Free Gaokao English 'Cloze' Test Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers

Question 1: I used to be a person who was afraid of public speaking. The mere thought of standing before an audience would make my palms sweat and my heart 1. This fear held me back in many ways, both in school and in my personal life. I knew I had to 2 it. My opportunity came when our English teacher announced a speech contest. 3 everyone else was excited, I was terrified. However, a friend encouraged me, saying, 'The only way to get over a fear is to face it.' His words 4 with me. I decided to participate. I spent weeks preparing, practicing in front of a mirror, and then in front of my family. On the day of the contest, I was still nervous, but as I walked onto the stage, I took a deep breath and remembered my friend's advice. I started speaking, and to my 5, the words flowed smoothly. When I finished, the audience applauded. That moment was a turning point. I didn't win the contest, but I won something more 6: confidence.

1. race (Correct answer)
1. stop
1. ache
1. shrink

Correct answer: 1. race

The verb 'race' is commonly used to describe a heart beating very quickly, especially due to excitement or fear. This fits the context of being nervous about public speaking.

Question 2: I used to be a person who was afraid of public speaking. The mere thought of standing before an audience would make my palms sweat and my heart 1. This fear held me back in many ways, both in school and in my personal life. I knew I had to 2 it. My opportunity came when our English teacher announced a speech contest. 3 everyone else was excited, I was terrified. However, a friend encouraged me, saying, 'The only way to get over a fear is to face it.' His words 4 with me. I decided to participate. I spent weeks preparing, practicing in front of a mirror, and then in front of my family. On the day of the contest, I was still nervous, but as I walked onto the stage, I took a deep breath and remembered my friend's advice. I started speaking, and to my 5, the words flowed smoothly. When I finished, the audience applauded. That moment was a turning point. I didn't win the contest, but I won something more 6: confidence.

2. accept
2. ignore
2. analyze
2. overcome (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 2. overcome

'Overcome' means to succeed in dealing with a problem or difficulty. The narrator recognized their fear as a problem and decided they needed to defeat it.

Question 3: I used to be a person who was afraid of public speaking. The mere thought of standing before an audience would make my palms sweat and my heart 1. This fear held me back in many ways, both in school and in my personal life. I knew I had to 2 it. My opportunity came when our English teacher announced a speech contest. 3 everyone else was excited, I was terrified. However, a friend encouraged me, saying, 'The only way to get over a fear is to face it.' His words 4 with me. I decided to participate. I spent weeks preparing, practicing in front of a mirror, and then in front of my family. On the day of the contest, I was still nervous, but as I walked onto the stage, I took a deep breath and remembered my friend's advice. I started speaking, and to my 5, the words flowed smoothly. When I finished, the audience applauded. That moment was a turning point. I didn't win the contest, but I won something more 6: confidence.

3. Because
3. While (Correct answer)
3. Unless
3. Since

Correct answer: 3. While

'While' is a conjunction used to show contrast. It effectively contrasts the excitement of the other students with the narrator's terror.

Question 4: I used to be a person who was afraid of public speaking. The mere thought of standing before an audience would make my palms sweat and my heart 1. This fear held me back in many ways, both in school and in my personal life. I knew I had to 2 it. My opportunity came when our English teacher announced a speech contest. 3 everyone else was excited, I was terrified. However, a friend encouraged me, saying, 'The only way to get over a fear is to face it.' His words 4 with me. I decided to participate. I spent weeks preparing, practicing in front of a mirror, and then in front of my family. On the day of the contest, I was still nervous, but as I walked onto the stage, I took a deep breath and remembered my friend's advice. I started speaking, and to my 5, the words flowed smoothly. When I finished, the audience applauded. That moment was a turning point. I didn't win the contest, but I won something more 6: confidence.

4. agreed
4. played
4. stuck (Correct answer)
4. argued

Correct answer: 4. stuck

The idiom 'stuck with me' means that the narrator remembered the words and they had a lasting effect. The friend's advice was memorable and influential.

Question 5: I used to be a person who was afraid of public speaking. The mere thought of standing before an audience would make my palms sweat and my heart 1. This fear held me back in many ways, both in school and in my personal life. I knew I had to 2 it. My opportunity came when our English teacher announced a speech contest. 3 everyone else was excited, I was terrified. However, a friend encouraged me, saying, 'The only way to get over a fear is to face it.' His words 4 with me. I decided to participate. I spent weeks preparing, practicing in front of a mirror, and then in front of my family. On the day of the contest, I was still nervous, but as I walked onto the stage, I took a deep breath and remembered my friend's advice. I started speaking, and to my 5, the words flowed smoothly. When I finished, the audience applauded. That moment was a turning point. I didn't win the contest, but I won something more 6: confidence.

5. horror
5. disappointment
5. surprise (Correct answer)
5. regret

Correct answer: 5. surprise

The phrase 'to my surprise' indicates that the outcome was unexpected. The narrator was nervous and likely expected to fail, so the smooth flow of words was a pleasant surprise.

Question 6: I used to be a person who was afraid of public speaking. The mere thought of standing before an audience would make my palms sweat and my heart 1. This fear held me back in many ways, both in school and in my personal life. I knew I had to 2 it. My opportunity came when our English teacher announced a speech contest. 3 everyone else was excited, I was terrified. However, a friend encouraged me, saying, 'The only way to get over a fear is to face it.' His words 4 with me. I decided to participate. I spent weeks preparing, practicing in front of a mirror, and then in front of my family. On the day of the contest, I was still nervous, but as I walked onto the stage, I took a deep breath and remembered my friend's advice. I started speaking, and to my 5, the words flowed smoothly. When I finished, the audience applauded. That moment was a turning point. I didn't win the contest, but I won something more 6: confidence.

6. valuable (Correct answer)
6. difficult
6. common
6. simple

Correct answer: 6. valuable

The sentence contrasts not winning the contest with gaining confidence. 'Valuable' correctly describes confidence as a prize of great worth, even more so than winning the contest itself.

Free Gaokao English 'Cloze' Test Questions and Answers

I used to be a person who was afraid of public speaking.
The mere thought of standing before an audience would make my palms sweat and my heart __1__.
This fear held me back in many ways, both in school and in my personal life.
I knew I had to __2__ it.
My opportunity came when our English teacher announced a speech contest. __3__ everyone else was excited, I was terrified.
However, a friend encouraged me, saying, 'The only way to get over a fear is to face it.' His words __4__ with me.
I decided to participate.
I spent weeks preparing, practicing in front of a mirror, and then in front of my family.
On the day of the contest, I was still nervous, but as I walked onto the stage, I took a deep breath and remembered my friend's advice.
I started speaking, and to my __5__, the words flowed smoothly.
When I finished, the audience applauded.
That moment was a turning point.
I didn't win the contest, but I won something more __6__: confidence.

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Sources & references

Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy

sdxc.gov.cn — Time limit · verified Oct 2026
moe.gov.cn — Test delivery, score release, passing score · verified Oct 2026
zzjy.zhengzhou.gov.cn — Fees · verified Oct 2026
sdzk.cn — Fees · verified Oct 2026
gaokao.chsi.com.cn — Eligibility · verified Oct 2026