GUIDELINES ON CLOZE PASSAGES

1. Read the passage once through WITHOUT attempting to fill in any blanks. This first
reading is vital in figuring out the main ideas of the passage i.e. the text type of the
passage (which will determine the consistent tense of the verbs); the plot (for recounts) or
subject matter (information texts) of the passage.

2. During the first reading, pay special attention to unfamiliar words and underline words
and phrases which you think are contextual clues. REMEMBER! Contextual clues for each
blank is not necessarily found in the sentence itself, i.e. the clue for a blank at the end of
the text may actually be found near the beginning of the text.

3. Begin to fill in the blanks on the second reading. You must truly understand the text
and not be hasty about filling in the blanks! Remind yourself to reread not just the
sentence in which the blank is, but also the sentences around that sentence.

4. There may be more than one possible answer for a particular blank; choose the best
possible one. Remember that you are only allowed one word for each blank.

5. After all the blanks have been filled, read through the text once more. The focus of this
step is to critically analyse your chosen word – accuracy in spelling, tense or verb form,
subject-verb agreement, etc. Make sure that your answers make sense in the context of
the text.
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Cola has been widely used as an ingredient in soft drinks. It was the African who
first discovered the cola seed. (1.) _____________ ate the seeds to combat tiredness
(2.) _________ their bodies while travelling through forests, as porters
(3.) ____________European explorers. The cola seeds contain a substance
(4.) ___________acts as a stimulant in the body. By chewing them, (5.)
_____________ African workers were able to travel long hours, without feeling (6.)
________________ strain of exhaustion. It (7.) ____________ only later that scientists
discovered that the stimulant is actually caffeine, (8.) form of drug.

The cola tree grows (9.) _____________ Western Africa. It can grow to about ten
(10.) _____________ fifteen metres in height. The fruit of the tree is star-shaped and
the cola seeds are located at each point of the star.
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Have you seen pictures of knights dressed when they went to war? The armour
(1.) _____________ as a kind of protection and personal defence (2.) _________ the
enemy. It was made of materials that could (3.) _____________ heavy blows and
stabs made by the foes. In earlier (4.) _____________, the armour was made
(5.) ___________ animal skins. Leather, and subsequently metal, were
(6.) __________ later.
In the Middle Ages, which was the (7.) _____________ approximately
between the tenth and fourteenth century, iron-nail armour was introduced. This (8.)
__________ for a more significant freedom of movement and were favoured by (9.)
__________ who fought on horseback. At the end of fifteenth (10.) ______________,
steel came into use as the (11.) ______________ for armour. During this time, it was
(12.) ____________ the privileged-kings, nobles and the wealthy- who could (13.)
_____________ the luxury of owning such armours and (14.) ____________, be better
protected in war. Also, there (15.) ____________ limited armourers who only worked
for those who could (16.) ______________them well.
Those who went to (17.) __________ were protected on the head by a helmet (18.)
____________ was also made of the (19.) _______________ material as the armour.
(20.) ____________ helmet had a visor. This was a movable component that could be
pulled down to protect the warrior’s eyes and face.