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CPE 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:
| 0 |
| B assemble | C accumulate | D amass |
The Power of the Algorithm
Algorithmic curation has become a dominant force in shaping contemporary cultural consumption. Digital platforms now 0 _____ vast quantities of content, organising them into personalised streams designed to maximise relevance and engagement. While this model is widely presented as an expansion of choice, it may also foster a subtle convergence of taste.
Such systems rely heavily on prior behaviour, using it as a guide for future recommendations. As a result, content that closely 1 with established preferences is prioritised, while material that might challenge or unsettle the user is quietly marginalised. Over time, exposure to difference can be 2 by an increasingly refined version of what is already familiar.
The paradox lies in the sheer abundance on offer. Although options appear limitless, they are constrained by invisible parameters that structure discovery itself. Cultural engagement becomes less an act of exploration than one of passive 3 , with novelty carefully 4 to avoid disengagement. Distinction is not eliminated, but rendered predictable.
Defenders of algorithmic systems often contend that they only reflect individual tastes rather than 5 them. Yet this claim is difficult to substantiate when visibility is unevenly distributed. What is promoted gains traction, and what gains traction acquires legitimacy. Cultural value, once 6 through critical debate, is increasingly determined by patterns of engagement.
In this way, algorithmic curation risks narrowing not only what is encountered, but what is 7 conceivable. To treat such systems as neutral is to overlook the fact that curation is never purely technical – instead, it is 8 normative, encoding assumptions about value, relevance and taste.
For this task: Answers with explanations :: Vocabulary
