Reading Flashcards
7 cards from real CAE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Reading flashcards as text
In CAE Reading Part 7 (gapped text), which of the following is a key strategy for identifying where a removed paragraph belongs?
Answer: Looking for lexical and grammatical cohesion links between paragraphs
Lexical cohesion (repeated vocabulary, synonyms) and grammatical cohesion (pronouns, determiners, connectors) are the primary clues for placing removed paragraphs.
A CAE text includes the sentence: 'The study's scope was, by design, intentionally narrow.' What does 'by design' emphasize?
Answer: The narrowness was a deliberate methodological choice
'By design' means something was planned or intentional, indicating the researchers deliberately chose to limit the scope.
In a CAE multiple-choice question, a passage states that a new policy 'has been met with a lukewarm response.' What does 'lukewarm' suggest about the reaction?
Answer: Mild, unenthusiastic acceptance
'Lukewarm' metaphorically means neither hot (enthusiastic) nor cold (opposed), describing a tepid, unenthusiastic reception.
A CAE passage uses the phrase 'a watershed moment' to describe an event. What does this mean?
Answer: A turning point that marks a significant change
A 'watershed moment' refers to a critical turning point that divides what came before from what follows, signaling major change.
In CAE Reading, a writer describes a colleague as having 'an eye for detail that bordered on obsession.' What tone does this convey?
Answer: Both admiration and gentle concern about excess
'An eye for detail' is positive, but 'bordered on obsession' adds a nuance of concern, creating a tone that is admiring yet slightly cautionary.
In a CAE text about technology, the author writes: 'We have become slaves to our devices, yet we rarely pause to question our chains.' What literary device is primarily used here?
Answer: Extended metaphor
The metaphor of slavery is extended across both clauses ('slaves' and 'chains'), making this an extended metaphor about dependency on technology.
A CAE Part 5 question asks why the writer includes a specific anecdote in the middle of an argument. The most likely purpose of an anecdote in an argumentative text is to:
Answer: Provide a concrete, relatable illustration of an abstract point
Anecdotes in argumentative texts typically function as concrete examples that make abstract claims more accessible and persuasive to the reader.