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Exam guide & reading text

The Morning ShadowPart 3: Word Formation

"The Morning Shadow" focuses on Word Formation (Part 3), where a base word in capitals must be transformed to fit a gap in the text. Cambridge tests prefixation, suffixation, internal changes and negative forms. Before writing, identify the word class required (noun, adjective, adverb or verb) and whether the sentence needs a negative or comparative form. Spelling accuracy matters — an otherwise correct stem with a typo scores zero.

Read the full Part 3: Word Formation strategy guide →

Reading text

To notice how a room changes through the day, you need only stand near the same window at several times. A careful (17) .......... can show that shadows do not move at a constant speed, even when the sky appears clear. Their length is affected by the angle of the sun, so a simple (18) .......... made at noon may look very different an hour later. The change is often more (19) .......... near a window frame than in the middle of the room, where the eye has fewer fixed points. What feels like an (20) .......... shift may therefore be entirely normal. People who keep a record can estimate the movement (21) .........., without needing specialist equipment. Small (22) .......... between days are also revealing, particularly when cloud cover changes. The exercise works best in (23) .........., when the contrast between light and shade is easiest to see. It turns an ordinary room into a (24) .......... environment, reminding us that familiar places are never quite still.

Questions summary

Question 1

Base word: OBSERVE

Question 2

Base word: MEASURE

Question 3

Base word: NOTICE

Question 4

Base word: EXPECT

Question 5

Base word: APPROXIMATE

Question 6

Base word: DIFFER

Question 7

Base word: DAY

Question 8

Base word: CHANGE