CAE Reading and Use of English Part 8
You are going to read four opinions about cycling. For questions 47-56, choose from the people (A-D). The people may be chosen more than once. When more than one answer is required, these may be given in any order.
Which person …
47. admits to having reservations about the financial aspect of getting into cycling? __
48. believes cycling has made them more aware of their local environment? __
49. mentions a specific physical benefit unrelated to fitness or weight? __
50. feels that cycling has improved their ability to manage daily pressures? __
51. states that cycling requires a significant initial period of adaptation? __
52. expresses frustration with the behaviour of some traffic participants? __
53. sees cycling as a practical solution to certain daily problems? __
54. suggests that the activity has had a positive impact on their personal finances? __
55. acknowledges that safety concerns could understandably deter people? __
56. found that cycling helped them rediscover a forgotten sensation? __
A. Ben
I took up cycling primarily as a rational response to two major headaches: the soul-crushing traffic and the ridiculous, ever-rising cost of fuel and public transport. This decision has done wonders for my daily routine! That’s not to say it was without its upfront costs. The initial outlay for a reliable, well-made bike, a sturdy lock, a helmet, and high-visibility gear was pretty steep. However, I’ve recouped that cost many times over by slashing my monthly transport expenditure. My commute is now the most predictable and often the most enjoyable part of my day; I arrive at work feeling energised and clear-headed rathen than stressed from gridlock. Admittedly, you have to develop a thick skin and a defensive riding style. An aggressive minority of drivers seem to view cyclists as a personal inconvenience, and their deliberate close passes are genuinely frightening moments that cast a shadow over the experience. It’s a real shame, because on a quiet country road early in the morning, there’s no feeling quite like it—the efficiency, the quiet, the self-reliance.
B. Clara
For me, cycling was never primarily about transport; it was a conscious decision to reclaim my fitness and wellbeing after nearly a decade of sedentary desk work. The first few weeks were brutal, to say the least! My leg muscles ached so bad I considered seeing a doctor, and I would run out of breath in no time at all. But I persevered, and the physical and mental payoff has been nothing short of incredible. Time on the bike has become my essential moving meditation. Focusing on the rhythm of my pedalling and the road ahead allows me to process the day’s stresses and decompress fully. I’m now convinced that this mental reset is the primary reason I now sleep so well and wake up feeling properly refreshed. It’s an improvement to my life that I never expected when I first wobbled away from my house on two wheels.
C. David
What cycling offers me, above all else, is a sense of liberation—a feeling I hadn’t really experienced since the endless summers of my childhood. It’s not just a form of exercise; it’s a tool for pure, spontaneous exploration. Since I started, I’ve discovered countless small parks, winding canals, and hidden historical alleyways in my own city that I had blindly passed for years. You become attuned to your surroundings, noticing the subtle changes in the seasons, all the small details you are completely sealed off from inside the climate-controlled bubble of a car. You feel connected to the world you’re moving through. Of course, this wonderful sense of freedom comes with a fair deal of risk. I’ve had my fair sharee of near misses with both cars and people, and I completely understand why the danger factor puts so many people off. The infrastructure in most cities, with its painted lines that offer no real protection, simply isn’t designed with a cyclist’s safety as a priority, and that’s a terrifying reality for a new rider.
D. Sarah
My relationship with the bicycle is complicated. I absolutely love the idea on paper: it’s eco-friendly, wonderfully healthy, and efficient. In practice, however, it demands a state of constant, unrelenting vigilance. You cannot afford to switch off. You must learn to anticipate every possible hazard—from a car door swinging open in your path to a pedestrian stepping off the kerb while staring at their phone, or a driver suddenly deciding to turn into you. It’s a complex skill set that one slowly builds over time, combining spatial awareness, risk assessment, and predictive thinking. Once you do achieve that competence, the feeling of zipping through congested streets is priceless. However, even with all the experience under the belt, I still find sharing road space with much larger, faster vehicles to be stressful. While the health benefits are definitely there, the mental load of having to actively fight for your life on every single journey is exhausting, and it’s why many of my friends refuse to even consider cycling seriously. It’s a real shame, because for me cycling has become a lifesaver – it helped me get rid of the chronic backpain that has been plaguing me for years.
Answer Keys
Part 1
1 B – advanced. When we talk of an advanced age, we mean that somebody is older than anybody else in this situation. It is quite unusual to pick up any sports (even racing) at the age of 37. We could use ‘ancient’ to refer to somebody who is truly old – well over 70, for instance. The word ‘mature’ is more about having a well-developed emotional side, not talking so much about the age itself.
2 A – earned. To earn (a) reputation is a common collocation. To deserve a reputation would be more appropriate if we were talking about something negative.
3 B – handicap. ‘Handicap’ implies a disadvantage she had to overcome, fitting the context of her late start and gender. There is a common stereotype that women can be worse drivers than men, more so in the competitive setting like a race. ‘Obstacle’ shouldn’t be chosen because of the indefinite ‘a’ article.
4 C – concentration. Because of her piloting background, her ability to concentrate came in handy in races. ‘Fixation’ is something you are so focused on and obsessed with that it becomes a problem. ‘Attention’ and ‘commitment’ do not convey the necessary meaning here.
5 C – known. To be best known is another common collocation you should know at this level. ‘Best remembered’ is not nearly as common.
6 A – performing. The idea here is that she was performing the role of the race car driver.
7 C – for. To speak for itself means to be evident enough to be noticed. The meaning here is that she wanted to prove her worth as a driver through actions rather than words.
8 D – stage. A stage of your life is a big part of it, especially one that is associated with a particular period (in this case, being a professional driver). ‘Half’ could probably be used in the context of ‘either half of your life’, where ‘either’ shows one of the two options (the first half and the second half). ‘Phase’ means one of the several parts in something and indicates some kind of planning, e.g. ‘the first phase of the operation’.
Part 2
9 as. We use ‘as much as’ to mention a certain number. Note that the author uses ‘much’ and not ‘many’ because we refer to the weight itself, not the number.
10 how. To baffle means to confuse, to be a source of questions. The scientists couldn’t understand why (or how) the rocks moved on their own.
11 ranging. A number of possible reasons for rocks moving are mentioned in the text. Another thing to note is that we could do without any word in the gap. However, keep in mind that you should never be leaving empty gaps in CAE Use of English Part 2, as an empty gap is never going to be the right answer.
12 that. The structure goes ‘It wasn’t until … that’ and it is a set one, meaning you shouldn’t be changing it. The temptation to use ‘when’ is understandable, but it doesn’t make the set structure and therefore shouldn’t be chosen.
13 when/if. This is a zero conditional sentence – one that speaks about things that are always true. ‘If’ or ‘when’ to introduce the condition and sentence in the Present Simple to show the result.
14 on. We use ‘on’ to talk about particular days, be it days of the week or dates.
15 it. ‘All it takes’ shows how little is required to achieve something.
16 behind. The trails (traces, paths) that are left behind the moving rocks.
Part 3
17 commercial. Adjective that keeps the double ‘m’ in the root.
18 ability. Even though ‘shoppers’ is in the plural, ‘ability’ doesn’t have to be.
19 unattainable. If something is unattainable, it means that it is impossible to get. In this case, consumers of foods made by large companies will never have the level of trust and familiarity they have with the small local sellers.
20 awareness. Growing knowledge and realisation of environmental impact is what they are talking about here.
21 sustainable. Something that can be sustained (supported) over longer periods of time.
22 exceeding. Don’t be fooled into answering ‘excellent’, as the key verb would have to be ‘excel’ then.
23 immensely. An adverb that is very easy to misspell.
24 producers. The plural form is here because the word ‘producer’ is countable, and if used in the singular would need an article, either ‘a local producer’ or ‘the local producer’, both fitting just fine.
Part 4
25 sooner had we landed. The idea here is that one thing took place immediately after the other. In this case we use inversion, putting the auxiliary verb ‘had’ before the subject (I).
26 apologised for not having called/not calling. We are free to use either the more complex Present Gerund (‘not having called’) or the simple gerund form. The first one is better in showing that the call (or the absence of the call) happened before the apology took place.
27 might not have got/received. A thing to note here is that the tense changed from Past Simple in the original sentence to Past Perfect in the answer.
28 only I had applied. We use structures like ‘if only’ to show regret. In other words, the speaker is sorry that he didn’t do something in the past.
29 has been two years since. As the answer has to have ‘since’ in it, it also forces us to use a Perfect tense. Present Perfect fits here just fine.
30 led to the cancellation. Please note that the definite article is needed as a part of the ‘of’ structure.
Part 5
31 B. Looking at the process of making things out of clay charmed the author and made him try it himself. Answer A is incorrect – no real technical or in-depth information is given. Author makes no criticism of any kind in the first paragraph. Paragraph Two mentions how hard the process actually is, but again, without any complaint towards online tutorials. Finally, there is no comparison of different learning methods.
32 B. A couple of words lead us here to choose answer B. ‘Strenuous’ means requiring physical effort. ‘My arms ached’ refers to the amount of effort required for wedging. Even though operating the wheel is mentioned (‘it was just a wamp-up for the main event), there is no direct comparison in difficulty. And while it was difficult, the author doesn’t say that they didn’t enjoy the process.
33 D. The word ‘humbled’ means that the author suddenly was much less sure about their own skills and felt that people who can do that well deserve respect. The instructor is only mentioned in the context of them being quite good at centring, no criticism expressed. Answer B doesn’t work, as the author doesn’t say anything about hoping to get better.
34 C. This part of Paragraph 4 sets the positive tone of the correct answer: ‘The noise and demands of the outside world faded away…’. All other options have a clear negative meaning, which is absent in the paragraph.
35 A. The crucial part is in Paragraph 5: ‘…almost looking forward to more disappointment…’. The sudden breakthrough came as an unexpected, but pleasant surprise. Answer B mentions a minor detail – how much failed attempts it took to finally achieve something. The instructor’s input once again fails to get mentioned.
36 B. Answer C shouldn’t be chosen because they do not add value on their own. Instead, they become the living proof of their man-made nature. Answer D is not ideal either – it is indeed true that machines can avoid them, but it is not directly stated in the text, nor is it the focal point of the paragraph. Nothing is mentioned about room for improvement; the author accepts the fact that his art has flaws, nothing else.
Part 6
37 C. Both A and C comment on a lack of deep emotional connection. A is saying the characters are ‘at a certain emotional arm’s length, and that they work as vessels (devices) rather than real characters. C concurs, mentioning that the author ‘neglects to forge a deep emotional connection’, and that it is difficult to relate to the character’s choices.
38 C. Reviewer C mentions that the themes of the books ‘feel strikingly relevant to our modern era of misinformation’. Reviewer D raises a similar point, saying that ‘the more attentive readers are likely to see references to the political landscape of today’.
39 D. Reviewers A, B, and C all, to varying degrees, find the protagonist somewhat emotionally distant or passive. Reviewer D explicitly disagrees, finding the character’s journey ‘entirely compelling and emotionally resonant’.
40 D. Reviewer A finds the narrative to be ‘deliberately slow’ and potentially trying readers’ patience, while Reviewer D argues the deliberate pace ‘serves to build an almost unbearable psychological tension,’ viewing it as a strength.
Part 7
41 C. It follows the introduction of the term “slow productivity” by explaining the basics, letting the reader know what it is. This is later contrasted with “performative busyness” in the next sentence.
42 G. Paragraph G logically follows the mentioned “hustle culture” by explaining the negative consequences of its pressure, leading into the next paragraph about tools that worsen the problem.
43 B. It provides a concrete, practical example of the principle mentioned in the previous sentence: “focusing on one significant project at a time.” The example of the writer illustrates this perfectly.
44 A. This paragraph explains why exactly the “protected downtime” mentioned in the previous sentence is so important, citing the neurological and creative benefits of rest and how it is an investment rather than wasted time.
45 F. Paragraph F addresses the “challenges” and “fear” mentioned in the previous paragraph, specifying where this pressure is intense (finance and law) and introducing the counter-argument about burnout.
46 D. The theme of the previous paragraph about workplace culture gets a continuation, showing a positive solution and how „forward-thinking companies” are implementing the article’s ideas, leading to the concluding paragraph about sustainability.
Part 8
47 A. Ben mentions that you have to invest heavily into this hobby and gives a list of things that one has to buy before they can enjoy it.
48 C. David talks about the joy of exploration, finding new things in the neighbourhood they wouldn’t have if it weren’t for their bike.
49 D. Last sentence of Sarah’s paragraph has her sharing how she benefitted from cycling in a non-fitness way.
50 B. The process of riding and focusing on the road allows them to ‘decompress’ – that is, to leave their worries behind, to forget about things that trouble them.
51 D. Understanding all the dangers of urban cycling and reacting to them is ‘a complex skill set that one slowly builds over time’.
52 A. The aggressive drivers is what Ben is unhappy about. Note that even though Sarah (D) mentions similar aspect, she doesn’t seem to be angry at them.
53 A. Beating the traffic isn’t easy, but cycling seems to work for Ben.
54 A. While Ben had to invest a lot of money initially, cycling has allowed him to save a lot of money: ‘I’ve recouped that cost many times over’
55 C. Last part of Sarah’s paragraph gives reasons why cycling might not appeal to some people because of its dangerous nature.
56 C. The beginning of the paragraph mentions David feeling liberation – something he hadn’t had since he was a child.
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