CPE 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).
Example: HOWEVER
Losing touch
There’s a quiet war waged against the tried-and-true physical button, and touchscreens seem to be winning. A sleek, buttonless dashboard undeniably looks like something from the future – something we might have seen in the movies some decade ago and could only dream of having. 0 HOWEVER, the reality of controlling everything via touchscreen often feels like a step back. Designers seem to have fallen in love with minimalism 9 the expense of usability. The most glaring example is the current state of the automotive industry. The appeal 10 a clean surface comes at the cost of impossibility to adjust the volume or temperature 11 taking your eyes off the road. The satisfying click of a dial, 12 you could recognise by touch alone, is becoming a relic.
The unsavoury trend isn’t confined to just cars; it’s taking over our homes too. For instance, the touch-sensitive hob that beeps accusingly whenever you dare wipe it while it’s ‘sleeping’. Another problem lies 13 the fact that these interfaces fail to make use 14 the muscle memory. As you remember the position of a button on a remote, you develop it and no longer have to look at it. With a flat glass panel, every single interaction requires visual confirmation, turning simple acts 15 minor cognitive tasks. After all, progress should make things simpler, not the other way round. Instead, we’re left poking at unresponsive screens, longing 16 the humble, honest button.
For this task: Answers with explanations :: Vocabulary
