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C2 Proficiency practice questions

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Question 1Reading and Use of English

Part 1 of the Reading and Use of English paper presents a short text with eight gaps and four options per gap. Which principle should guide your choice among the four words?

  1. Select the option that fits the grammatical slot and the surrounding collocational and semantic context. Correct answer.
  2. Choose the most formal-sounding word, since Part 1 always tests formal register.
  3. Pick the option that is a synonym of the others, as distractors are always unrelated words.
  4. Choose the longest option, because the key usually carries the most specific meaning.

Explanation

Part 1 is a multiple-choice cloze testing lexis and collocation, so the key must satisfy both grammar (e.g. preposition, transitivity) and meaning within the immediate co-text. Reading the whole sentence and the sentence before the gap is essential because collocational partners often sit outside the gap itself. Length or formality is irrelevant to the task design.

Question 2Reading and Use of English

In Part 2 (open cloze), a gap follows "She was totally absorbed ___ her work and did not hear the door." Which single word completes the gap?

  1. at
  2. by
  3. with
  4. in Correct answer.

Explanation

The adjective 'absorbed' in the sense of being engrossed takes the preposition 'in': absorbed in something. Part 2 requires exactly one word per gap, so the preposition must be supplied without any other change to the text. The other prepositions do not collocate with 'absorbed' in this meaning.

Question 3Reading and Use of English

Part 3 (word formation) gives a root word in capitals beside a gap. A gap requires a noun meaning 'the state of being unable to read', with the root LITERATE. Which form is correct?

  1. illiterate
  2. illiterately
  3. illiteracy Correct answer.
  4. literacy

Explanation

Part 3 tests derivation: the gap needs a noun, and the negative prefix 'il-' plus the suffix '-acy' produce 'illiteracy', the abstract noun for the condition. The root must be changed in both prefix and suffix to fit the grammatical slot. Spelling changes such as dropping the final 'e' of 'literate' before '-acy' must also be handled.

Question 4Reading and Use of English

Part 4 (key word transformation) requires the second sentence to mean the same as the first, using a given key word unchanged, in three to six words. First sentence: "I regret not applying for the scholarship." Key word: WISH. Which transformation is acceptable?

  1. I wish I applied for the scholarship.
  2. I wish to have applied for the scholarship.
  3. I wish I would apply for the scholarship.
  4. I wish I had applied for the scholarship. Correct answer.

Explanation

Regret about a past non-action is expressed with 'wish' plus the past perfect: wish + subject + had + past participle. This preserves the counterfactual past meaning of 'regret not applying'. The transformation must also stay within the three-to-six-word limit and keep the key word unchanged.

Question 5Reading and Use of English

Part 5 is multiple choice on a long text, with questions testing attitude, implication and detail. Which reading behaviour best supports answering an attitude question?

  1. Count how many times an emotive adjective appears and choose the option with the highest count.
  2. Choose the option that paraphrases the longest quotation from the passage.
  3. Locate the stretches where the writer evaluates or comments, and weigh the cumulative tone across them. Correct answer.
  4. Find the single sentence containing the topic word and match it to an option with the same wording.

Explanation

Attitude questions in Part 5 require synthesising evaluative language across the text rather than spotting a single keyword. Writers often signal stance through hedges, concessive clauses, irony and evaluative adjectives distributed over several paragraphs. Options are typically paraphrases, so literal word-matching is a trap.

Question 6Reading and Use of English

Part 6 (gapped text) asks you to insert removed sentences into a text. Which feature most reliably signals where a removed sentence belongs?

  1. Cohesive links such as pronoun reference, lexical chains and contrastive connectors that tie it to the preceding or following sentence. Correct answer.
  2. The number of commas in the candidate sentence.
  3. Whether the sentence contains a proper noun.
  4. The sentence's length relative to the paragraphs around it.

Explanation

Part 6 is a cohesion test: the correct position is determined by anaphoric pronouns, demonstratives, synonyms and connectors that must refer back or forward across the gap. A sentence beginning 'This reluctance...' needs a preceding noun phrase it can refer to. Structural features such as length or punctuation carry no reliable signal.

Question 7Reading and Use of English

Part 7 (multiple matching) presents several short texts or sections and prompts asking which section mentions a particular idea. What is the most efficient approach under exam timing?

  1. Answer the prompts in the order they are printed, finishing each section before moving on.
  2. Match prompts to sections using identical wording only.
  3. Read every section in full detail before looking at the prompts.
  4. Read the prompts first, paraphrase the key idea in each, then scan the sections for matching content rather than exact words. Correct answer.

Explanation

Part 7 rewards scanning for meaning: prompts are paraphrased in the texts, so you need to hold the idea, not the words, in mind while locating the relevant section. Reading prompts first focuses attention and saves time because each section may answer several prompts. Exact-word matching is precisely what the task avoids.

Question 8Reading and Use of English

Part 1 item: "The committee's decision was met with ___ criticism from staff, few of whom accepted the reasoning." Which option collocates naturally and fits the meaning?

  1. widespread Correct answer.
  2. extensive
  3. wide
  4. broad

Explanation

'Widespread criticism' is the established collocation for criticism affecting many people. 'Broad' and 'wide' collocate with support, range or agreement but not typically with criticism in this sense, and 'extensive' more naturally describes damage, research or coverage. Part 1 tests exactly this kind of collocational preference.

Question 9Reading and Use of English

Part 2 (open cloze): "Had it not ___ for her timely intervention, the project would have collapsed." Which word completes the gap?

  1. was
  2. being
  3. be
  4. been Correct answer.

Explanation

The fixed pattern is 'had it not been for + noun', an inverted conditional meaning 'if it had not been for'. Inversion after a negative fronted element requires the past participle 'been' with the auxiliary 'had'. No other form completes the idiom grammatically.

Question 10Reading and Use of English

Part 3 (word formation): "The research was criticised for its ___ (OBJECT), since the author's funding came from the company under study." Which derived form fits?

  1. objectively
  2. objective
  3. objectivity Correct answer.
  4. objection

Explanation

The gap follows the possessive 'its' and is modified by a clause explaining a lack of impartiality, so a noun meaning impartiality is needed: 'objectivity'. The negative framing ('criticised for its...') signals the absence of the quality. Part 3 routinely requires choosing the right derivative as well as the right suffix.

Question 11Reading and Use of English

Part 4 (key word transformation): "It was only after the meeting that I realised he had lied." Key word: DID. Which second sentence is correct?

  1. Only after the meeting did I realise that he had lied. Correct answer.
  2. Only after the meeting that I did realise he had lied.
  3. Only after the meeting did I realised that he had lied.
  4. Only after the meeting I did realise that he had lied.

Explanation

When a negative or restrictive adverbial such as 'only after...' opens the sentence, subject-auxiliary inversion is obligatory: did + subject + bare infinitive. The main verb therefore stays in the base form after 'did'. The transformation must keep the meaning and use the key word unchanged.

Question 12Reading and Use of English

Part 5 question type: "What does the writer suggest about the volunteers' enthusiasm in the third paragraph?" Which option type is most likely to be the key?

  1. An overgeneralisation extending the writer's point to all volunteers everywhere.
  2. A paraphrase of an implication the writer conveys indirectly through description. Correct answer.
  3. A claim that contradicts the paragraph's general tone.
  4. A statement repeating a phrase that appears verbatim in the paragraph.

Explanation

Part 5 keys paraphrase what the writer implies, often through description rather than explicit statement, so the correct option restates the underlying point in different words. Verbatim echoes are typical distractors because they tempt word-matching without comprehension. Overgeneralisations and contradictions are standard distractor designs.

Question 13Reading and Use of English

Part 6: a removed sentence reads "Such scepticism was not unfounded." Which context most strongly indicates it should be inserted there?

  1. A preceding sentence describing widespread doubt about the findings. Correct answer.
  2. A following sentence giving a detailed statistical table description.
  3. A preceding paragraph about the history of the institution.
  4. A preceding sentence listing the research team's academic qualifications.

Explanation

'Such scepticism' is an anaphoric noun phrase requiring an antecedent expressing doubt or disbelief, so the sentence must follow a description of sceptical reaction. The demonstrative 'such' plus abstract noun is the cohesive hook. Without a matching antecedent, the sentence cannot be placed coherently.

Question 14Reading and Use of English

Part 7: several short texts describe people's experiences of learning an instrument. A prompt asks which person mentions a change of teacher. What should you look for in the sections?

  1. The section with the most words devoted to lessons.
  2. A paraphrase such as a reference to a new instructor or a switch of mentor. Correct answer.
  3. Only the literal phrase 'change of teacher'.
  4. Any mention of a school or classroom.

Explanation

Part 7 prompts are answered by paraphrase, so 'change of teacher' might surface as 'moved to a different tutor' or 'began studying with someone new'. Scanning for the literal phrase will usually fail because the task is designed to test meaning recognition. Length or the presence of a school reference is not evidence.

Question 15Reading and Use of English

Part 1 item: "The new policy was introduced ___ response to mounting public pressure." Which option is correct?

  1. for
  2. in Correct answer.
  3. on
  4. at

Explanation

The fixed phrase is 'in response to', meaning as a reaction to something. Preposition choice in such multi-word expressions is a frequent Part 1 focus. The other prepositions do not form this established phrase.

Question 16Reading and Use of English

Part 2 (open cloze): "The exhibition, ___ attracted record crowds, was extended by a month." Which word completes the gap?

  1. it
  2. which Correct answer.
  3. that
  4. what

Explanation

A non-defining relative clause set off by commas requires 'which' for a thing; 'that' cannot introduce non-defining relatives. The clause adds extra information about the exhibition rather than identifying it. The gap needs a relative pronoun functioning as subject of 'attracted'.

Question 17Reading and Use of English

Part 3 (word formation): "Her ___ (PERSEVERE) eventually won her the respect of the whole department." Which form is required?

  1. perseverance Correct answer.
  2. persevering
  3. perseveringly
  4. perseverant

Explanation

The possessive 'her' requires a noun, and the abstract noun from 'persevere' is 'perseverance'. Part 3 often requires an internal spelling change as well as a suffix, so candidates must know the derived noun rather than apply a default ending. The adjective 'perseverant' exists but does not fit the noun slot.

Question 18Reading and Use of English

Part 4 (key word transformation): "The manager refused to accept any responsibility for the error." Key word: DENIED. Which second sentence is correct?

  1. The manager denied having any responsibility for the error. Correct answer.
  2. The manager denied any responsibility was accepting for the error.
  3. The manager denied to have any responsibility for the error.
  4. The manager denied that he accepts any responsibility for the error.

Explanation

'Deny' is followed by a gerund or a that-clause, not by a to-infinitive, so 'denied having' is correct and preserves the past meaning. The gerund perfect form 'having + past participle' is standard after 'deny' for prior events. The transformation must keep the key word unchanged and stay within the word limit.

Question 19Reading and Use of English

Part 5: a text states that a novelist's later work "has been praised for its restraint, though some critics detect a loss of the energy that animated her early novels." Which option best captures the writer's position?

  1. The early novels are dismissed as immature by most critics.
  2. The later work is admired for its control, but this may reflect a decline in vitality. Correct answer.
  3. Critics agree that the later work lacks any literary merit.
  4. The later work is universally regarded as her finest achievement.

Explanation

The sentence balances praise for restraint against a reported reservation about lost energy, so the writer presents a qualified view. Recognising concessive structures ('though') and reported criticism is central to Part 5. The key must preserve both halves of the contrast rather than flatten it.

Question 20Reading and Use of English

Part 1 item: "The report stops ___ of recommending a complete overhaul of the system." Which option completes the idiom meaning 'almost but not quite'?

  1. brief
  2. close
  3. near
  4. short Correct answer.

Explanation

'Stop short of doing something' is the fixed expression meaning to refrain from going as far as a particular action. It is a common Part 1 idiom because the literal meaning of 'short' is misleading. The other options do not form this expression with 'of + gerund'.

Question 21Reading and Use of English

Part 2 (open cloze): "No sooner ___ the results been published than the controversy began." Which word completes the gap?

  1. has
  2. have
  3. had Correct answer.
  4. were

Explanation

'No sooner... than' requires the past perfect with inversion: no sooner had + subject + past participle. The narrative is set in the past, so 'had' is the only auxiliary that fits both the idiom and the tense. 'Were' cannot combine with 'been published' here.

Question 22Reading and Use of English

Part 6: a removed sentence begins "This, however, was not the view of the majority." Which feature most strongly indicates its placement?

  1. The absence of any proper noun, which marks it as a topic sentence.
  2. The demonstrative 'This' referring to a view just described, plus 'however' signalling contrast with the preceding statement. Correct answer.
  3. The presence of the word 'majority', which must refer to a number mentioned later.
  4. The sentence's shortness, which suits the end of a paragraph.

Explanation

The sentence depends on an antecedent for 'This' and on 'however' to mark a contrast with what precedes, so it must follow a described view that it then counterposes. Cohesive devices of this kind are the primary evidence in Part 6. Neither length nor the absence of proper nouns is a placement signal.

Question 23Reading and Use of English

Part 3 (word formation): "The scheme proved remarkably ___ (ECONOMY) in its use of resources, wasting almost nothing." Which form fits?

  1. economic
  2. economical Correct answer.
  3. economise
  4. economically

Explanation

The gap follows the adverb 'remarkably' and modifies the subject predicatively, so an adjective is needed; 'economical' means thrifty or avoiding waste. 'Economic' relates to the economy as a system and does not mean cost-saving in this personal or operational sense. Part 3 frequently tests this adjective pair.

Question 24Reading and Use of English

Part 4 (key word transformation): "She is unlikely to be persuaded to change her mind." Key word: LITTLE. Which second sentence is correct?

  1. There is little likelihood that she is persuading to change her mind.
  2. There is little likelihood for her being persuade to change her mind.
  3. There is little likelihood of her being persuaded to change her mind. Correct answer.
  4. There is little likelihood of her to be persuaded to change her mind.

Explanation

The noun 'likelihood' is followed by 'of + gerund', and the passive gerund 'being persuaded' preserves the passive meaning of the original. The possessive 'her' before the gerund is standard formal usage. The transformation must use 'little' unchanged and stay within three to six words.

Question 25Reading and Use of English

Part 1 item: "The two accounts of the incident are broadly ___, differing only in minor details." Which option fits both meaning and collocation?

  1. persistent
  2. insistent
  3. consistent Correct answer.
  4. resistant

Explanation

'Consistent' means compatible or in agreement, which is exactly what 'differing only in minor details' signals. The prefixes per-, in- and re- create look-alike adjectives that Part 1 uses as distractors. Only 'consistent' collocates with 'accounts' in the sense of agreeing.

Question 26Reading and Use of English

Part 1 (multiple-choice cloze): "The minister's statement was widely seen as a ___ attempt to deflect attention from the funding scandal." Which option completes the sentence most naturally?

  1. deliberating
  2. deliberation
  3. deliberate Correct answer.
  4. deliberately

Explanation

The gap precedes a noun (attempt) and needs an adjective, so the adjectival form 'deliberate' is required. 'Deliberately' is an adverb and cannot modify a noun, while the -ing and -tion forms are a participle and a noun respectively.

Question 27Reading and Use of English

Part 1 (multiple-choice cloze): "Far from ___ the criticism, the author incorporated it into a revised edition." Which option completes the sentence?

  1. ignore
  2. ignored
  3. ignoring Correct answer.
  4. to ignore

Explanation

The fixed expression 'far from' is a prepositional phrase and must be followed by a gerund (-ing form). The bare infinitive, past participle and to-infinitive do not follow a preposition in this construction.

Question 28Reading and Use of English

Part 2 (open cloze): "Scarcely ___ the plane taken off when the engine warning light came on." Which single word completes the gap?

  1. was
  2. has
  3. did
  4. had Correct answer.

Explanation

With the negative adverbial 'scarcely' in front position, the auxiliary is inverted and the past perfect is used for the earlier of two past events: 'had the plane taken off'. 'Has' is present tense, 'was' cannot take 'taken' as a past participle complement here, and 'did' would need a bare infinitive.

Question 29Reading and Use of English

Part 3 (word formation): "The committee questioned the ___ (LEGITIMATE) of the contract, arguing that proper procedures had been bypassed." Which form is required?

  1. legitimately
  2. legitimate
  3. legitimating
  4. legitimacy Correct answer.

Explanation

The definite article 'the' followed by 'of' requires an abstract noun, which is 'legitimacy'. The adjective, adverb and participle forms cannot occupy the noun slot after 'the'.

Question 30Reading and Use of English

Part 4 (key word transformation): "I have never seen such a convincing performance." Key word: EVER. Which second sentence has the same meaning?

  1. It was the most convincing performance I ever saw.
  2. Such a convincing performance I have never ever seen before now.
  3. Never have I ever seen such a convincing performance. Correct answer.
  4. I have ever never seen such a convincing performance.

Explanation

Fronting the negative adverb 'never' triggers subject-auxiliary inversion: 'Never have I ever seen...'. This preserves the present-perfect meaning of the original. The other options either break word order, change the tense, or produce ungrammatical sequences.

Question 31Reading and Use of English

Part 5 (multiple choice): In a passage, a critic writes that a biography is "scrupulous to the point of suffocation, every anecdote cross-checked until the subject's voice is all but lost." What does the critic imply about the biography?

  1. It succeeds because it privileges anecdote over analysis.
  2. It deliberately distorts evidence to entertain readers.
  3. Its meticulous accuracy comes at the cost of vitality. Correct answer.
  4. Its factual errors undermine an otherwise lively account.

Explanation

'Scrupulous to the point of suffocation' signals that extreme care has become oppressive, and the lost 'voice' indicates diminished liveliness. The critic therefore values accuracy but sees it as excessive and deadening.

Question 32Reading and Use of English

Part 6 (gapped text): A paragraph ends "...and the scheme was quietly shelved." The next paragraph begins "The lessons, however, were not lost on rival firms." Which feature of the second sentence most clearly signals that a removed sentence should precede it?

  1. The contrastive 'however' presupposes a preceding statement it responds to. Correct answer.
  2. The plural noun 'lessons' refers back to an earlier list.
  3. The word 'rival' introduces a new topic that must be defined first.
  4. The passive construction requires an agent in the previous sentence.

Explanation

A contrastive connector like 'however' signals a logical turn from something stated just before it, so the removed sentence likely completed the preceding idea. The other features do not create the same backward dependency that determines placement.

Question 33Reading and Use of English

Part 7 (multiple matching): Four short texts describe people's attitudes to remote work. A question asks which writer values remote work mainly for the autonomy it gives over scheduling. Which detail would you scan for?

  1. A phrase about the quality of home-office equipment
  2. A phrase about the frequency of video meetings
  3. A phrase about the length of the daily commute
  4. A phrase about choosing one's own working hours Correct answer.

Explanation

Multiple matching rewards locating the specific idea named in the prompt. 'Autonomy over scheduling' is signalled by language about setting one's own hours, whereas the other details concern different aspects of remote work.

Question 34Reading and Use of English

Part 1 (multiple-choice cloze): "The findings run ___ to the assumption that early intervention is always beneficial." Which option completes the sentence?

  1. opposed
  2. counter Correct answer.
  3. against
  4. contrary

Explanation

The collocation is 'run counter to', a fixed phrase meaning to contradict. 'Contrary to' exists but does not combine with 'run', and 'against'/'opposed' do not form the established idiom with 'run' in this sense.

Question 35Reading and Use of English

Part 1 (multiple-choice cloze): "The two historians' accounts of the treaty are largely ___, diverging only on the question of motive." Which option fits?

  1. insistent
  2. resistant
  3. consistent Correct answer.
  4. persistent

Explanation

'Consistent' means compatible or in agreement, which fits accounts that diverge only slightly. The other adjectives share a similar sound but carry meanings (persevering, demanding, opposing) that do not describe agreement between accounts.

Question 36Reading and Use of English

Part 2 (open cloze): "___ as it may seem, the proposal was approved without a single objection." Which word completes the gap?

  1. Stranger
  2. Strangeness
  3. Strange Correct answer.
  4. Strangely

Explanation

The concessive pattern 'adjective + as + subject + may/might + verb' uses a bare adjective with inversion: 'Strange as it may seem'. An adverb, noun or comparative does not fit this fixed construction.

Question 37Reading and Use of English

Part 2 (open cloze): "It was not until the final chapter ___ the author reveals the identity of the narrator." Which word completes the gap?

  1. which
  2. when
  3. that Correct answer.
  4. where

Explanation

The cleft structure 'It was not until X that...' requires 'that' to introduce the focused clause. 'When', 'which' and 'where' do not complete this emphatic 'it was...that' frame.

Question 38Reading and Use of English

Part 3 (word formation): "The report was criticised for the ___ (TRANSPARENT) of its methodology, which left key steps unexplained." Which form is required?

  1. transparent
  2. transparency
  3. transparently
  4. opacity Correct answer.

Explanation

The sense required is the opposite of transparency: the methodology was unclear. The negative noun 'opacity' fits both the grammar (noun after 'the' + 'of') and the meaning. The positive noun, adjective and adverb contradict the clause.

Question 39Reading and Use of English

Part 3 (word formation): "Her ___ (CONCEDE) that the experiment might be flawed surprised those who expected her to defend it." Which form is required?

  1. conceding
  2. concession Correct answer.
  3. conceded
  4. concessive

Explanation

After the possessive 'her' and before 'that', a singular noun is needed: 'concession'. The gerund 'conceding' could take 'that' but clashes with the possessive determiner in this frame, and the adjective forms are impossible.

Question 40Reading and Use of English

Part 4 (key word transformation): "He only agreed to sign because he was promised a share of the profits." Key word: HAD. Which second sentence has the same meaning?

  1. He had only agreed to sign because a share of the profits was promised.
  2. Had he been promised a share of the profits, he would not have signed.
  3. He had agreed to sign only because of promising a share of the profits.
  4. Only because he had been promised a share of the profits did he agree to sign. Correct answer.

Explanation

The original says the promise was the sole reason for signing. Fronting 'only because' with inversion ('did he agree') preserves that causal meaning using the required word 'had'. The other options alter the logic or the tense.

Question 41Reading and Use of English

Part 4 (key word transformation): "She resented the fact that her colleagues had not consulted her." Key word: OBJECTED. Which second sentence has the same meaning?

  1. She objected that her colleagues had consulted her.
  2. She objected to her colleagues not consult her.
  3. She objected not to have been consulted by her colleagues.
  4. She objected to not having been consulted by her colleagues. Correct answer.

Explanation

'Object to' takes a gerund, and the perfect gerund 'not having been consulted' correctly places the non-consultation before the resentment. The other options break the verb pattern or invert the meaning.

Question 42Reading and Use of English

Part 5 (multiple choice): A passage describes a scientist who "spent a decade pursuing a hypothesis that her peers regarded as eccentric, and when the results finally came, she was careful to present them as the product of a team effort." Which inference is best supported?

  1. She claimed sole credit for the eventual breakthrough.
  2. She abandoned the hypothesis once her peers criticised it.
  3. She combined persistence with a deliberate modesty about credit. Correct answer.
  4. She was surprised that her peers had ever doubted her.

Explanation

The decade of pursuit shows persistence, and framing results as a team effort shows a deliberate reluctance to claim personal credit. Both details are stated, so the inference follows directly rather than speculatively.

Question 43Reading and Use of English

Part 5 (multiple choice): A reviewer notes that a novel's "experimental structure, which so impressed the jury, will likely deter the very readers the publisher hopes to reach." What is the reviewer's point?

  1. The publisher deliberately chose a structure readers would dislike.
  2. Experimental fiction always sells better than conventional fiction.
  3. The jury was wrong to reward an experimental structure.
  4. Critical acclaim and commercial appeal may pull in opposite directions. Correct answer.

Explanation

The reviewer contrasts the jury's admiration with the likely reaction of ordinary readers, implying a tension between literary praise and popular reach. The reviewer reports the tension rather than judging the jury's decision.

Question 44Reading and Use of English

Part 6 (gapped text): A text reads: "[1] The first trials produced promising results. [2] ___ [3] Critics, however, insisted that the sample was too small to justify such optimism." Which sentence best fits gap [2]?

  1. Nevertheless, the results were inconclusive.
  2. Funding for the project was eventually withdrawn.
  3. Encouraged, the research team sought funding for a larger study. Correct answer.
  4. The methodology had been criticised before.

Explanation

The gap sits between promising results and critics' scepticism, so a sentence showing the team's optimistic response bridges the two. It explains why the team acted and sets up the critics' objection about sample size.

Question 45Reading and Use of English

Part 7 (multiple matching): A section reads: "What I hadn't anticipated was how much the archive would change my sense of the period; documents I had dismissed as dull turned out to be the most revealing." Which question does this section best answer?

  1. Which writer found the archive poorly organised?
  2. Which writer relied mainly on interviews rather than documents?
  3. Which writer was surprised by the value of previously overlooked material? Correct answer.
  4. Which writer doubted the reliability of written records?

Explanation

The writer admits not anticipating the archive's effect and describes dismissed documents as revealing, which matches surprise at overlooked material's value. The other questions concern organisation, method or reliability, none of which the section addresses.

Question 46Reading and Use of English

Part 1 (multiple-choice cloze): "The editor was prepared to go to ___ lengths to secure the interview, even offering to waive the usual fee." Which option completes the idiom?

  1. considering
  2. considered
  3. considerate
  4. considerable Correct answer.

Explanation

The collocation 'go to considerable lengths' means to make great efforts. 'Considerate' means thoughtful of others, 'considering' is a preposition/participle, and 'considered' means deliberate, none of which fits the fixed phrase.

Question 47Reading and Use of English

Part 2 (open cloze): "The proposal was rejected on the ___ that it would set an unwelcome precedent." Which word completes the gap?

  1. reasons
  2. basis
  3. grounds Correct answer.
  4. causes

Explanation

The fixed expression is 'on the grounds that', meaning for the stated reason. 'Basis' would need 'on the basis that' but is far less idiomatic here, while 'reasons' and 'causes' do not follow 'on the' in this pattern.

Question 48Reading and Use of English

Part 3 (word formation): "The scheme proved remarkably ___ (ECONOMY) in its use of resources, wasting almost nothing." Which form is required?

  1. economical Correct answer.
  2. economist
  3. economically
  4. economic

Explanation

The adjective complement after 'proved remarkably' must describe efficient use of resources, which is 'economical'. 'Economic' relates to the economy as a system, the adverb cannot follow 'proved' as a complement here, and 'economist' is a person.

Question 49Reading and Use of English

Part 4 (key word transformation): "It is by no means certain that the merger will proceed." Key word: DOUBT. Which second sentence has the same meaning?

  1. The merger will proceed without any doubt whatsoever.
  2. It is doubtful whether the merger will not proceed.
  3. There is considerable doubt as to whether the merger will proceed. Correct answer.
  4. There is no doubt that the merger will proceed.

Explanation

'By no means certain' means there is real uncertainty, so 'considerable doubt as to whether' captures the meaning. The other options assert confidence or produce a double negative that reverses the sense.

Question 50Reading and Use of English

Part 5 (multiple choice): A passage says of a reformer: "Her admirers credit her with transforming the debate; her detractors concede that she changed its terms, but insist the change was for the worse." What does the writer emphasise?

  1. Her admirers and detractors agree on the value of her contribution.
  2. Her detractors deny that she had any effect on the debate.
  3. The writer concludes that the detractors' view is the correct one.
  4. Both sides agree she altered the debate, though they judge that change differently. Correct answer.

Explanation

Admirers say she transformed the debate and detractors concede she changed its terms, so both accept the impact while disagreeing on whether it was beneficial. The writer reports the positions without endorsing either.