave, think, work, play and at large (3)_______ our
lives. Look, for example, at the place in which you are reading this now, and see how much of
(4)_______ surrounds you is understandable, how much of it you could either build yourself or
repair if it (5)_______ cease to function. When we start the car or (6)_______ the button in the
elevator, or buy food in the supermarket, we (7)_______ no thought to the complex devices or
systems that make the car move, or the elevator rise, or the food appear on the shelves. By this
century we have become increasingly reliant on the products of technology. They have already
changed our lives: at the simplest level, the availability of transport (8)_______ us physically
less fit than our ancestors. Many people are alive only because they have been given
(9)_______ to diseases through drugs. The vast (10)_______ of the world’s population relies on
the ability of technology to provide and transport food. We are unable to feed or clothe or keep
ourselves warm without technology. to lend themselves particularly (10)_______ to off-color
jokes.
Habitat Loss in Amazon Rainforest
A(n) (1)_________ of widespread habitat loss has arisen in the Amazon rainforest, primarily due to
unchecked agricultural expansion and illegal logging. Local indigenous communities, who were
(2)_________ the impression that government protections would safeguard their ancestral lands, are
now being subjected (3)_________ displacement and resource scarcity. Critical medicinal plants used in
traditional healing practices are in (4)_________ supply, making it difficult for these communities to
(5)_________ abreast of their healthcare needs (6)_________ the limits of their traditional methods.
In the (7)_________ place, these problems could have been avoided had stricter enforcement measures
been (8)_________ about by regional authorities. As environmental organizations struggle to
(9)_________ the expectations of both conservation goals and local community needs, innovative
solutions combining traditional knowledge with modern conservation techniques may offer a path
(10)_________. However, time is of the essence as degradation continues at an unprecedented rate.
The Pressure on Young Professionals
The pressure on young professionals has (1)_________ been so intense, with many feeling they need to
(2)_________ out a loan just to maintain a lifestyle they're infatuated (3)_________ on social media.
Sarah was made (4)_________ from her marketing job last month, but instead of letting it defeat her,
she decided to have a(n) (5)_________ at starting her own consulting business. Her former colleagues
warned her not to spread herself too (6)_________, saying she might make a fool of (7)_________ if she
tried to serve too many clients at once.
Her response to the skeptics was simple – if you don't (8)_________ in the effort, don't bother showing
up at all. It's a good message to get (9)_________ to anyone facing similar challenges in their career.
Through careful planning and dedicated work, Sarah has proven that setbacks can become opportunities
for (10)_________ willing to embrace change and bet on themselves.
THE END