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Exam guide & reading text

Choosing Less, BetterPart 3: Word Formation

"Choosing Less, Better" 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

Buying less does not mean refusing every convenience; it means considering whether a purchase will continue to be useful. The environmental cost of (17) .......... includes not only production but delivery, storage and disposal. People often expect a new item to bring lasting (18) .........., yet this feeling can fade when the object becomes routine. One practical question is whether the item can be repaired, shared or made (19) .......... after its first purpose has ended. This can reveal how many apparently essential purchases are actually (20) ........... It also helps to borrow things used only (21) .........., such as tools for a single weekend task. Keeping a record of (22) .......... can make patterns visible without turning every decision into a moral test. Over time, people may develop a stronger (23) .......... for objects that solve several problems well. The most (24) .......... choices are often those that remain useful long enough to avoid replacement.

Questions summary

Question 1

Base word: CONSUME

Question 2

Base word: SATISFY

Question 3

Base word: REUSE

Question 4

Base word: NECESSARY

Question 5

Base word: OCCASION

Question 6

Base word: PURCHASE

Question 7

Base word: PREFER

Question 8

Base word: VALUE