Say 'no' to plastic bags

Level: CAE / Upper-intermediate B2

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Here is a CAE multiple-choice cloze practice exercise.

Say ‘no’ to plastic bags

Read the text below and decide which answer (A, B C or D) best fits each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0):

Did you know that on (0)      A      we take home 150 plastic bags annually? In (1)            words, that means a global figure of one million plastic bags taken home every minute. We are sure you will all agree this is a truly shocking statistic.

Plastic bags cannot be simply (2)           of along with your domestic rubbish – they can blow off landfill sites and become highly (3)           litter which can remain in the environment for a number of years. They are not only an eyesore but they are a (4)           to the environment. For example, plastic bags almost dammed the Buriganga river in Bangladesh, and they are widely (5)           responsible for causing devastation floods there on two separate (6)            .

They also (7)           a particular threat to wildlife. More and more (8)           dead turtles and whales are discovered washed up on beaches, killed by swallowing plastic bags. To marine life, a plastic bag closely (9)           a jellyfish.

These are the (10)           why you should reuse plastic bags you already have or take a small rucksack on trips to the supermarket. Why not take (11)           and show how much you care about the environment by (12)           this small step!

0          A  average                B   normal            C   example            D   ratio

1          A   fewer                     B   some               C   those                 D   other

2          A   disposed                B   thrown            C   finished             D   used

3          A   evident                  B   observable      C   visible                D   marked

4          A   risk                        B   danger            C   difficulty           D   problem

5          A   shown                   B   taken               C   made                D   held

6          A   occasions              B   activities          C   incidents           D   episodes

7          A   model                    B   set                    C   pose                  D   generate

8          A   repeatedly             B   frequently        C   usually             D   generally

9          A   resembles              B   reminds           C   equates            D   appears

10        A   motives                 B   reasons             C   sources             D   causes

11        A   against                   B   advantage        C   action              D   account

12        A   helping                  B   doing                C   following         D   taking

Adapted from CAE Result, OUP

Answers below!

ANSWERS!

Did you know that on (0)      A      we take home 150 plastic bags annually? In (1)    D      words, that means a global figure of one million plastic bags taken home every minute. We are sure you will all agree this is a truly shocking statistic.

Plastic bags cannot be simply (2)    A     of along with your domestic rubbish – they can blow off landfill sites and become highly (3)    C     litter which can remain in the environment for a number of years. They are not only an eyesore but they are a (4)     B    to the environment. For example, plastic bags almost dammed the Buriganga river in Bangladesh, and they are widely (5)    D    responsible for causing devastation floods there on two separate (6)     A     .

They also (7)    C    a particular threat to wildlife. More and more (8)    B    dead turtles and whales are discovered washed up on beaches, killed by swallowing plastic bags. To marine life, a plastic bag closely (9)    A    a jellyfish.

These are the (10)    B     why you should reuse plastic bags you already have or take a small rucksack on trips to the supermarket. Why not take (11)    C     and show how much you care about the environment by (12)   D     this small step!