Shopping heaven? (CPE, selective cloze)

Question

From Paper 1 (Reading) of the CPE (Certificate of Proficiency in English) of the University of Cambridge, Part 1. In this part candidates are asked to read three extracts and to answer a total of 18 questions, six per extract.Here are some directions and suggestions given in the CPE handbook for this task:Students  should be aware of the different aspects of vocabulary tested in this  part of the paper. They should read through each text carefully, not  forgetting the title, to get a general idea of the text type and  meaning before looking at the options. They could also be encouraged to  think about the possible forms and meanings of the gapped words at this  stage. They should be aware that the missing word(s) may form part of  an idiom, fixed phrase or collocation, so they should always check the  words around the gap carefully. The missing word(s) must also fit the  whole context of the passage so they should also check that the  completed sentence makes sense in the passage as a whole. This is  particularly important in the case of linkers.Are you ready to read the extract  and decide which answer best fits each gap? ________________________________Shopping heaven? From: Newbrook J. and Wilson J. (2001) New Proficiency Gold Coursebook. Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd.

Hirojai · Accepted Answer

T_T this test let me know where my lvl is...and obvious not proficient lvl...i wonder i m not even at the intermediate lvl ...if there was 1 to 1 tute with no charge, so good ;P

Alex-93 · Answer

5 out of 6

I wasn't familiar with the expression " to put things into perspective", instead I chose " to put things into order".

Thanks Tanit

Hirojai · Answer

5 out of 6 cool man...i just got 2 right and 1 of them by guessing T_T

i don't really understand "getting at" here means what...seems having different meaning (probably just to me), and i got stuck there...

i just got the 1st and the last correct...bad results...will someone explain this after?
btw, will it be different if i used to learn...british/ australian style eng?

cheers

Alex-93 · Answer

hirojai5 out of 6 cool man...i just got 2 right and 1 of them by guessing T_T

i don't really understand "getting at" here means what...seems having different meaning (probably just to me), and i got stuck there...

i just got the 1st and the last correct...bad results...will someone explain this after?
btw, will it be different if i used to learn...british/ australian style eng?

cheers

I don't think it varies if you are learning a certain style of english, because the assignment is based on general english and general idioms. For getting six out of six you require a feeling for the english language. You have to follow your intention if you want to know which verb/noun fits best.
Often there are certain verbs, that are followed by certain nouns etc.. It's not that the other verbs in the gap don't make any sense!They just do not fit with the context. That's what I mean with the feeling of the english language.

Don't give up hirojai, just keep on learning and I'm sure you'll manage to get a better result next time

Anonymous · Answer

Heck, I'm an American and only got 5 out of 6. Never heard the "feel good factor" saying before. haha.

Dandylau91 · Answer

I still too far from the level. T.T Shame of myself.

Lacan · Answer

What score do I need to pass this test? I've hit several of them and scored only 3 out of 6 in each.Did I fail or perhaps barely passed it?

Juan Jose · Answer

Me too, i realize that i need to learn  more about the context of the words!

Gimom · Answer

I think the test is not an academic or school of American learning . It is more of an everyday social language type of talk and some slang. It is not proper English , other wise if you don't live here in the USA it would be hard for anyone to understand. I was born in the USA that is why I know this language so well and in my opinion , for a person who speaks another language the test is not a  very good one to begin learning English . Yes , It may be used talking to someone on the local level are some American friends , but not  in a class room setting. Thanks melissa

Tanit · Answer

Hi Melissa,

Thanks for your comment.

gimomI think the test is not an academic or school of American learning .

Who said it was? The CPE (=> Certificate of Proficiency in English) is an exam taken by non-native speakers of English, organised by the University of Cambridge. I put the link in my very first post.
http://www.cambridgeesol.org/exams/general-english/cpe.html

gimomIt is not proper English

Really? I'm sorry to tell you that most Universities in the UK require that prospective international students hold a certificate like the CPE, the TOEFL, or the IELTS (well, some also accept the CAE).

gimomhe test is not a very good one to begin learning English .

I'm with you on this. The CPE is not for beginners.
In fact, it is taken by students whose level of English is marked as "C2" in the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_European_Framework_of_Reference_for_Languages. That's the highest level, and the average overall pass rate is below 50% (you can check the http://www.cambridgeesol.org/assets/pdf/resources/teacher/cpe_report_jun09_0301.pdf and http://www.cambridgeesol.org/assets/pdf/resources/teacher/cpe_report_dec08_0301.pdf reports for yourself).

gimomI was born in the USA that is why I know this language so well

I envy you, because (contrary to you) I had to study hard and sit for many of those exams to be accepted in a British university, and yet I cannot pass for a native speaker. Either I make grammar mistakes or I use odd wording/wrong collocations that give me away (not to mention my foreign accent when I speak).
But ... you know what? I was accepted in a Uni in the UK, had to write many essays and a dissertation, had to give several presentations and this way I managed to obtain my MSc ... and tests like this really helped me enlarge my (limited) vocabulary.

Shopping heaven? (CPE, selective cloze)

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