FCE / USE OF ENGLISH / open Cloze

For questions 1-8, read the text below and think of the word which fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap.

 

The Great Ship
 

Titanic and her sister ship Olympic owned by the White Star Line, were designed to (1) ... new standards of luxury for trans-Atlantic travel. They weren't intended to be the fastest, (2) ... they were to be the largest, able (3) ... accommodate more freight and passengers than their faster competitors. They (4) ... guarantee a week's crossing in spectacular conditions. The first class accommodations included elaborate suites decorated in a variety of styles. First-class passengers could (5) ... enjoy a gymnasium, swimming pool, squash racket courts and Turkish bath. 

Second class accommodations on Titanic were better (6) ... first class on many (7) ... ships. Third class passengers, most of (8) ... emigrants, would find the accommodations more comfortable and the food more plentiful than anything they had previously known in their lives. In addition to carrying passengers, Titanic was also designed to carry cargo. The Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland, handled actual construction.

[start-answers-block type=1 columns=3 textTransform=none]

[answer="set"]

[answer="but"] [answer="to"] ! [answer="could"][answer="also"][answer="than"][answer="other"]

[answer="them"]

[end-answers-block]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

answer keys

GAP 1 (SET) ... were designed to set new standards of luxury for trans-Atlantic travel. They weren't intended to ... 
SET + A STANDARD => COLLOCATION
SET A STANDARD => set the level that is considered to be acceptable. 
Other Collocations:
LIVING STANDARD => the level of comfort and the amount of money that people have.
GOLD STANDARD => a high level of quality that others try to copy.
BELOW STANDARD => not good enough.

 

GAP 2 (BUT) ... to be the fastest, but they were to be the largest, able to accommodate more ... 
BUT => CONJUNCTION
BUT => used to introduce a word or phrase that contrasts with what was said before. 
Common Errors:
Although I enjoyed the party, but I was glad to come home. X Do not use two CONJUNCTIONS to join two clauses!
I enjoyed the party, but I was glad to come home. V

 

GAP 3 (TO) ... the largest, able to "own" Sicily, accommodate more freight and passengers than their faster competitors ... 
ABLE + TO => ADJECTIVE
ABLE TO => to have the skill, strength, knowledge etc needed to do something. 
Common Errors:
Jim didn't want to eat at first but we could persuade him. X COULD => GENERAL ABILITY!
Jim didn't want to eat at first but we were able to persuade him. V BE ABLE TO => PARTICULAR SITUATION!

 

GAP 4 (COULD) ... competitors. They could guarantee a week's crossing in spectacular conditions. The first class ... 
COULD + BARE INFINITIVE => MODAL VERB
COULD => used as the past tense of 'can'. 
Common Errors:
Jim didn't want to eat at first but we could persuade him. X COULD => GENERAL ABILITY!
Jim didn't want to eat at first but we were able to persuade him. V BE ABLE TO => PARTICULAR SITUATION!

 

GAP 5 (ALSO) ... passengers could also enjoy a gymnasium, swimming pool, squash racket courts and ... 
ALSO => ADVERB
ALSO => in addition; too. 
Common Errors:
His other daughter also is a doctor. X 
His other daughter is also a doctor. V 

 

GAP 6 (THAN) ... Titanic were better than first class on many other ships. Third class passengers, most of ...
BETTER + THAN => THE COMPARATIVE + THAN => COMPARISON
THAN => (CONJUNCTION) used to introduce the second part of a comparison. 
Common Errors:
I'm older from her. X
I'm older than her. V We use THAN when we compare two things! 

 

GAP 7 (OTHER) ... first class on many other ships. Third class passengers, most of them emigrants, would find the ... 
OTHER + PLURAL NOUN
OTHER => used to refer to additional people or things of the same kind. 
Common Errors:
Please give me other book. X 
Please give me another book. V ANOTHER + SINGULAR NOUN!
Please give me other books. V OTHER + PLURAL NOUN!

 

GAP 8 (THEM) ... class passengers, most of them emigrants, would find the accommodations more comfortable and the food ...
THEM => PRONOUN
THEM => object form of 'they'. 
Common Errors:
Has anyone seen my jeans? I can't find their anywhere. X 
Has anyone seen my jeans? I can't find them anywhere. V