CAE Use of English Part 2, Test 3 – Double act

Answers and explanations

9. If. We cannot use ‘though’ – it could work, if the sentence went like, ‘Even though you might not have the faintest idea…’.
10. In/with. A clue is a hint, a piece of information that helps us find the answer to something. The word ‘clue’ can work with both prepositions in this context.
11. Is. A common passive structure that explains what a double act is. Be careful to use the present tense, not the past.
12. As. The preposition ‘as’ points at the manner of performance – both people perform as if they were one, either figuratively (very good coordination) or literally (pretending to be two personalities of the same man or woman).
13. Do. ‘To do so’ refers to the previous statement – many act as a duo for the entirety of their professional lives. This is a common structure that allows you to avoid repeating the same word or idea that has been previously mentioned and it is clear what you refer to.
14. With. Variations of performance that have roles that are not so well-defined. Answering ‘of’ is wrong – we cannot refer to variations of less-defined roles, because nothing of that sort has been mentioned.
15. Been. The past participle form of the verb ‘to be’ is what we need for this sentence in the present perfect tense.
16. Whatever. The general idea here is that it doesn’t matter what the reasons are – ‘whatever the reasons’.