Use of English

Level C1

Part 1 - Multiple Choice

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

Resilience Under Pressure

In periods of uncertainty, resilience is often described as the quality that enables people to keep going when circumstances turn against them. It does not mean ignoring difficulties or pretending that everything is fine. Rather, it involves recognising problems clearly while refusing to be (0) OVERWHELMED by them. People who are resilient tend to recover more quickly from setbacks and are better able to (1) .......... with change. They also understand that progress is rarely immediate and that meaningful improvement often comes about (2) .......... small, repeated efforts. In difficult times, resilience can be strengthened by habits that may seem simple but are highly effective. Maintaining supportive relationships, for instance, can (3) .......... a crucial difference, as can setting realistic goals. Another important factor is the ability to keep temporary failure in (4) .........., rather than seeing it as proof of permanent weakness. This allows people to learn from experience instead of being (5) .......... back by self-doubt. Ultimately, resilience is not a fixed trait that some people possess and others lack. It is a capacity that can be built up over time, provided that individuals are willing to (6) .......... from mistakes and draw (7) .......... inner resources they may not have realised they had. In this sense, resilience does more than help people survive hardship; it enables them to come (8) .......... it wiser and stronger.

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

Igor Elicegui

@igor-elicegui

User Prompt

"Create an exercise about the importance of resilience in difficult times"

Tone: Standard
Level: C1

Created on:

May 1, 2026

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