Use of English

Level B2

Part 1 - Multiple Choice

Exercises Feed

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For Questions 1-8, read the text below and decide which answer best fits each gap.

City Pressure

For many people, living in a large city is exciting because there is always something happening. However, city life can also come (0) WITH serious disadvantages. One of the main problems is the high cost of living. Rent, transport and even basic food items can all (1) .......... up a large part of a person's income. As a result, many people have to work long hours just to make (2) .......... meet. Another common complaint is the amount of traffic. People often spend hours stuck in traffic (3) .......... or waiting for delayed public transport. This not only wastes time, but also adds to daily stress. In addition, big cities are usually noisy, crowded and polluted, which can have a negative (4) .......... on both physical and mental health. Even so, many people are still drawn to city life because of the opportunities it offers. There are usually more jobs, better entertainment and a wider (5) .......... of services than in smaller towns. Still, building close relationships can be difficult, as people tend to lead busy lives and keep to (6) .......... In the end, whether city life is enjoyable often depends (7) .......... the person. Some people thrive on the energy of a busy environment, while others soon feel worn (8) .......... by the pressure.

What to do

In this part, you read a text with eight gaps and choose the best word from four options to fit each gap.

Nothing prepares you for this test better than reading.

Read a lot. Candidates who often read in English (for work, for fun) find this part of the test manageable, while those who never read tend to find it very hard.

If you are 100% sure that two of the 4 choices are completely identical, then neither can be the answer. There is always only one word that fits grammatically and has the right meaning.

Usually the correct option will be part of a fixed phrase or collocation, a phrasal verb, a connector or the only word that fits grammatically in the gap.

Strategy

  1. Read the title and the whole text quickly to understand its general meaning before you attempt the task.
  2. Check the words before and after the gap.
  3. Choose the best option.
  4. When you have finished, read the text again with the words inserted to check that it makes sense.

Instructions

For Questions 1-8, read the text below and decide which answer best fits each gap.

Exercise Details

Author

Lautaro Palacio

@lautaro-palacio

User Prompt

"Create an exercise about the challenges of living in a big city"

Tone: Standard
Level: B2

Created on:

Jul 8, 2026

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