Answer Keys
Part 1
Part 1
1 A – aligns. To align here means to be compatible, to show a great degree of sameness. We get shown similar content to one that we are used to. ‘Converges’ suggests movement from different points towards a shared end.
‘Coincides’ implies simultaneity, not preference matching. ‘Corresponds’ fits semantically, but it is less idiomatic in preference-based filtering
2 A – displaced. This conveys replacement through gradual pressure rather than outright removal — key to the argument. The variety of content diminishes as the algorithm gives you more of what you want. ‘Eclipsed’ focuses on being overshadowed, not replaced. ‘Overridden’ implies an active, conscious decision. Finally, ‘substituted’ is too neutral and mechanical, it doesn’t convey the meaning of slow erosion.
3 C – consumption. As we know, the idea of consumtion normally has a negative connotation, here used in cultural critique. ‘Reception’ is too neutral, thus failing to convey criticism. ‘Absorption’ is more about internalisation, not behaviour. The most exotic here, ‘acquiescence’ means reluctant acceptance.
4 C – moderated. It fits the best because it implies controlled adjustment rather than removal. To dilute is to weaken by introducing a difference. To ration fits food rather than content. ‘Filtered’ was already implied earlier; here we need to show a degree control rather than selection.
5 D – shaping. ‘Shaping’ works the best here because it shows systematic control over something, how something is changed literally ‘given shape’. ‘Sculpting’ suggests deliberate artistry rather than systemic influence . ‘Structuring’ refers to organising or arranging something according to an underlying framework. ‘Steering’ is about giving the general direction to something, often without controlling it fully.
6 A – mediated. ‘Mediated’ captures the idea of cultural value being shaped through institutions and discourse. ‘Negotiated’ suggests compromise between parties. Both ‘adjudicated’ and ‘arbitrated’ are more common for legal context, implying formal judgment that take place in courts of law.
7 C – conceptually. This one explores the limits of thought and imagination shaped by exposure. ‘Culturally’ is too broad and focuses on the sociological aspect. ‘Realistically’ shifts the focus from what a concept (a theoretically possible thing) to an actually possible one. This clashes with the rest of the context, where we explore possibilities rather than probabilities. Finally, ‘socially’ focuses on norms, not cognition.
8 A – inherently. Being an integral, vital part. This signals that normativity is an intrinsic quality, not an accidental one. ‘Implicitly’ refers to lack of explicitness, not essence. ‘Tacitly’ focuses on the fact that it is unspoked (silent).
‘Structurally’ is possible here, but it shifts focus to design rather than values.
Part 2
9 because. The author is explaining why exactly the Olympic Games are so captivating. We can’t use ‘why’ here as it would need the structure to also have the verb ‘to be’.
10 on. If you miss out on something (or miss out on doing something), the you fail to experience it or be a part of it.
11 in. Interpreting something from a particular perspective. In this case, athletes’ success is understood as a team effort of their respective national team.
12 while. ‘While’ works both as a contrasting device and as a way to show simultaneity.
13 set. If you set something aside is to choose to ignore something temporarily, to change the way you act. Note that ‘put aside’ is more common for literal action of putting something away (e.g. for later use).
14 by. ‘By virtue of something’ is a fixed expression with the meaning ‘because of/due to’.
15 after. Contextual clues help us undestand that the unique atmosphere goes away as soon as the games come to an end.
16 for. Choosing ‘for’ highlights the particular reason why people come together. Keep in mind that ‘to’ shouldn’t be used as it is too literal – people don’t simply come TO the event. They come for a particular purpose.
Part 3
17 commitment. Dedication to one’s work. Note the difficult spelling.
18 exhaustion. Exhaustion is the kind of fatigue that doesn’t go away easily because it has been accummulated over a long period of time.
19 unseen. An employee’s efforts do not get noticed by the management. Note the passive voice here.
20 sensitive. Keep in mind the difference between ‘sensitive’ and ‘sensible’. If you are sensitive to something, then you are aware of it happening. ‘Sensible’ is more about common sense and practicality.
21 unattainable. Impossible to get or reach. In this case, the context clearly points at the fact that promotion is impossible, so we have to add the negative prefix.
22 justified. The main challenge here comes from choosing between ‘justified’ and ‘justifiable’. The latter is more common for something that can possibly happen, while the former is about something that has already happened. Therefore, it works better here, where the employees have already been putting in minimum amount of effort as they lack incentive to work harder.
23 meaningful. By meaningful engagement they mean fruitful interaction between rank-and-file employees and higher management. When direct communication between them is in place, staff is more likely to feel appreciated and committing to their duties more diligently.
24 ascertain. A rather formal word, here it means ‘to realise, to acknowledge’.
Part 4
25 cannot be ruled out. To rule something out is a fixed expression meaning ‘to consider something impossible’. We are effectively using double negative meaning to show that it is infact possible that the results could have been affected from the outside.
26 in a remote monastery came about by. The only challenge here is using ‘to come about by accident’ to show that the discovery was unintentional.
27 it not been for the pressure. A combination of inversion and the third conditional structure.
28 is said to have been stolen. The impersonal ‘they say’ is replaced by the passive voice structure. Note that ‘have been’ is not a part of a Present Perfect tense, but one of the passive structure. Remember that you are discouraged to make unnecessary tense changes.
29 gave such a clear explanation that. An emphatic structure to stress how clear the explanation was. Note the indefinite article taken by the word ‘explanation’.
30 took it for granted that. In this context, taking something for granted means assuming it to be true without doubting it or thinking about it. The speaker was convinced that the woman would agree.
Part 5
31 C. The first paragraph emphasises that, despite pouring money into the public transport system, the number of private cars keeps going up, undoing the effort to make public transportation effective. The other options either overgeneralise (Answer B), introduce ideas not mentioned (Answer A), or misidentify the main cause (Answer D).
32 D. The text states that the decision to drive is “not always born of preference, but of frustration,” particularly due to unreliable connections and delays. Commuters have literally no choice but to resort to private cars once again. Answer B focuses on the outcome rather than the cause; the matter of convenience brought up in Answer C is not found in the paragraph; the assumption made in Answer A is, again, not in the text.
33 B. The third paragraph describes a gradual “death spiral,” where declining efficiency leads to reduced usage and further decline. Option B accurately reflects this progressive process driven by changing user behaviour. Answer C is an overstatement. Even though the idea of road-sharing is brought up as problematic (Answer D), it is not the main argument of the paragraph. Answer A is not mentioned.
39 A. The writer presents these measures as sometimes effective but often weakened by inconsistent implementation or resistance. The word ‘particularly’ helps us identify emphasis of the sentence. Answer B mentions certain political resistance, but this is not the reason the approach is flawed fundamentally. Answer C is not mentioned explicitly.
39 B. The text highlights fragmented infrastructure and safety concerns as key barriers to wider adoption of cycling. Answer A sounds logical but cannot be found in the text – only confidence is mentioned. The negative attitude mentioned in Answer C can be associated with cycling perceived as risky, but this is largely reaching for an answer. Answer D justifiably addresses limitations of cycling, but they are not the main focus.
36 B. The final paragraph stresses that transport systems are interconnected and that isolated measures are unlikely to be effective. Option B summarises this conclusion accurately. Answer A is oversimplified. Answer C focuses on a minor point. Even though financial aspects are mentioned, Answer D is not the main point here.
Part 6
37 A. Paragraph A fits best here because it naturally expands on the idea introduced in the previous sentence, namely that professional gaming is a “tightly regulated discipline.” The paragraph develops this by explaining that players’ routines are not incidental, but structured in a certain way, with carefully calibrated training schedules and even planned rest periods. This provides a logical elaboration of the concept of discipline and control, making it a natural continuation of the introductory paragraph.
38 G. A balanced perspective on the increasing structure within e-sports is given here, which is then developed in the following paragraph. The sentence after the gap begins by referring to “this emphasis on preparation” as part of a broader transformation, and Paragraph G supports this by suggesting that structured support systems can enhance performance rather than simply restrict players. Moreover, Paragraph G provides a subtle contrast: while structure might seem limiting, it can also be beneficial. This prepares the reader for the more analytical discussion of industry changes that follows.
39 C. Paragraph C introduces the idea of tension and increased scrutiny, which is picked up immediately in the following sentence: “Yet this increased level of organisation has not been universally welcomed.” Paragraph C explains why this might be the case, noting that players who were previously independent must now get used to being constantly evaluated by others. Other options do not establish this link as effectively. For example, Paragraph G focuses on benefits rather than tension, while Paragraph H discusses monotony and fatigue, which belong later in the passage.
40 H. It fits best here because it develops the psychological consequences of the structured routines described earlier. The cohesion here is both thematic and logical. It highlights the dual nature of discipline: while it enables high performance, it can also lead to monotony and fatigue. This idea connects directly to the following paragraph, which discusses the mental endurance required to maintain concentration and the strain that accumulates over time.
41 B. We go with Paragraph B here because it reframes professional gaming in conceptual terms, contrasting it with traditional notions of leisure. It emphasises that what is often seen as entertainment actually involves sustained cognitive effort and intense concentration. This directly supports the following discussion of mental endurance and the pressure players experience.
42 E. Paragraph E raises the stakes by introducing the issue of short career spans and declining reaction times. This intensifies the sense of pressure described in the surrounding text, particularly the idea that performances are publicly scrutinised and mistakes are remembered.
43 F. For the last paragraph, Paragraph F fits best because it introduces the perspective of newcomers and highlights the difficulty of adapting to professional expectations. The sentence that follows begins with “For those who remain,” which implies a contrast between those who continue and those who do not. F provides the necessary context for this contrast by suggesting that some newcomers struggle and may not persist.
Part 7
44 A. Klein acknowledges that small businesses can adapt quickly, but ultimately argues that this flexibility does not make them immune to external forces. Nowak from D mentions that pressures are not removed, which may seem similar. However, Nowak focuses on changing how pressures are experienced, not on the idea that an advantage is ultimately insufficient.
45 A. Marta Klein suggests that limitations can actually lead to more deliberate and focused decision-making, resulting in greater operational clarity. This reflects the idea that constraints can force optimisation. In extract C the idea of responsiveness is mentioned, but it focuses on speed and flexibility, not on constraints forcing deliberate decision-making, which is the key idea.
46 B. Daniel Wu explicitly states that businesses are shaped by the “whims of their clientele,” showing that consumer behaviour directly influences how businesses operate. Klein from A discusses external pressure as well, but she does not explicitly link business decisions to customer preferences.
47 D. Nowak argues that small businesses can survive by specialising in areas where scale offers little advantage.
48 C. Haddad explains that regulations, although seemingly fair, can place a heavier burden on smaller businesses. This implies that regulatory frameworks may unintentionally favour larger organisations. Extract B mentions structural inequalities created by technology, which could be confused with regulatory imbalance.
49 A. Having to manage all aspects of a business personally can prevent focus on the bigger picture. This suggests that an inability to delegate can negatively affect productivity.
50 B. Daniel Wu challenges the idea that technology benefits all businesses equally, arguing that it can reinforce existing inequalities.
51 D. Nowak describes how small businesses can collaborate by sharing resources while remaining independent. This supports the idea that cooperation can be a viable strategy.
52 C. Leila Haddad points out that smaller firms often have less at stake, which reduces their opportunity costs and exposure to risk (lower risk exposure).
53 D. Nowak suggests that collaboration between small businesses can blur the distinction between small and large organisations. This reflects the idea that traditional categories may become less clear-cut.
