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). In the exam, write your answers IN CAPITAL LETTERS on tho separate answer sheet.

Example: ALSO

Shakespeare: the mysteries and the facts

William Shakespeare must surely be the greatest writer in the English language, and he may 0 _____ be the writer who 9 influenced our language the most. For example, he came 10 with many phrases we commonly use today, like ‘all of a sudden’, ‘love is blind’ and ‘too much of a good thing’. He might not be everyone’s favourite author, but people 11 highly of his work, and Hamlet, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet are some of the best-known plays in the world.

12 Shakespeare is famous, we don’t know much about his life – not even his date of birth! He was baptised in Stratford-upon-Avon on 26th April 1564, so he must have been born around that time. His birthday is celebrated on 23rd April, but no one can say 13 sure whether that is the right date. Similarly, little is known about his education. He may have attended school in Stratford, where he could have studied Latin and Greek. It can’t have been easy – school started at 6 a.m. and finished at 5 p.m., so he would have had to 14 up with very long hours.

In recent years, this lack of knowledge about Shakespeare’s life has led to speculation that other people might have written some of his works. However, while it is sometimes difficult to tell the 15 between Shakespeare’s work and other contemporary writers’, the vast 16 of scholars agree that it simply can’t be true – the works must be Shakespeare’s own.

For this task: Answers with explanations :: Vocabulary