Each of the following mini-texts is followed by a statement in which one word, or group of words, has been left out. Read through each text and decide which of the four alternatives should be used to complete the statement so that it fits in with the text. Mark the best alternative: A, B, C, or D.
Text 1: Early Learning
Girls arrive in primary schools with a much stronger grasp than boys of the alphabet, numbers and every other aspect of early learning, the government’s curriculum advisers report.
Text 2 – Butterflies
Few creatures are better environmental barometers than butterflies, and naturalists believe that an influx of butterfly species in recent years may indicate that global warming is a reality.
Text 3 – Air Quality
All new petrol and diesel cars and vans will have their exhaust emissions cut by half in 18 months in an attempt to improve city air quality following a new European directive on the quality of petrol and diesel fuels.
Text 4 – Outlook
Despite figures showing a drop in the number of people unemployed and claiming growing benefit, evidence from industry suggests a lot of problems in the pipeline.
Text 5 – Time is Money
Crossing the North Pole will become as routine as crossing the Atlantic when Russia opens its Arctic airspace to foreign flights, resulting in dramatic savings in time and money for travellers from Europe and North America to Asia.
Text 6 – Black and White
Black women have overtaken black men and white women in the pay stakes, according to figures from the Employment Policy Institute, but overall ethnic minorities are less likely to be employed and earn less than white counterparts.
- Read the text first before you attempt to answer any questions.
- Find the part of the text which answers the question. The answers to the questions will generally follow in the same order in the text.
- Make sure there is evidence for your answer in the text and that it is not just an answer you think is right.
- Don’t choose an answer simply because a word in the question appears in the text. Sometimes specific words are used to trick you.
- Check that your chosen option is correct by trying to find out why the other options are incorrect.