CPE Reading and Use of English Practice Test

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CPE Reading and Use of English Part 1

For questions 1-8, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).
Example:

The Unobserved Life

The idea that one could move through the world unnoticed, a stranger among strangers, is rapidly becoming 0 _____. Living in digitally saturated cities, we face privacy not just diminishing, but being systematically 1 disbandeddismantleddecomposeddeconstructed. The ubiquitous gaze of CCTV, the digital fingerprints we leave with every tap and swipe, every single word we 2 mentionutterpronounceenunciate picked up by our phone to serve us relevant ads — these make the 3 probabilityfeasibilityprospectexpectancy of remaining truly unknown a thing of the past. This erosion is not just about a technological shift — it is first of all a cultural one, 4 reshapingrevampingreprocessingrearranging the concept of public space into something entirely different.

There is one curious 5 remainderderivativeresultbyproduct of constant surveillance that is worth mentioning. Aware that they can be potentially observed at any given time, people build up behavioural 6 temperancemoderationregulationconditioning, subconsciously changing the way they act to conform to perceived norms. The spontaneous, the quirky, the dissentient – aspects of life that once flourished in the shadows of anonymity – risk getting 7 smoothedlevelledironedflattened out. We are left to ponder what is lost when the ‘right to be let alone’, as famously phrased by legal scholar Samuel Warren, is 8 outweighedoverriddenoverturnedoverthrown by the default condition of being perpetually identified, tracked, and analysed.

For this task: Answers with explanations :: Vocabulary

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CPE Reading and Use of English Part 1

For questions 1-8, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).
Example:

The Case for Digital Minimalism

The philosophy of digital minimalism has emerged as a potent counter-culture to our 0 ubiquitous digital connectivity. It is not just about using technology less, but about conducting a deliberate cost-benefit 1 auditreviewassessmentappraisal of each digital tool in our lives. Proponents argue that the default setting of modern life – constant notification, endless scrolling, and the 2 implicitunderlyingsubduesinherent pressure to be perpetually available – comes with a hidden cognitive tax. This tax 3 manifestsexhibitsunveilsdivulges itself as fractured attention, reduced capacity for deep work, and a lingering sense of being busy yet unproductive.

The core practice of digital minimalism is a periodic ‘digital declutter’. This involves 4 dispensingdiscardingabolishingdeleting all optional technologies for a set period, then reintroducing only those that 5 deliverextendrenderconfer a clearly defined and significant value to one’s goals and relationships. The intention is to break the cycle of compulsive use and reclaim 6 autonomydiscretionlibertysovergeignty over one’s time and mental space. It is a conscious move from being a passive consumer of digital content to being an intentional curator of one’s informational diet.

Critics 7 challengedisputecounterobject that such practices are a form of privileged retreat, unavailable to those whose livelihoods depend on digital engagement. However, minimalists contend that the principle is about mindfulness, not outright rejection. Even within digitally-intensive roles, one can 8 institutelauncherectstabilise boundaries – designating email-free hours or curating notification settings – to mitigate the fragmenting effects and protect stretches of focused thought. Ultimately, digital minimalism is less about technology itself and more about asserting human priorities in a designed environment that often profitably overlooks them.

For this task: Answers with explanations :: Vocabulary