CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH: ADVANCED (CAE) use of english part 1

multiple choice cloze 

For questions 1 - 8, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.

 

Meteors

Most of us have [looked up/looked out/looked through/looked up to] ... at the sky and seen what is commonly called a falling, or shooting, star. These [momentary/monotonous/momentum/momentous] ... streaks occur when meteors, object generally [ranging/classifying/ranking/fluctuating] ... from the size of dust [particles/participants/particulars/participles] ... to fist-size masses, enter the earth’s atmosphere at speeds up to 44 miles per second and ionized (or heated) to incandescence 50 to 75 miles above the earth. Few of these objects survive their encounter [with/to/into/on] ... our atmosphere. 

What we see here on earth, mostly at night, is a [streak/slash/smear/strip] ... of light that lasts about a half a second on the [average/contrary/fly/move]... . Generally speaking, the larger the material that enters the earth’s atmosphere, the brighter the meteor. Brighter meteors will occasionally leave a smoke trail behind in their path lasting a few seconds; trails produced by very bright meteors, [referred/directed/concerned/related] ... to as fireballs, may last minutes. Fireballs that appear to break up or produce sound are called bolides, from the Greek word bolis meaning missile.

[answer-table]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ANSWERS

 

LOOKED UP

PHRASAL VERB

LOOK UP

You look up when you direct your eyes towards what is above you: I heard the noise an looked up to see a man falling to the ground.

 

MOMENTARY

ADJECTIVE

MOMENTARY

Lasting for a very short time: Be careful not to make even momentary short circuits with metal tools.

 

RANGING

VERB + PREPOSITION

RANGE FROM ... TO

To include a variety of different things in addition to those mentioned: She has had a number of different jobs, ranging from chef to swimming instructor.

 

PARTICLES

NOUN

PARTICLE

A very small piece of something: Physicists discovered that atoms themselves were made of three smaller particles protons, neutrons, and electrons.

 

WITH

NOUN + PREPOSITION

ENCOUNTER WITH

A meeting, especially one that is sudden, unexpected or violent: How to survive an encounter with an ostrich?

 

STREAK

COLLOCATION

STREAK OF LIGHT

A long thin mark or line that is a different colour from the surface it is on: A mysterious streak of light in the night sky baffled many Europeans on Christmas Eve.

 

AVERAGE

IDIOM

ON THE AVERAGE

Generally, usually: On the average, you can expect about a 10 percent failure rate.

 

REFERRED

VERB + PREPOSITION

REFER TO AS

To mention or speak about someone or something: She always referred to Ben as 'that nice man'.