New, online version of this test :: Answer Keys :: Vocabulary
CAE Reading and Use of English Part 1
For questions 1-8, read the text below and decide which answer (А, В, C or D) best fits each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).
Example:
A nicest В biggest C best D richest
To Sell or not to Sell?
You may think selling your house is easy but everyone wants to get the 0 best deal. Unfortunately, the housing market is 1 _______ to highs and lows, which could prevent your 2 _______ the price you want. However, displaying your house at its best could persuade 3 _______ buyers it’s worth paying more for than a similar one nearby. Here are some simple steps you can take that might 4 _______ a sale.
De-clutter and throw away or store superfluous stuff. It may have sentimental value for you but to a buyer it’s junk. Tidy shelves and work surfaces. 5 _______ most buyers will renovate a house as soon as they move in, it is worth 6 _______ up the place by painting, replacing worn carpets and so on. The look you want is neat but lived in — comfortable and cosy but suggesting that there is still 7 _______ for a purchaser to put their own 8 _______ on the house. It’s your home and you love it but the trick is to make others love it, too!
| 1 | A liable | B subject | C acceptable | D part |
| 2 | A succeeding | B winning | C achieving | D managing |
| 3 | A developing | В unrealised | C potential | D capable |
| 4 | A clinch | В fix | C verify | D stick |
| 5 | A But | В Despite | C However | D Although |
| 6 | A doing | В getting | C making | D working |
| 7 | A space | В room | C place | D capacity |
| 8 | A idea | B brand | C character | D stamp |
CAE Reading and Use of English Part 2
For questions 9-16, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).
Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the separate answer sheet
Example: (0) OF
The unhappiness of phones
Some people claim we would all feel much happier if, instead 0 of constantly checking for emails and texts, we turned off our smartphones completely and concentrated 9 _____ those people physically present. Such messages are a big distraction and 10 _____ people may be unaware of it, they can cause stress and unhappiness. Thinking about 11 _____ instead of concentrating makes us less productive at work and can also lead to our having unsatisfying and incomplete personal relationships. If we are 12 _____ careful, we will lose the knack of enjoying the warmth of human company, preferring to 13 _____ our attention taken by messages from those far away. Some people say the art of forming real relationships and keeping them going seems to be 14 _____ threat from the march of technology. The good news, however, is that 15 _____ small changes to the way in which we use our phones can be very effective and that it is not 16 _____ late to recognise the danger and do something about it. After all, we all want to be happy!
CAE Reading and Use of English Part 3
For questions 17-24, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of some of the lines to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).
Write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the separate answer sheet.
Example: (0) APPEALING
My favourite place
| This may be a surprising choice as it’s not comfortable or obviously 0 appealing I’m sure many people gravitate towards the 17 _______ of Venice or the beauty of Sydney but the place that does it for me is a remote valley in Iceland. Far from anything man-made, it was created by a violent natural catastrophe. It would have been a challenging place to live under any circumstances but thousands of years ago a volcanic 18 _______ under a glacier caused a flood that carved out a huge canyon. 19 _______ walls of rock on either side protect the valley from the 20 _______ of the ferocious Arctic winds. Here a forest has grown up in a 21 _______ area of calm. I find it has its own 22 _______ identity, which some may find 23 _______ or even threatening. However, it draws me back time after time. I stay in the campsite and it gives me a new perspective on my everyday life. It makes me appreciate the formidable power and 24 _______ force of nature! | 0 APPEAL 17 GRAND 18 ERUPT 19 TOWER 20 STRONG 21 SHELTER 22 ATMOSPHERE 23 PLEASE 24 ESCAPE |
Click to download this CAE Reading and Use of English worksheet in PDF
Is it okay to prepare 1 month in advance? I feel quite insecure, some exercises are rather easy, while others are so difficult that you can hardly do anything right…
Hey Hosi! It really depends on your level of general English. In my experience, test-takers mostly have problems with the Use of English part of the test. 1-2 months in advance is the usual recommendation, yes. It allows you to get enough practice under your belt without straining yourself too much.