FCE open cloze practice: Never too late to swim
This is a free FCE open cloze practice set: an original text with eight gaps where you write one word in each. It belongs to our FCE practice collection. If you haven't yet, read our Part 2 open cloze guide to learn which kinds of words are usually missing.
By Eleanor BennettLast updated:
Before you start
There are no options in Part 2, so you need to think of the word yourself. Most gaps need a grammar word: a preposition, an article, a pronoun, an auxiliary verb or a linking word. A useful target is around ten minutes, because the Reading and Use of English paper has one time limit for all seven parts, so it helps to know how long each part takes you.
- Read the sentence before and after each gap, not just the line it is on.
- Ask yourself what type of word is missing before you think of the exact word.
- Write only one word. Contractions like "don't" are not allowed.
Practice · Reading & Use of English Part 2
Open cloze 1: Never too late to swim
Instructions: Read the text below. Think of the word which best fits each gap (1–8). Write only one word in each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).
### Never too late to swim
Many adults who never learned to swim as children feel too embarrassed to do anything (0) about ____ it. They worry that everyone at the pool will be watching them. Some of them even avoid beach holidays, while (1) ____ simply pretend that they don't enjoy being in the water.
According to swimming instructors, the main difficulty is not physical (2) ____ psychological. Adults tend to think too much, and fear makes their muscles tense. (3) ____ a result, they sink more easily, which only makes them (4) ____ nervous than they were before.
The good news is that progress is often rapid once a learner has discovered how to relax (5) ____ the water. Lessons usually begin at the shallow end of the pool, (6) ____ beginners can stand up whenever they feel uncomfortable. Instead (7) ____ practising arm and leg movements straight away, they spend the first few sessions simply floating and breathing slowly. It is unusual for anyone to finish a course without being able to swim at least one length, and some learners enjoy it so much (8) ____ they go on to join a local club.
After you finish
Check your spelling carefully: a correct word spelled wrongly gets no mark. If a gap had more than one accepted answer, notice that both words do the same grammatical job.
Fixed phrases such as as a result and instead of come up again and again. Review the common Use of English mistakes page, then try the word formation set.
Questions about this practice set
Can there be more than one correct answer?
Sometimes, yes. If two words fit the grammar and meaning equally well, both are accepted, as in the first gap of this set.
Do I need to use capital letters?
No. In this practice set capitals don't matter, and in the exam you can write in capitals or lower case, as long as your answer is clear.