CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH examinations / PROFICIENCY EXAM / CPE / USE OF ENGLISH / Multiple Choice Cloze

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


 

Almonds


Uniquely delicious, almonds have been known to man as the  … [epitome/example/model/picture]  of health and wellbeing for centuries. Their health benefits have been documented with the  ... [passage/elapsing/progress/sweep]  of time and are now being tested in the  ... [light/event/heart/course]  of modern scientific researchers. A stalwart nut in cakes, puddings and other sweat dishes, almonds have been on almost every household's shopping list. With respect  ... [to/for/of/in]  freshness, they are always preferred to hazelnuts and walnuts and their slow rate of rancidity makes them a food item that can easily tolerate the back of a storage cupboard. Their neutral, nutty and crunchy taste upon baking makes them irresistibly delicious and in no time can you  ... [nibble/swallow/digest/consume]  your way through every almond in front of you. But what are the origins of this super-delicious and nutritious food? Almond is actually a species of trees, belonging to the genus Prunus, which are  ... [indigenous/inborn/inherent/innate]  to the South and Middle East region of Asia. The almond plant is widely cultivated for its  ... [edible/editable/edited/editorial]  seed, also known as almond. The almond tree is a  ... [deciduous/fleeting/momentary/temporary]  one and grows 4-10 m in height.

[answer-table]

 

 

 

 

 

 

ANSWER KEYS

 

1)    EPITOME
PHRASE THE EPITOME OF STH
A perfect example of something: 
They regarded him as the epitome of evil.
 
2)    PASSAGE
PHRASE WITH THE PASSAGE OF TIME
The passing of time:
With the passage of time, things began to look more hopeful.
 
3)    LIGHT
IDIOM IN THE LIGHT OF
After considering something: 
In light of your good record, we've decided to overlook this offence.
 
4)    TO
IDIOM WITH RESPECT TO
Concerning: 
The two groups are very similar with respect to age.
 
5)    NIBBLE
PHRASE NIBBLE YOUR WAY THROUGH
To eat something by taking a lot of small bites:
She had nibble her way through a packet of biscuits.
 
6)    INDIGENOUS
ADJECTIVE + PREPOSITION INDIGENOUS TO
Belonging to a particular place rather than coming to it from somewhere else :
Blueberries are indigenous to America.
 
7)    EDIBLE
ADJECTIVE EDIBLE
Food that is edible is safe or good enough to eat: 
The vegetables were old but still looked edible.
 
8)    DECIDUOUS
ADJECTIVE DECIDUOUS
(Of a tree, bush etc.) that loses its leaves every year: 
Temperate deciduous forests are most notable because they go through four seasons.