A cloze test for native speakers

A cloze test designed by a Chinese: Here is a passage with 20 blanks. Please fill in the blanks with the options given below. Suggested answers are given below and, after you have checked your answers, please make comments on them.

It was the first weekend after Christmas and all 1 wanted to do was lie on the sofa and watch TV.However,I had two lawns to mow.Too bad! I 1 as I crossed to the lawn next door .

Five years ago my 72-year-old next door neighbor collapsed in the driveway.We both 2 to be working on our lawns that day. 3 for us,we’d stopped to chat.I 4 Glen before his head hit the ground.He lay semiconscious in my 5 until the ambulance arrived.

I rode with Glen and his wife,Grace, to the hospital.Over the next few weeks.I cut his lawn.

Glen 6 fully recovered.He could hardly walk.Within two years.he was dead.I 7 for Grace. With nobody else to help,I’d been attending her 1awn 8 .I liked to think someone would take care of my lawn for my 9 if anything like that happened to me.But that didn’t make the promise any 10 . I needed to buy twice as much gas--not 11 .

Besides,my old mower regularly 12 .Grace let me use Glen’s lawnmower and chipped in for 13 .but eventually that mower also started going wrong.I admired the fancy new models 14 .“Light as a feather.”“Almost does the job itself!” But it was 15 me right now.

“Glen would do it for me.”I 16 myself as 1 walked to Grace’s 17 .Maybe I just didn’t want to spend the post-Christmas day cutting grass with that terrible mower, 18 I wanted to let Grace down even less.

I opened the garage door.The old lawnmower was 19 .In its place sat the latest mower on the market. 20 to it,a sign read.“Merry Christmas,Gary.Hope you like your new lawnmower.”0ne gentle pull of the starter cord and it came to life.It was Christmas all over again.

1.A.whispered	B.complained	C.waited	D.paused
2.A.remembered	B.offered	C.agreed	D.happened
3.A.Funny	B.Impractical	C.Lucky	D.Impossible
4.A.1eft	B.caught	C.found	D.called
5.A.arms	B.house	C.tears	D.car
6.A.even	B.ever	C.still	D.never
7.A.ached	B.apologized	C.appreciated	D.1ooked
8.A.after all	B.ever since	C.in turn	D.in return
9.A.neighbor	B.friend	C.mother	D.wife
10.A.longer	B.easier	C.1ighter	D.harder
11.A.necessary	B.difficult	C.cheap	D.useful
12.A.gave up	B.broke down	C.used up	D.broke out
13.A.food	B.fertilizer	C.share	D.fuel
14.A.advertised	B.proved	C.commented	D.instructed
15.A.against	B.over	C.beyond	D.around
16.A.reminded	B.relaxed	C.adjusted	D.amused
17.A.1awn	B.storeroom	C.driveway	D.garage
18.A.though	B.but	C.or	D.since
19.A.rotten	B.gone	C.surprising	D.disappointing
20.A.Attached	B.Equipped	C.Floated	D.Folded

Suggested answers:

1-5 BDCBA

6-10. DABDB

11-15. CBDAC

16-20. ADBBA