A repair café in a former shop unit has become a regular meeting point for people who would once have thrown away a faulty kettle or torn jacket. The idea came (1) .......... after a group of neighbours began swapping tools and realised that many small problems could be solved with a little advice. They also noticed that many visitors were less interested in saving money than in understanding why an object had failed. The first sessions were advertised through schools, libraries and neighbourhood groups, which brought in a varied crowd. Many of them arrive with objects that have sentimental value, which makes the work feel more personal than a standard repair service. The café takes (2) .......... of the skills offered by retired engineers, keen cyclists and anyone prepared to learn from someone else. On a typical evening, volunteers deal with a wide (3) .......... of repairs, from replacing a plug to adjusting the brakes on a child’s bicycle.
Experienced volunteers are always on (4) .......... to answer questions, but they avoid doing everything themselves. Their aim is to keep each session (5) .......... track and help visitors understand the process. A modest donation can go a long (6) .......... towards buying shared equipment. More importantly, people leave less willing to throw objects (7) .......... at the first sign of difficulty. The organisers believe the model is likely to catch (8) .......... in other districts, particularly where residents want practical ways to reduce waste.
A repair café in a former shop unit has become a regular meeting point for people who would once have thrown away a faulty kettle or torn jacket. The idea came (1) .......... after a group of neighbours began swapping tools and realised that many small problems could be solved with a little advice. They also noticed that many visitors were less interested in saving money than in understanding why an object had failed. The first sessions were advertised through schools, libraries and neighbourhood groups, which brought in a varied crowd. Many of them arrive with objects that have sentimental value, which makes the work feel more personal than a standard repair service. The café takes (2) .......... of the skills offered by retired engineers, keen cyclists and anyone prepared to learn from someone else. On a typical evening, volunteers deal with a wide (3) .......... of repairs, from replacing a plug to adjusting the brakes on a child’s bicycle.
Experienced volunteers are always on (4) .......... to answer questions, but they avoid doing everything themselves. Their aim is to keep each session (5) .......... track and help visitors understand the process. A modest donation can go a long (6) .......... towards buying shared equipment. More importantly, people leave less willing to throw objects (7) .......... at the first sign of difficulty. The organisers believe the model is likely to catch (8) .......... in other districts, particularly where residents want practical ways to reduce waste.
Question 1
Exam guide & reading text▾
An evening repair café — Part 1: Multiple Choice Cloze
"An evening repair café" is a Cambridge C1 Proficiency Multiple Choice Cloze (Part 1) practice exam. This task tests your command of collocations, idiomatic expressions, phrasal verbs and fixed phrases in context. Read the full text carefully before choosing each option — the correct answer often depends on what naturally follows the surrounding words, not grammar alone. Eliminate distractors that are grammatically possible but semantically wrong, and watch for subtle register shifts between formal and informal usage.
A repair café in a former shop unit has become a regular meeting point for people who would once have thrown away a faulty kettle or torn jacket. The idea came (1) .......... after a group of neighbours began swapping tools and realised that many small problems could be solved with a little advice. They also noticed that many visitors were less interested in saving money than in understanding why an object had failed. The first sessions were advertised through schools, libraries and neighbourhood groups, which brought in a varied crowd. Many of them arrive with objects that have sentimental value, which makes the work feel more personal than a standard repair service. The café takes (2) .......... of the skills offered by retired engineers, keen cyclists and anyone prepared to learn from someone else. On a typical evening, volunteers deal with a wide (3) .......... of repairs, from replacing a plug to adjusting the brakes on a child’s bicycle.
Experienced volunteers are always on (4) .......... to answer questions, but they avoid doing everything themselves. Their aim is to keep each session (5) .......... track and help visitors understand the process. A modest donation can go a long (6) .......... towards buying shared equipment. More importantly, people leave less willing to throw objects (7) .......... at the first sign of difficulty. The organisers believe the model is likely to catch (8) .......... in other districts, particularly where residents want practical ways to reduce waste.