The Cambridge C2 Proficiency gapped texts task can be tricky for students who haven’t prepared for it, but is one of the easiest parts of Proficiency Reading to improve on if you use the right tactics. This article shows which hints/ clues/ tactics are most and least useful by analysing the nine official Cambridge tests that have been made available since the exam was updated in 2013.
The more detailed analysis at the bottom should also be useful for teachers preparing to use particular official tests in class, for writers who need to know what kind of language usually comes up, and for candidates who are wondering what they did wrong in official tests that they did on their own.
For materials to prepare for this and other parts of CPE, see https://www.usingenglish.com/e-books/teaching-c2-proficiency/
Summary
- By far the biggest help and so the most useful thing to underline and think about is related vocabulary in the missing passage and the parts of the text before and/ or after it. However, the relationships between the connected words and expressions are not always obvious, with different grammatical forms and opposites being two of the less tricky connections.
- In contrast, actual synonyms are rare and in fact no more common than simple repeating of words (perhaps surprisingly?)
- There is occasionally related vocabulary from earlier in the text that helps shows the chronology of the story, e.g. a phrase that refers back to two paragraphs ago that shows that this event is definitely later.
- Though this is almost always complicated by thing like flashbacks, chronology is perhaps the next most useful clue, as for most texts the majority of the story is in chronological order.
- Reference words like “this one” are rarely useful hints (unlike the same part of Cambridge First), and the most useful reference expressions tend to also include related vocabulary, as in “this outrage”.
- Linking words can be useful hints, but there is no need to spend much time studying for this in particular as the vast majority are simple ones like “however”.
Recommendations
Recommendations based on those observations:
- Students/ candidates should spend some time analysing the chronological order of stories and using that to help check their answers.
- Candidates should underline any vocabulary that seems at all related to other parts of the text, including after they have done timed practice.
- Although it’s also worth underlining reference expressions like “these” and linking words like “therefore”, candidates shouldn’t rely on these too much, or spend too much time on those points.
The rest of this article shows examples of these things above test by test, starting with the most recent.
Detailed analysis test by test
| book/ test/ question | reference words | synonyms | other related vocabulary | chronology | linking words |
| Handbook for Teachers Q37 | this |
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| On one occasion |
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| Handbook for Teachers Q38 | we, our |
| met – we hit it off, we took a truck to – our destination | immediately |
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| Handbook for Teachers Q39 | ours |
| cross – destined for, after sunset – in the darkness – night |
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| Handbook for Teachers Q40 |
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| disappeared – loss | the next morning |
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| Handbook for Teachers Q41 |
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| corrals – fences, market – calculations- sold, taking… to…– an easier journey, |
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| Handbook for Teachers Q42 |
|
| leave him to it – farewell – reflecting on our time together – separate – wished us goodbye, left them – from there we got a lift, |
|
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| Handbook for Teachers Q43 | such |
| did not dampen my enthusiasm – such minor hardships |
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| Book 2 Test 1 Q37 |
| building – con-struction | mechanic – factory – construction, bike building – frame – crossbars – seat posts |
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| Book 2 Test 1 Q38 | It was this, they |
| price – within the reach of an average… |
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| Book 2 Test 1 Q39 |
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| We realised… - the outcome, on day one, first, then | the question for me |
| Book 2 Test 1 Q40 | all this |
| tricky – insurmountable |
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| Book 2 Test 1 Q41 |
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| messes up – no problem – have another go | another go, final |
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| Book 2 Test 1 Q42 |
|
| for the long haul – over a year – failed to destroy |
| … issues aside,… |
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Book 2 Test 1 Q43 | they |
| individuality – punks – rebels- up against the big names |
|
|
| Book 2 Test 2 Q37 | there |
| finally get there – driven 1300 miles, on postcards…–seen portrayed, the frequency increases – a thousand times |
| So, |
| Book 2 Test 2 Q38 | it |
| exceptional – amazed, unexpectant, pessimistic – more arresting than you could have even have supposed |
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| Book 2 Test 2 Q39 | it | know it – an acquaintance with it – familiarity | twitched or stirred – motion |
|
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| Book 2 Test 2 Q40 |
| you sense that – you feel | perhaps even – I’m not saying any of this is so, distinctive – you can’t miss it |
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| Book 2 Test 2 Q41 |
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| evident – gazing, interesting – never tiring of it | as you draw closer | quite apart from… there is also the fact that… |
| Book 2 Test 2 Q42 |
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| instead |
| Book 2 Test 2 Q43 |
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| rock – worn away | afterwards, we had been at the site for barely… | it turns out that |
| Book 2 Test 3 Q37 |
|
| at the wheel- the roads – driver, twilight – darkness – overnight |
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| Book 2 Test 3 Q38 | it | stop somewhere overnight – accom-modation | lodges – full, track – trail | suddenly |
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| Book 2 Test 3 Q39 |
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| beach – sand | then all of a sudden |
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| Book 2 Test 3 Q40 |
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| silence – sound – heard |
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| Book 2 Test 3 Q41 | them |
| greetings – didn’t take many words, soft – sank – firmer, directions – followed them – without knowing where they were taking us | what had happened, it had closed down |
|
| Book 2 Test 3 Q42 |
|
| lake – along the shore | after a while |
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| Book 2 Test 3 Q43 | this place |
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| had been created, the next morning |
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| Book 2 Test 4 Q37 | This |
| disappear – fine net, soars above – peaks – rocky mountains – summits |
| This explains why… |
| Book 2 Test 4 Q38 |
|
| barren – the last… moved out – newly populated, erupting above -skyline, tall poles – aloft – go up – climbers, towering vantage point – view |
| sadly |
| Book 2 Test 4 Q39 | the former, the latter |
| no need for – constraints, house – den, viewing platform – elevated area with panoramic windows |
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| Book 2 Test 4 Q40 | these features, such details |
|
|
| a far cry from |
| Book 2 Test 4 Q41 |
| legacy – heritage, |
| the 1934… In 1965 | But, Take… (as an example) |
| Book 2 Test 4 Q42 |
| huge – immense – vast, animals – creatures | huge – space – narrow, roof lights – top lit |
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| Book 2 Test 4 Q43 |
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| jostle uncomfort- ably with – jumble | come to a climax |
|
| Book 1 Test 1 Q37 |
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| is the game up? – if the worst comes to the worst, scientists – researchers, now – quite recently |
| Well, Fortunate-ly |
| Book 1 Test 1 Q38 |
| counteract – cancel out, ideas – proposals | geo-engineering – technological fix, quite recently – new, large scale – radical ideas, counteract – remedies |
| So, While, only recently |
| Book 1 Test 1 Q39 | The simplest method (of…), it |
| stratosphere – vertical… ten km long – at great heights above the earth – atmosphere |
|
|
| Book 1 Test 1 Q40 | The approach, others |
| side effects – worse than the cure – drawbacks |
| however |
| Book 1 Test 1 Q41 | these devices |
| sunshade – dimming sunlight |
|
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| Book 1 Test 1 Q42 | the contents, they |
| launcher – rockets, space – the place between the Earth and the sun |
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| Book 1 Test 1 Q43 |
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| So, |
| Book 1 Test 2 Q37 | this |
| animation – children’s television |
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| Book 1 Test 2 Q38 | that |
| prodigious levels of… - this great mountain of…, tiny steps – minute detail, behaviour – posing – positions – gesture |
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| Book 1 Test 2 Q39 | others |
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| But even this |
| Book 1 Test 2 Q40 |
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| slow – dull – the longest day | until you’re finished, that’s when | however, So |
| Book 1 Test 2 Q41 |
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| short-term contracts – threats to his livelihood |
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| Book 1 Test 2 Q42 |
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| school – apprentice – without qualifications, a job – work | Having started… |
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| Book 1 Test 2 Q43 |
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| But then, after a period, one day, Now |
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| Book 1 Test 3 Q37 | this info-rmation, such |
| constant assault from thousands of litres of white water – in danger of being swept off his feet – torrent |
|
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| Book 1 Test 3 Q38 | this assertion |
| thousands of people chained themselves to bulldozers to save…– hard fought for |
| therefore |
| Book 1 Test 3 Q39 |
|
|
| mustering, the moment arrived to, briefed us, was beginning to, pushed off, the afternoon was spent |
|
| Book 1 Test 3 Q40 |
|
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| that we’d be doing, turned out to be | however |
| Book 1 Test 3 Q41 |
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| drizzle – light but steady rain – the sky had cleared – dark glasses and sunscreen – conditions were ideal, hike to Frenchman’s Cap – summit |
|
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| Book 1 Test 3 Q42 |
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| the next few days, it was not until we struck…, our only real drama occurred | Ironically enough |
| Book 1 Test 3 Q43 | such… experiences |
| stayed – held in place – hung on – dragged away |
| such… experiences became… |
| Book 1 Test 4 Q37 | his, the subject |
| conference – get together – presentation – delegates, science – psychology – research – biology – physics – chemistry, views – claim |
| So |
| Book 1 Test 4 Q38 | this attitude |
| pretends to be – has done little to improve itself – lack |
|
|
| Book 1 Test 4 Q39 | they |
| a few have been useful – some positive developments, institution – university |
| therefore |
| Book 1 Test 4 Q40 | this |
| foundations – supported by layer upon layer |
| thus |
| Book 1 Test 4 Q41 |
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| foundations – solid ground – building – tower |
| But |
| Book 1 Test 4 Q42 |
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| change – differently |
| even |
| Book 1 Test 4 Q43 |
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| smallest of experiments – just a day’s research, uncritical – ready to believe – without challenge |
| as a result |