Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) — All Questions
22 questions
Not only ___ the deadline, but he also exceeded every target.
- a.he met
- b.he did meet
- c.did he meet✓
- d.met he
After the fronted negative 'Not only', subject-auxiliary inversion is obligatory: 'did he meet'. The plain word order 'he met' is incorrect here.
___ harder last year, she would be running the department now.
- a.Had she worked✓
- b.If she worked
- c.Should she work
- d.Were she to work
This is a mixed conditional: a past condition ('Had she worked' = if she had worked) with a present result ('would be running now'). The inverted 'Had she worked' correctly omits 'if'.
___ impressed the panel was her ability to stay calm under pressure.
- a.That
- b.Which
- c.It that
- d.What✓
This is a cleft sentence with a nominal relative: 'What impressed the panel was...'. 'What' introduces the clause acting as subject; 'that' and 'which' cannot begin it here.
___ all the evidence, the jury reached a swift verdict.
- a.To consider
- b.Having considered✓
- c.Considered
- d.Being considered
A perfect participle clause ('Having considered') shows the action was completed before the main clause. The passive 'Being considered' would wrongly make the jury the thing considered.
Rarely ___ such a compelling argument in a first draft.
- a.I have read
- b.have I read it
- c.have I read✓
- d.I read
The fronted restrictive adverb 'Rarely' triggers inversion: 'have I read'. Adding 'it' is redundant because 'argument' is the object already stated.
The report was merely the ___ of the iceberg; the real problems ran far deeper.
- a.peak
- b.tip✓
- c.top
- d.edge
The idiom is 'the tip of the iceberg', meaning a small visible part of a much larger problem. Only 'tip' completes the fixed expression.
To meet the budget, some suppliers were tempted to ___ corners on safety.
- a.cut down
- b.break
- c.turn
- d.cut✓
'Cut corners' means to do something cheaply or carelessly, omitting proper steps. The idiom uses 'cut', not 'cut down' or 'break'.
Given the team's form, their victory was almost a ___ conclusion.
- a.foregone✓
- b.forward
- c.former
- d.forgone
'A foregone conclusion' is a result that is obvious in advance. The correct spelling and word is 'foregone' (note: not 'forgone').
Losing that job turned out to be a blessing in ___.
- a.hiding
- b.secret
- c.disguise✓
- d.cover
'A blessing in disguise' describes something that seems bad but proves beneficial. The fixed noun is 'disguise'.
The auditors carried out a ___ examination of every transaction.
- a.deep
- b.thorough✓
- c.strong
- d.wide
'A thorough examination' collocates naturally to mean complete and careful. 'Deep' and 'strong' do not collocate idiomatically with 'examination'.
Concerns about privacy are now ___ across the industry. (WIDE)
- a.widespread✓
- b.widen
- c.widely
- d.wideness
The compound adjective 'widespread' (wide + spread) means existing over a large area. A predicative adjective is needed after 'are now'.
His ___ to the feelings of others cost him several friendships. (SENSE)
- a.sensible
- b.sensitivity
- c.sensitive
- d.insensitivity✓
The context ('cost him friendships') needs a negative noun: 'in-' + 'sensitiv' + '-ity' → 'insensitivity'. A noun follows the possessive 'His'.
In all ___, the meeting will be postponed until next week. (LIKELY)
- a.likeness
- b.likelihood✓
- c.likely
- d.liken
The fixed phrase 'in all likelihood' means very probably. The suffix -hood forms the abstract noun 'likelihood' from 'likely'.
The new evidence could ___ the entire case against him. (STRONG)
- a.strongly
- b.strength
- c.strengthen✓
- d.stronger
A verb is needed after the modal 'could'. The suffix -en turns the adjective 'strong' into the verb 'strengthen'.
He achieved rapid promotion, but ___ the expense of his health.
- a.at✓
- b.on
- c.in
- d.to
The fixed phrase is 'at the expense of', meaning something is sacrificed for something else. No other preposition is used in this idiom.
New regulations were introduced ___ the wake of the scandal.
- a.on
- b.at
- c.in✓
- d.by
'In the wake of' means following or as a result of an event. The preposition is fixed as 'in'.
The company was ___ the verge of bankruptcy before the rescue deal.
- a.at
- b.in
- c.near
- d.on✓
'On the verge of' means very close to (usually something negative). The idiom fixes the preposition as 'on'.
Her early novels show ___ remarkable understanding of human nature.
- a.the
- b.a✓
- c.an
- d.some
When an abstract noun like 'understanding' is modified and countable in this sense, it takes the indefinite article: 'a remarkable understanding'. The adjective begins with a consonant sound, so 'a', not 'an'.
Which sentence is correct?
- a.The scientists made a research into the virus.
- b.The scientists maked research into the virus.
- c.The scientists did research into the virus.✓
- d.The scientists made researches into the virus.
The correct collocation is 'do research', and 'research' is uncountable (no 'a', no plural). 'Make research' and 'researches' are both errors.
Which sentence is correct?
- a.Let's revert to the original plan.✓
- b.Let's revert back to the original plan.
- c.Let's revert back again to the original plan.
- d.Let's return back to the original plan.
'Revert' already means 'go back', so 'revert back' is redundant. The concise, correct form is simply 'revert to'.
Which sentence is correct?
- a.Neither of the proposals were acceptable.
- b.Neither of the proposals are acceptable.
- c.Neither of the proposals have been acceptable.
- d.Neither of the proposals was acceptable.✓
'Neither' is grammatically singular, so it takes a singular verb: 'Neither of the proposals was acceptable.' The plural 'proposals' in the phrase does not change the concord in careful written English.
Which sentence is correct?
- a.The role involves to plan events and to manage staff.
- b.The role involves planning events and managing staff.✓
- c.The role involves planning events and to manage staff.
- d.The role involves to plan events and managing staff.
'Involve' takes the gerund, and parallel structure requires both items in the same form: 'planning... and managing...'. Mixing gerund and infinitive breaks parallelism.