CAE Reading 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In CAE Reading Part 7 (gapped text), which of the following is a key strategy for identifying where a removed paragraph belongs?
- Choosing the paragraph with the most interesting content
- Looking for lexical and grammatical cohesion links between paragraphs (Correct answer)
- Selecting the paragraph that is longest in length
- Choosing the paragraph written in the most formal register
Correct 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.
Question 2: A CAE text includes the sentence: 'The study's scope was, by design, intentionally narrow.' What does 'by design' emphasize?
- The narrowness was an accidental limitation
- The narrowness was an unavoidable consequence of funding
- The narrowness was a deliberate methodological choice (Correct answer)
- The narrowness was criticized by peer reviewers
Correct 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.
Question 3: 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?
- Strong enthusiasm and support
- Heated controversy and opposition
- Mild, unenthusiastic acceptance (Correct answer)
- Complete indifference and ignorance
Correct answer: Mild, unenthusiastic acceptance
'Lukewarm' metaphorically means neither hot (enthusiastic) nor cold (opposed), describing a tepid, unenthusiastic reception.
Question 4: A CAE passage uses the phrase 'a watershed moment' to describe an event. What does this mean?
- A moment of environmental significance
- A turning point that marks a significant change (Correct answer)
- A moment of confusion and uncertainty
- A period of gradual, barely noticeable change
Correct 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.
Question 5: In CAE Reading, a writer describes a colleague as having 'an eye for detail that bordered on obsession.' What tone does this convey?
- Pure admiration with no reservation
- Mild criticism disguised as a compliment
- Both admiration and gentle concern about excess (Correct answer)
- Strong disapproval of the colleague's behavior
Correct 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.
Question 6: 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?
- Simile
- Personification
- Extended metaphor (Correct answer)
- Alliteration
Correct answer: Extended metaphor
The metaphor of slavery is extended across both clauses ('slaves' and 'chains'), making this an extended metaphor about dependency on technology.
Question 7: 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:
- Distract the reader from weak reasoning
- Provide a concrete, relatable illustration of an abstract point (Correct answer)
- Introduce a counter-argument to be refuted
- Demonstrate the writer's personal superiority
Correct 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.
CAE Reading 4
In CAE Reading Part 7 (gapped text), which of the following is a key strategy for identifying where a removed paragraph belongs?