B2 Use of English Test 12 – multiple choice gaps

Vera Neumann: fabric designer

Vera Neumann was a designer and businesswoman whose products (1)…………… their way into the homes of people across the USA.

Vera was born in Connecticut in 1907 and showed artistic (2)…………… from an early age. After attending art college in New York, she got a job as a textile designer, but didn’t like being (3)…………… what to do. Determined to develop her own styles, Vera started to produce tablecloths each item printed by hand in her kitchen.

But it was her scarves that (4)…………… Vera’s name. Good fabric was in short (5)…………… during the Second World War, but Vera was lucky enough to (6)…………… across some silk left over from the manufacture of parachutes. Vera used it to design scarves with floral, abstract and geometric designs. These were an (7)…………… success when they appeared in department stores and during the 1950s they were the (8)…………… of fashion, being worn by celebrities such as the film star Marilyn Monroe. By 1960, the company which Vera had (9)…………… was employing 200 staff and producing 130 patterns per season.

1   A   found                B   arrived             C   fetched          D   reached

2   A   training            B   talent                C   expert            D   gift

3   A   led                     B   directed           C   told                D   forced

4   A   got                    B   did                     C   gained           D   made

5   A   supply              B   availability       C   quantity         D   delivery

6   A   fall                     B   come                C   happen          D   run

7   A   acute                B   urgent              C   instant           D   extreme

8   A   height               B   peak                  C   top                D   crown

9   A   worked out     B   put on              C   carried off     D   set up