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.met he
- d.did he meet✓
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.Were she to work
- b.Should she work
- c.If she worked
- d.Had she worked✓
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.Which
- b.That
- c.What✓
- d.It that
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.Being considered
- b.Considered
- c.Having considered✓
- d.To consider
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.I read
- d.have 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.edge
- d.top
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.turn
- c.break
- 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.forgone
- b.former
- c.foregone✓
- d.forward
'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.cover
- b.secret
- c.hiding
- d.disguise✓
'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.thorough✓
- b.deep
- c.wide
- d.strong
'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.wideness
- b.widely
- c.widespread✓
- d.widen
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.sensitive
- c.insensitivity✓
- d.sensitivity
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.likely
- b.likelihood✓
- c.liken
- d.likeness
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.strengthen✓
- b.stronger
- c.strength
- d.strongly
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.on
- b.in
- c.at✓
- 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.in✓
- b.on
- c.by
- d.at
'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.near
- b.in
- c.on✓
- d.at
'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.an
- b.the
- c.some
- d.a✓
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 researches into the virus.
- b.The scientists maked research into the virus.
- c.The scientists made a research into the virus.
- d.The scientists did research 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 return back to the original plan.
- d.Let's revert back again 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 have been acceptable.
- b.Neither of the proposals are acceptable.
- c.Neither of the proposals were 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 planning events and to manage staff.
- b.The role involves to plan events and to manage staff.
- c.The role involves to plan events and managing staff.
- d.The role involves planning 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.