Cloze-Texts 12

Sunday, November 18
th
, 2007
CLOZE TESTS
Read the texts and think of the word which best fits each space.
Test 1
Jack Pask and his (1)………Dora were worried about their son Danny. The boy stayed out too long, not coming
home (2)………very late at night. This bad habit (3)………the parents anxious. So one day Jack said to Mrs. (4)………,
"I'm going to teach our son a {5)………. He's got (6)………business being out till after midnight." The next evening
Danny left the house (7)………usual. "I'm going to a disco," he (8)………to his mother. "There's no need to wait up (9)
………me." Then the front door shut with a bang (10)………big Danny.
Test 2
One morning last summer Jessie (1)………some sandwiches for her husband's lunch. They were sausage sandwiches.
There was one small sausage (2)………over, so Jessie gave (3)………to Henry, her little dog. Henry ate it up. Half an
hour {4)………, the dog got ill. He kept (5) ……….shaking his head, and rubbing it (6)………his foot. Jessie thought,
"He's ill. He must have eaten (7)………that didn't agree with him. Maybe that (8)………was bad." Then she
remembered her husband's (9) ………. . She ran to the telephone and (10)………Jim at his office in town.
Test 3 ………
Edgar Lewis was a coal miner (1)………thirty years he had worked underground in a coal mine. It was hard and
dangerous (2)………. One day Edgar had an (3)………in the mine; a lot of stone fell on him. A sharp stone cut through
his left leg like a (4)………through butter. Edgar lost consciousness. When he (5)……… , he was in bed in the mine
doctor's room. He felt around with his (6)………. There was no left leg (7)………his left leg ought to be. "Nurse!" he
called loudly. A nurse came. "What have you (8)……… with my left leg?" Edgar demanded. She pointed to a brown
cardboard box (9)………the floor. (10) ………it is, Mr Lewis, in that box," she said.
Test 4
We moved into our new house (1)………a warm September day. It was not really a new house; it was a hundred and
four years (2)………, but it was new to us. The house had running (3)………, gas and electricity, but for (4)………reason
there was no electric light in the kitchen. We had not noticed this shortage (5)………we had first looked over the
house. It was something quite unexpected: a house with electricity but (6)………a kitchen light. It was especially
puzzling because our (7)……… was a large room, perhaps (8)………largest in the house. I telephoned for an (9)………
He came and fixed it for us. And he charged £85 for (10) ………the job.

Test 5
The big tree at my gate was old and beautiful. I was saddened when it blew (1)………in a winter storm. After the
storm I sawed (2)………the remains of the tree to level (3)………the ground. Some of the wood was rotten. Pieces
came away in my (4)………. But a good part of the wood was alive and strong. I did not dig (5)………the roots of the
tree. I (6) ………them in the ground. Three months (7)………, in spring, the old tree began to grow again. It grew
strong and beautiful, straight up (8)………the side of the sawn-off part. The colour and smell of its heart-shaped (9)
………were exactly the same as (10)………of the old tree. I felt very happy.
Test 6
Brian's father was a coward and not an honest man. He did not himself (1)………a lie to a judge in a law case, but he
wanted Brian to (2)………so, and that was worse. The facts were that Brian and Tim (3)………seen a man attack a boy,
knock him down and kick him. The (4)………,arrested the man and brought him before a judge. Brian and Tim had to
go too, to describe (5)………had happened. Before Brian left home, his (6)………said to him: "Be careful, son. You
didn't see that man kick the boy, (7)………you? Tell the judge you didn't see the kick. Remember, we have (8)..........live
in this village with that man." But Brian was (9) .............coward. He told the (10)………the truth about the attack.
Test 8
We have seen photographs of the whole earth taken from great distances in outer space. This is the first time, the
(1)………...first time, in man's long history that such pictures have been possible.(2)………...many years most people
have believed that the earth was ball-shaped. A few thought it was round and (3)………..., like a coin. Now we know,
beyond doubt, that those few were (4)……….... The photographs show a ball-shaped (5)………..., bright and beautiful.
In colour photographs of the earth, the sky is as (6)………...as coal. The (7)………...looks much bluer than it usually
does to us. All our grey (8)………...are a perfect white in colour; because, of course, the (9)………...is for ever shining on
them. We are (10)………..to live on the beautiful earth.
Test 9
The big ship began to move slowly out of the port. (1)………board were nine thousand soldiers, on their way home
from the battlefield. They (2)………...already spent five uncomfortable weeks on the ship. Now, as the ship (3)
………...some fishing boats at the port entrance, the soldiers on deck waved to the fishermen. The fishermen
waved(4).............calling out "(5)………...luck!". Suddenly there was a cry, followedb (6)………... a splash. "Man
overboard!" someone on the ship shouted. A bell beganto (7)……….... A white lifebelt was thrown into the (8)………....
The ship sailed on, faster now. No doubt the man was picked (9)………...by the fishermen. In wartime, a big ship
cannot stop just (10)………...the sake of one man overboard.

Test 10
Early each morning Jack Dobbins left the house (1)………...he lived and walked to a newsagent's. He bought the
morning paper and then (2)……….home again. One day in 1954 Jack did that as usual, except (3) ……….. one thing: he
did not return to the (4i ……….... Mrs Dobbins missed (5)………...husband, but she was a brave woman. She took a (6)
………...in a shop, working there full-time and earning enough money to live (7)………... She (8)………..a lot of new
friends and found new interests. Many years (9)……….., five, ten, twenty... Mrs Dobbins grew old. One morning in
1979 Jack came home. He held up the morning (10) ………...."Not much news today," he said to his wife.
Test 11
The Kemp family lived (1)………...door to me. They were interesting and intelligent people, but they (2)………...always
getting into some sort of trouble. It was usually either illness (3)………...accident, but there were other things too.
Their house (4) ………...fire twice, and twice the whole family had to stay (5)………...me while repairs were made. The
Kemps were always losing things, important things (6)………...money or keys. Pictures often fell off the (7)………...in
their house; the children often fell out of their (8)………...at night. I used to wake (9)………...in the mornings and think:
"What strange thing will happen (10) ………...that family today?"
Test 12
While travelling abroad, Ed Jackson ran short of money. So he wrote to his brother, asking (1)………...£500. "Send
the money (2)………...telegram to the bank here," he wrote. After a week Ed began calling at the bank. He showed his
passport (3)………...the bank clerk. "Nothing has come for you, Mr Jackson," he (4)………...told. This went (5)………...for
three weeks, and Mr Jackson got very worried. He then phoned his brother, asking (6)………...the money was. The
brother said it (7)………..been sent three weeks before. That evening Ed Jackson was arrested for failing to (8)
………...his hotel bill. He tried to explain his problem, but no one (9) ………...believe him. He was (10)………...to prison
for sixty days.
Test 13
FROST AND FIRE
Iceland has been called the "land of frost and fire." This is a very satisfactory………....(1), for the mountains on this
island in the North Atlantic are capped with snow the year round, and………...(2) are scores of fiery volcanoes.
Contrary……… (3) what most people think, however, Iceland's………......(4) is not extremely cold. Most days are quite
agreeable because………......(5) the warm current of the Gulf Stream. ..............(6) the Vikings began to settle in Iceland
in 874 AD, they found books and crosses that showed the Irish had……….(7) been there. It is likely that the Irish and
Scotch had come to Iceland about seventy years.............. (8) the Vikings arrived. These explorers, however, had

made .............(9) lasting settlements. The first real colonists were Scandinavians who came directly………..(10) Norway,
Sweden, and Denmark. The people of Iceland have very high educational standards. It is said that............(11) books
are sold in Iceland in relation to its population than in any other country in the world. Since Iceland is adjacent to
one of the……….(12) important shipping routes………......(13) the United States and England,………......(14) became very
important during………......(15) Second World War.
Test 14
A THREE-MINUTE SUPPLY
Tlhe body of the average adult has in storage (1)……….food to last for several weeks. It has enough water to last for
several (2)……….... At any one time, however, the body has only enough oxygen stored in the (3)..............to last for
three or four minutes! Fortunately, it is (4) ………difficult for us to acquire the oxygen we need……….(5) a rule, we
need only to breathe in the (6)………around us for an adequate supply- The amount of oxygen needed (7)..............a
person at any one time depends upon his activities. As the activities of the body increase, the
use of oxygen (8)………..increases. He begins to breathe deeper and faster to bring (9) ………...oxygen into the lungs.
More red cells are thrown into the bloodstream to aid………...(10) carrying the added supply of oxygen. Blood………..
(11) the stomach and the intestines is transferred into the blood vessels of the muscles (12)………...are at work.
This blood helps to transfer the added oxygen to the (13)………...of the body that need it. If blood is taken from the
stomach right after a (14)..... tion of food will be hampered. It is best, therefore, (15)......... strenuously right after
eating.........., diges-. to exercise
Test 15
100,000,000 MILES OF TAIL
A comet is a heavenly body………...(1) a long tail. Comets orbit about the sun. At rare intervals a comet may be………...
(2) from earth, appearing as a streak of light........(3) travels swiftly across the heavens. The head of a comet contains
a more or less solid portion………...(4) the nucleus. The comet's tail, however, contains so………...(5) solid matter that
the earth or another planet could pass through it without any harmful effects. Even………...(6) one of the largest
comets were to strike the earth head on, we ………...(7) notice only a shower of meteors. These meteors are hot
celestial bodies entering the………..(8) of the earth at great speeds.
It is hard, therefore, for us to imagine that the head of a comet maybe over a million miles wide………...(9) that a
comet's tail may extend over one hundred million miles in………...(10)! In ancient times, the………... (11) of a comet
aroused great alarm among people. It was.............(12) that a comet would be followed by some great misfortune.
Such fear is not surprising………....(13) the benefit of scientific knowledge, our ancestors had no………...(14) of

knowing the natural causes of………...(15) an object.
Test 16
WORKER DIAMONDS
Glittering gems called diamonds are among the most (1)………....of human possessions. Through the ages (2)
……….....have been a lasting evidence of wealth. Lands may lose their soil, buildings may be destroyed, stocks and
bonds may become worthless, (3)……….....the value °i diamonds remains relatively unchanged. Diamonds are not of
value only (4)……….....signs of wealth. In addition, the diamond is one of (5)………..... hardest, longest-wearing sub-
stances known to man. Because of (6)………....., it is very valuable for Practical use. In fact, about three-fourths of the
total annual supply of diamonds (7)………..used in factories and machine shops.
A diamond on the……….....(8) of a cutting tool can cut through the hardest steel but (9)……….....a diamond can cut
(10)……….....diamond. Because of their unusual (11)………...., diamonds are used to sharpen grinding wheels. They are
placed on the tips of the grinding drills used to cut through tons of bed rocks. In scores of………(12) ways, diamonds
are essential to turning the wheels……….....(13) modern machines. About 4% tons of diamonds are mined annually.
The vast diamond (14)………........of South Africa produce most of these diamonds, but in recent years many
diamonds (15)……….....also come from Brazil.
Test 17
BARK MEDICINE
According to an old (1)………..., in the early seventeenth century a Peruvian Indian was cured of a terrible fever (2)
………...eating the bark of the cinchona tree. Quinine, the drug (3)………... can be extracted from cinchona bark, was
(4)………...widely used as medicine until 1816. Quinine has proved invaluable to modern medicine. It is used in (5)
………. treatment of malaria, a (6)………...transmitted by the anopheles mosquito and common in the tropical (7)
………...of the world. Quinine preparations are also used to help cure typhoid fever, rheumatic fever, and (8)
………...sicknesses. The cinchona tree belongs to the evergreen family and, unlike most evergreens, (9)………...very
fragrant flowers. Cinchonas are native to South America, but are now (10)………...in such other places as India,
Ceylon, and Java. (11)………...cinchona trees do not reach full size for about eight years, the bark can be taken (12)
………...three-year-old trees. First the young trees are cut down. (13)………...the bark is carefully stripped off, dried,
and packed. It is sent to a factory (14)………...it is ground into a brown
powder. (15)………...this powder, the quinine is extracted.
Test 18
GROWING LANGUAGE

Linguists believe that early men used many gestures to communicate ………(1) one another. This, it is thought, was
man's first form of……….(2) and the only one he had………...(3) a long period of time.
Even today we use some sign language: for example, we shake our ………...(4) to indicate yes or no, we point and we
wave. The first spoken words may have been early man's attempt to……….(5) the sounds made by animals. Then he
may have developed sounds of his……….(6). Gradually, man may have repeated certain sounds so ……….(7) that they
became familiar and understandable to others. Once spoken language had begun, perhaps man invented
new………...(8) as he needed them to express himself verbally ………... (9) to name new
objects. In this way we can imagine language growing. ………...(10) using words, parents were able to teach them to
their children. The children in turn probably made up new………...(11). Each generation, therefore, in the
development of language, knew more words than the generation………...(12) it. Language is still growing and chang-
ing. Can you think……….(13) some words that you use today………(14) were not used by your parents or
grandparents………...(15) they were children ?
Test 19
Last autumn I………...(1) a week at a big hotel in London. It was one of those modern hotels where.............(2) room is
the same size and .............(3) the same furniture, and looks just………...(4) every other room. My room was 311 on the
third………...(5) . One night, quite late, I got back to the hotel………...(6) a very good dinner with some friends. I walked
into the lift and ………(7) the button. When the lift……….(8), I got out and walked to my room-or what I.............(9) was
my room..............(10) I opened the door I saw an astonishing scene. A man was pointing a revolver ………...(11) a
woman sitting in an armchair, and the woman was saying in a frightened ………...(12): "Please………...(13) shoot me!" I
turned round, ran along the corridor and………...(14) the stairs - I
daren't wait for the lift - and found the night porter in the hall. "Quick," I cried, "someone is………...(15) murdered in
my room." [....]
Test 20
NATURE'S LIGHT
When you see a firefly flitting through the air on a dark summer ………(1), you may wonder………...(2) the source of its
light. This light………...(3) from a mineral called phosphorus, which is found in small amounts in the………...(4) of the
firefly. Phosphorus is also found in the bodies of many………...(5) of deep-sea fish. Sometimes………...(6)