Use of English

Level B2

Part 1 - Multiple Choice

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

Long Hours at Work

Many employees accept long working hours because they want to succeed, earn more money, or impress their managers. However, spending too much time at work can have serious effects on both health and personal life. People who regularly work late often (0) FIND it difficult to relax properly, and this can lead to stress, poor sleep, and a lack of energy. Over time, workers may begin to (1) .......... out on exercise, family events, and simple daily pleasures. They may also (2) .......... under pressure to answer emails even at night, which makes it harder to switch off mentally. In some companies, employees are expected to (3) .......... up with unrealistic demands, even when they are already exhausted. As a result, their performance may (4) .......... rather than improve, because tired people make more mistakes and find it harder to concentrate. Long hours can also (5) .......... a negative effect on relationships, as workers have less time to spend with friends and relatives. In the long (6) .........., this lifestyle may damage both physical and mental health. For this reason, many experts argue that companies should (7) .......... steps to protect staff well-being and (8) .......... a better balance between work and free time.

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

ADRIAN SANCHEZ

@adrian-2a8edd

User Prompt

"Create an exercise about the effects of long working hours"

Tone: Standard
Level: B2

Created on:

May 23, 2026

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