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Cloze Test
Chapter Significance: Cloze test is an important topic in English for examination. Every year at least one, sometimes two close tests come in SSC and Banking examinations. If we talk about weightage, 5 to 10 marks out of 25 marks in SSC and 10 marks out of 35 marks Banking examinations are allotted for this topic. However, this weightage is an ordinary trend, marks can vary at the discretion of the examiner. Although WBPSC usually does not asks questions on this, keeping the ever-changing pattern in mind, a serious aspirant must be prepared for this.
What is cloze test?
In cloze test, a paragraph is provided where some words are missing. For each missing word, a blank is given where the student has to fill up the blank with the appropriate word given in the options. In this case, options usually contain words having close meanings. The student must understand which word suits the blank.
How to approach cloze tests?
Many students find it difficult to answer correctly as options usually contain words having close meanings. But we will discuss the right technique to solve cloze tests which help us remove all the confusion.
1. Before you start picking the correct answer, you first need to understand the idea of the paragraph i.e. what it is about and what is the meaning or message of the paragraph. For this, you need to go through the paragraph. Initially, it requires reading the entire paragraph to get the meaning but with practice and time, you would be able to get the meaning by undergoing the first few sentences.
2. For each blank, 4 or 5 words would be given. Many times, these words are close in meaning. Reading the preceding and following sentences of the blank a student must understand the essence of that sentence where the blank is given. Once you understand, you can find out which word suits the best.
3. Also focus on the preceding and following words of the blank. Prepositions help a lot to identify the correct word.
4. Learn to eliminate inappropriate options.
5. Focus on the previous filled-up options to identify the right option.
6. Go through all the rules of different chapters in grammar.
7. To have a grip on this topic, a student is required to enhance his/her stock of words. Newspaper reading, following up news on TV, Social media, or digital platforms are really helpful for enhancing your vocabulary.
8. Last but not least, keep on practicing. It is going to help you a lot.
Q. 1. Fill in the blanks with appropriate words.
For a large market like India, production _________(1)___________ trade protection will focus on the domestic market. The policy will lead to higher cost of production and reduce export __________(2)__________, including for the domestic ecosystem required for greater participation in the global value chains (GVCs). Developing the required domestic ecosystem needs ________(3)___________ effort and time. For technology-intensive products that are not easy to produce___________(4)_____________, imported inputs are the main option. Protection makes them more costly, _________(5)______________ India’s ability to link up with GVCs.
1. A) of
B) beyond
C) under
D) to
2. A) duty
B) trade
C) policy
D) competitiveness
3. A) major
B) little
C) increase
D) lots
4. A) internationally
B) hardly
C) domestically
D) sufficiently
5. A) burden
B) reducing
C) escalating
D) enhancing
Answers with explanations:
As we go on reading, we understand that this paragraph is related to measures to boost the national trade activities through protections.
1. C) under
Explanation- Option (C) is correct here. In the approach section, point no. 3 tells us to focus on the preceding and following words of the blank. If there was any name of the product was followed say, auto-mobiles by the blank, priposition of could be used. But here the following word is trade protection so under would be the correct option. With this logic, the other two options do not fit the context.
2. D) competitiveness
Explanation- Try this with elimination. Option (c) makes no sense here. After the blank, the sentence does not make much sense with options (a) and (b). Option (D) suits the best and this is the correct option.
3. A) major
Explanation- As per the tone of the paragraph, option (B) is not suitable. Option (C) and (D) are grammatically incorrect as lots of would-be correct while increased would be correct because the following word is a noun (effort) which must be preceded by an adjective. Therefore, option (A) is correct.
4. C) domestically
Explanation- Option (B) is wrong because hardly is used in a negative sense and the sentence is already a negative one. Option (A) makes no sense because here imported inputs are the following focused words. Option (D) contradicts the sentence. Hence, option (C) is correct.
5. B) reducing
Explanation- A gerund has been used therefore option (A) is out. Option (C) and (D) are synonyms that contradict the sentence. So, option (B) is correct.
Q. 2. Fill in the blanks with appropriate words.
The National Rural Drinking Water Programme is a centrally funded scheme. The main _______(1)________ of this programme is to provide adequate and safe drinking water to the rural population of the country. This programme ________(2)________ on the creation and sustaining of rural drinking water infrastructure in the country. The Ministry is ___________(3)______________ to achieve ‘Har Ghar Jal’ by 2030. The main aim is to provide safe and adequate drinking water to each rural household. __________(4)___________ now in rural areas, rural people have been provided water supply through hand pumps, tube wells and pipe. In future, Government is planning to provide rural drinking water through ________(5)__________ mix of sustainable surface and ground water based resources.
1. A) objective
B) plan
C) aiming
D) experiment
2. A) provides
B) consists
C) focuses
D) made
3. A) doubtful
B) unsure
C) confident
D) hopeful
4. A) although
B) therefore
C) Up till
D) since
5. A) proper
B) just
C) adequate
D) balanced
Answers with explanations:
As we go on reading, we understand that this paragraph is related to a scheme on drinking water in rural areas launched by the government.
1. A) objective
Explanation- ‘plan’ is not correct in this context because the preposition would have been ‘behind’ in that case. ‘aiming’ is grammatically incorrect as it is not a noun and the blank requires a noun. ‘experiment’ is not fit as per the context.
2. C) focuses
Explanation- ‘provides’, ‘consists’ can not be followed by preposition ‘on’ here. ‘made’ to be correct, a helping verb ‘is’ should have been put to make it passive voice.
3. D) hopeful
Explanation- the sentence here is positive in nature. Option (A) and (B) are making it negative and none of these can be correct. Option (D) is more appropriate as an option (C) sounds self-possessed.
4. C) up till
Explanation- only connector (c) is appropriate if we read the sentence carefully.
5. D) balanced
Explanation- All the options can be fit but option (D) fits the best as per the tone of the sentence.
Cloze test new pattern:
In the current pattern, a paragraph is jumbled up with the correct words. You have to determine which word will fit which blank. The approach will be the same as the previous pattern.
Q. 3. Some words in the following paragraph have been jumbled up within the paragraph. You have to find out the correct word for each highlighted word to be replaced. If no replacement, choose ‘no change’.
The open and (a) distress manner with which this subject, usually invisible even though it is at the core of our personhood, is being discussed, is very welcome. The imperative now is to understand the nature of mental health (b) consequences and what we must do to address it in these troubled times.
I think of the mental health (c) characterized of the pandemic as playing out in two overlapping acts. The first act, which began in March, is (d) stringent by a “pandemic of fear”, largely as a consequence of the profound uncertainties which have (e) thoughtful all our lives. If one considers the sheer breadth of these uncertainties, from our personal risk to be infected, to why the country is facing a surging epidemic despite the most (f) rational lockdown in the world, or when life will return to a semblance of what it used to be, or what news we should believe in, to what our economic prospects might look like, it is not at all surprising that experiences of anxiety, fearfulness, sleep problems, irritability and hopelessness have become widespread. These are mostly (g) overwhelmed responses of our minds to the extraordinary realities we are facing. That said, for those who were already facing mental health difficulties before the pandemic, these experiences might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
a) 1. Stringent
2. Thoughtful
3. Overwhelmed
4. Rational
b) 1. Distress
2. Stringent
3. Rational
4. Thoughtful
c) 1. Rational
2. Overwhelmed
3. Consequences
4. Distress
d) 1. Overwhelmed
2. Thoughtful
3. Characterized
4. No change
e) 1. Overwhelmed
2. Stringent
3. Rational
4. Consequences
f) 1. Thoughtful
2. Stringent
3. Distress
4. Characterized
g) 1. Distress
2. Thoughtful
3. Stringent
4. Rational
