A workshop that invites volunteers to transcribe old repair manuals could seem a rather niche pursuit. Yet marginal notes can (1) .......... light on how ordinary objects were once used and maintained. Researchers (2) .......... across references to tools that no longer exist, while reconstructed copies often (3) .......... little resemblance to the objects described in the text. The team therefore set (4) .......... cataloguing every diagram, amendment and handwritten instruction.
In the (5) .......... of a recent exhibition, public interest in the collection increased sharply. Some historians, however, have been (6) .......... issue with the idea that manuals provide a completely reliable record of domestic life. The line between practical instruction and personal opinion is often (7) .........., especially when an owner has added their own advice. Even so, the project’s shortcomings are (8) .......... up for by the insight it offers into everyday problem-solving.
The volunteers are not expected to become expert mechanics, yet they are encouraged to question terms that appear obvious. A word such as 'standard' may refer to a local convention, a particular manufacturer or simply the preference of the person who wrote the note. Such distinctions matter when a manual is used to reconstruct an object for display. The team publishes short commentaries alongside selected pages, inviting visitors to compare the instructions with tools from their own homes. These comparisons often reveal how quickly practical knowledge can disappear.
A workshop that invites volunteers to transcribe old repair manuals could seem a rather niche pursuit. Yet marginal notes can (1) .......... light on how ordinary objects were once used and maintained. Researchers (2) .......... across references to tools that no longer exist, while reconstructed copies often (3) .......... little resemblance to the objects described in the text. The team therefore set (4) .......... cataloguing every diagram, amendment and handwritten instruction.
In the (5) .......... of a recent exhibition, public interest in the collection increased sharply. Some historians, however, have been (6) .......... issue with the idea that manuals provide a completely reliable record of domestic life. The line between practical instruction and personal opinion is often (7) .........., especially when an owner has added their own advice. Even so, the project’s shortcomings are (8) .......... up for by the insight it offers into everyday problem-solving.
The volunteers are not expected to become expert mechanics, yet they are encouraged to question terms that appear obvious. A word such as 'standard' may refer to a local convention, a particular manufacturer or simply the preference of the person who wrote the note. Such distinctions matter when a manual is used to reconstruct an object for display. The team publishes short commentaries alongside selected pages, inviting visitors to compare the instructions with tools from their own homes. These comparisons often reveal how quickly practical knowledge can disappear.
Question 1
Exam guide & reading text▾
Reading old repair manuals — Part 1: Multiple Choice Cloze
"Reading old repair manuals" 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 workshop that invites volunteers to transcribe old repair manuals could seem a rather niche pursuit. Yet marginal notes can (1) .......... light on how ordinary objects were once used and maintained. Researchers (2) .......... across references to tools that no longer exist, while reconstructed copies often (3) .......... little resemblance to the objects described in the text. The team therefore set (4) .......... cataloguing every diagram, amendment and handwritten instruction.
In the (5) .......... of a recent exhibition, public interest in the collection increased sharply. Some historians, however, have been (6) .......... issue with the idea that manuals provide a completely reliable record of domestic life. The line between practical instruction and personal opinion is often (7) .........., especially when an owner has added their own advice. Even so, the project’s shortcomings are (8) .......... up for by the insight it offers into everyday problem-solving.
The volunteers are not expected to become expert mechanics, yet they are encouraged to question terms that appear obvious. A word such as 'standard' may refer to a local convention, a particular manufacturer or simply the preference of the person who wrote the note. Such distinctions matter when a manual is used to reconstruct an object for display. The team publishes short commentaries alongside selected pages, inviting visitors to compare the instructions with tools from their own homes. These comparisons often reveal how quickly practical knowledge can disappear.