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Use of English

Level C1

Part 2 - Open Cloze

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5
1

For questions 1-8, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap.

Small Business Pressures

Running a small business is often described (0) AS a rewarding way to build independence, but the reality can be far more demanding. Owners are responsible for nearly every aspect of the operation, from finance and recruitment to marketing and customer service, all of (1) .......... require time and expertise. In addition, many small firms operate (2) .......... tight budgets, which makes it difficult to invest in new technology or expand quickly. Even when demand is strong, cash flow problems can prevent a company (3) .......... meeting its short-term obligations. Another difficulty lies in competing with larger corporations, which can often offer lower prices and spend more (4) .......... advertising. Small businesses may also struggle to keep (5) .......... with changing regulations, especially when they lack dedicated legal or administrative staff. At the same time, owners must make decisions quickly, whether or not they have access (6) .......... complete information. Success therefore depends not only on hard work, but also on being able to adapt (7) .......... unexpected setbacks. For many entrepreneurs, the greatest challenge is not starting a business, but ensuring that it continues to grow (8) .......... a sustainable way.

What to do

This part consists of a short text with a series of gaps. There are no words from which to choose the answers, candidates have to think of a word which fits the gap correctly.

Errors in punctuation are ignored, although spelling must be correct.

Contractions (e.g. don’t, we’ve, won’t) count as two words. However, can’t is a contraction of cannot, which is one word.

Sometimes, there is more than one correct answer. Cambridge will always account for this and all options will be accepted. However, you should not write more than one answer.

Don't spend time in a word you don't know. Wasting time on this activity might cost you points later in the exam because you won’t have enough time to do other tasks well.

Strategy

  1. Read the title and the whole text so that you understand what it is about.
  2. Read the whole sentence in which the gap occurs, to look for clues as to what kind of word you need.
  3. Check the words before and after each gap and look for grammatical collocations.
  4. Remember you must write only one word.
  5. You are never required to write a contraction. If you think the answer is a contraction, it must be wrong, so think again.
  6. Read the whole text through once you have completed it to make sure you have not missed any connectors, plurals or negatives.

Instructions

For questions 1-8, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap.

Exercise Details

Author

Haline Bannitz

@haline-bannitz

User Prompt

"Create an exercise about the challenges faced by small businesses"

Tone: Professional
Level: C1

Created on:

Jun 26, 2026

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