The multiple choice cloze
How to do multiple-choice gap-fill exercises
To do this kind of exercise well, you should first read the whole text quickly to understand the general idea. Don’t try to fill the gaps yet—just focus on the meaning.
Then, look at each gap one by one. Read the sentence carefully and think about what kind of word is missing (for example, a preposition, a verb, or a fixed expression). Try to guess the answer before looking at the options.
Next, check the options and choose the one that best fits both the meaning and the grammar of the sentence. Pay special attention to common collocations (words that often go together), such as “cope with” or “aware of”.
Finally, read the whole text again with your answers to make sure everything sounds natural and correct.
Exercise
Why learning a musical instrument is beneficial
Many people believe that playing an instrument is just a hobby, but in fact it offers a (1)…………… range of advantages. When learning music, students must cope (2)…………… reading notes, understanding rhythm, and practising regularly. At first, they may (3)…………… difficulties, but persistence is key. Some might think there is (4)…………… value in spending so much time practising, especially if they do not plan to become professional musicians. If this is the (5)……………, why do so many teachers recommend learning an instrument (6)…………… from focusing only on academic subjects?
The answer is that they are (7)…………… of the positive effects music can have. It doesn’t just help students (8)…………… from stress and relax after a long day. It also improves concentration and discipline. Furthermore, music (9)…………… students to express emotions in ways words cannot.
1 A vast B wide C far D high
2 A for B on C by D with
3 A come up B come across C come about D come over
4 A little B slight C minimal D hardly
5 A issue B matter C case D point
6 A except B apart C other D beside
7 A aware B wise C familiar D sensitive
8 A depart B miss C escape D break
9 A lets B authorises C makes D enable
Answer key:
A – lets
B – wide
D – with
B – come across
A – little
C – case
A – except
A – aware
C – escape