For each question, choose the correct answer.
An unusual holiday
Most people go on holiday to get away from work. But in the beautiful Scottish village of Wigtown, it’s (1)…………… to rent a flat above a bookshop, and work as the (2)…………… of the bookshop for a week. This holiday is very popular with people who love books and who have always (3)…………… their own bookshop.
However, this is a holiday, so people staying there don’t have to work very hard. They can (4)…………… the opening hours of the shop, and they just have a few jobs to do, such as (5)…………… the shelves with books.
Guests also get a bike, so they can (6)…………… the area when the shop is closed. The holiday is so popular that the flat is fully booked for the next three years.
1 A able B possible C available
2 A manager B colleague C customer
3 A hoped B wanted C decided
4 A think B find C choose
5 A putting B adding C filling
6 A look B ride C explore
Answer
1 The correct answer is B: ‘possible’ is the correct adjective for this gap because it is the only word that makes sense with the words surrounding the gap. ‘It’s possible’ is another way of saying that something can happen (rent a flat above a bookshop) A and C are incorrect because the pronoun ‘it’ before the gap doesn’t make sense with either of these options.
2 The correct answer is A: ‘manager’ is the correct noun because it fits the meaning of the sentence and is the only option that collocates with the ‘of’ which follows the gap. B is incorrect. It doesn’t fit because of ‘the’ and ‘of’ which surround the gap. C is also incorrect as a customer shops in a bookshop; this isn’t their job. So ‘customer’ doesn’t fit the meaning of the sentence.
3 The correct answer is B: ‘wanted’ is the best verb for this gap as it completes the meaning of the sentence. A is incorrect. While it is similar in meaning to ‘wanted’, it doesn’t work next to ‘their’ which follows the gap. C is also incorrect because it doesn’t make sense with the words that surround the gap.
4 The correct answer is C: ‘choose’ is the best verb for this gap as people can ‘choose the opening hours of the shop’. A is incorrect as ‘think’ doesn’t make sense with the text after the gap. B is also incorrect as one can ‘find the opening hours’ (by looking on a website, or a sign outside); they just don’t do so in this context.
5 The correct answer is C: ‘filling’ makes sense in this gap as it is possible people will be ‘filling the shelves with books’. A is incorrect because the idea of ‘putting the shelves with books’ doesn’t make sense. B is also incorrect because it isn’t possible to be ‘adding the shelves with books’.
6 The correct answer is C: ‘explore’ is the only verb that works with the words before and after the gap. A is incorrect because it would need a preposition such as ‘at’ or ‘around’ to follow the gap to make any sense in this sentence. B is also incorrect because guests can ride a bike, but it doesn’t make sense to say they will ‘ride the area’.