FCE Reading & Use of English Test 2

Explanations

Part 1

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​1 hold fits best because it’s part of a phrasal verb hold on to/onto something or someone which means to keep or maintain something despite difficulty. The other options don’t make sense here as they are not phrasal verbs when combined with onto.

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2 seeking is the natural collocation with food.

​searching and looking need to be followed by for.

gaining doesn’t collocate or make sense in this context.

3 engage is the only expression that can be followed by in and makes sense in this context as it means to participate in something.

​involve can also be followed by in but to make sense in this context, the phrase should be get involved in.

combine and contribute are not followed by in.

4 purpose means reason or aim/goal, which is the intended meaning in this context.

​motive is usually related to reasons for committing a crime.

intention refers to plans or ideas and it doesn’t fit here.

cause is usually followed by of/for and it doesn’t make sense here.

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5 apart is the only option which is followed by from, meaning except for/as well as.

​excluding is not followed by from.

except is followed by for.

away can be followed by from but it means to be/stay some distance from a place or person, which doesn’t fit here.

6 benefits means advantages or improvements, which is the best option in this context and can be followed by for.

​assets can also mean advantages but is generally used in financial contexts and is usually followed by to or a full infinitive.

profits usually refers to benefits from making or earning money.

services means help/assistance, not relevant here.

7 prepare is the only option that can be followed by us for and the best fit as it means make ready.

plan and practise do not follow this pattern and don’t make sense here.

provide is followed by an object pronoun and with and means to supply with or make available, which doesn’t fit in this context.

8 little is the only option that collocates with risk.​

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Part 2

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9 can/may A modal verb is needed here to denote possibility.

10 so is usually followed by that as a connector to show the purpose of something.

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11 with The phrase with ease is a standard collocation. It means easily, without difficulty.

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12 not/hardly/scarcely A negative particle or adverb expressing a similar concept is needed here so the contrast makes sense: The basic idea is not original but its inventor has added a smart variation/change.

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13 and This simple connector showing addition is necessary here to complete the phrase combining compactness and convenience. Combine is followed by with or and.

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14 have The auxiliary have is needed here to form the present perfect as hinted by the adverb recently.

​15 where A relative pronoun is needed here to denote place/position. The word where introduces a relative clause referring to the city of Tokyo, which is a place.

16 if The conjunction if is needed here as part of the conditional clause. If here means supposing that/in case that.

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​Part 3

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17 unknown Verb to adjective transformation. Here we need an adjective meaning not known perfect to describe tea's low presence.

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18 reference Verb to noun transformation. Here a noun is needed to refer to a historical mention.

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19 popularity Adjective to noun transformation. A noun fits grammatically and expresses degree of public favour.

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20 marriage Verb to noun transformation. A noun fits here as it’s preceded by the and followed by a prepositional phrase.

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21 fashionable Noun to adjective transformation. An adjective is required here to describe what effect their love of tea had.

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22 illnesses Adjective to noun transformation. A plural noun is preferable here because of certain minor. However, a singular form is accepted too. As the gap is after an adjective, a noun would logically follow.

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23 labourers Noun (abstract) to noun (person) transformation. It refers to workers, which fits the subject role here. Again, it needs to be plural as hinted by them later on in the sentence. Remember that if you write it in singular when it’s meant to be plural, you’ll be penalised and lose a mark!

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24 energetic Noun to adjective transformation. An adjective matches meaning: caffeine gave them energy. ​

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Part 4

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25 few programmes were sold We need to rephrase They didn’t sell many programmes. Using few as the basis, the natural structure is Very few programmes were sold. This changes the sentence into passive voice, and keeps the same meaning as the sentence given.

26 instead of taking/catching/getting The prompt instead signals a contrast between two options. The phrase drive instead of taking shows that driving replaced taking the train. An -ing form is needed after the preposition of.

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27 had never broken The original sentence indicates that it was the first time the car broke down. The past perfect negative is needed here: had never broken down as the beginning phrase until last Friday places the time reference correctly.

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28 would look into/at Phrasal verb transformation look into/at to replace investigate + reported speech: will becomes would. There is also a change from passive to active voice.

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29 was/got postponed because it rained Here the noun phrase the postponement becomes a passive construction was/got postponed and a reason clause is added introduced by the word given because.

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30 to carry on working The phrasal verb carry on which means to continue is needed to replace work any longer. The main verb becomes working as it is preceded by a preposition: on.

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Part 5

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31 B the total dedication of Brendel to his art

The first paragraph highlights Brendel’s unwavering discipline and commitment. Phrases like a disciplined, never‑ending cycle of study, travel and performance, and very little teaching alongside his intellectual, austere image, emphasize his total dedication to music, not his playful side (only glimpsed), which rules out option D.

There is no mention of a wide range of music (option A) and the reluctance to take on pupils is mentioned later on, not in the first paragraph which makes option C wrong.

32 D it is unnecessary for an expert to teach people the basics

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Brendel quotes a famous pianist: You don’t employ a mountain guide to teach a child how to walk. This metaphor means a guide isn’t needed for basic skills, supporting D.

It's not about basic teaching difficulty (A), readiness (B), or no external help (C).

33 D He had an extraordinary talent

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After hearing Kit play by heart, Brendel says: I have to make time for him. He was struck by the boy’s remarkable musical clarity and subtlety.

The reason was his extraordinary talent, not youth, determination, or just playing without music, which rules out the other options.

34 B He is able to understand and respond to advice

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Brendel admires Kit’s ability to listen to his own playing… ability to listen to me when I try to explain something. He notes Kit not only understands musically but also applies advice across the entire piece. This shows Kit’s capacity to absorb and act on feedback, which matches B.

The other options are partially correct. A (write music himself): Mentioned earlier, but Brendel emphasizes listening and response more. C (play at first sight): He praises memory and sight-reading, but the question asks what Brendel admires most. D (remember all music he’s played): Again, memory is noted, but the key is responsive understanding.

35 A He realizes he has said too much to a journalist

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The text says: Brendel catches himself and looks at me severely. It follows after he’s discussing avoiding raising expectations or overhyping Kit. This indicates he’s aware he might have over-spoken (A) rather than any of the other motivations.

B and D are not mentioned. C is wrong as he’s warning against hype, not critic backlash.

36 C describing his present state of mind

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In the final paragraph, Brendel reflects on retirement: there are always things going on… It’s a very nice new career. This shows his current thoughts and feelings about playing less and focusing mentally (A).

Although he acknowledges physical limits, he doesn’t express regret but rather contentment, which makes B wrong. A and D are not mentioned.​

​Part 6

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37 For the past two years Simon, now 29, has been overcoming his disability to compete in marathons and ultra-marathons by training with runners who act as his guides, and also, rather uniquely, by teaching himself to run solo, out on the streets. ‘I got bored exercising indoors, so thought, “I’ll have a go at running outside”,’ he explains. D He began by training on football pitches behind his house, running between the goalposts. ‘Then he got bored again and wanted to try running on the roads.

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​The article says: I began by training on football pitches behind my house, running between the goalposts. That matches perfectly with the first solo step Paul mentions and football pitches behind his house matches running outside.

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38 Weeks of gradual exploration followed, walking a route alone. G As a result of this slow experimentation, he was able to memorise a set five‑kilometre course. It took him along little-used pavements alongside a busy main road.

​this slow experimentation refers to weeks of gradual exploration mentioned in the previous sentence.

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39 Now it has become quite automated.’ F That’s not to say the learning curve has been without incident. ‘I did make a few mistakes early on – like running into posts. But you only run into a post once before you think “Right. I’m going to remember where that is next time”,’ he laughs.

Right after Now it has become quite automated the text states: This is not to say the learning curve hasn’t been without incident. That matches the idea of early hiccups, as mentioned in the next sentence I did make a few mistakes early on.

​40 Joining Simon for a training session, it’s striking how natural and fluid his movement is; he takes shorter, shallower, more gentle steps than most runners, using his feet to feel his way. His landmarks are minute changes in gradient and slight variations in the running surface. A These provide the familiarity and consistency essential for the blind runner. ‘I have to believe this route is going to stay consistent, and there won’t be things like roadwork signs or big rocks,’ he says.

These in sentence A refers back to minute changes in gradient and slight variations in the running surface mentioned in the previous sentence.

41 C Simon believes the feelings of liberation and independence he gets from running solo far outweigh any anxiety over such dangers. ‘I try to concentrate on the millions of footsteps that go right and think positively,’ he explains. When it comes to racing in ultra-distance events, Simon has to use guides to run sections of the course with him; after all, it would be almost impossible to memorise a 150 km stretch of countryside by heart. However, the physical and practical advantages of training in the fresh air, on his own terms, are vast and have boosted his confidence in his running ability as well as providing inspiration to others.

The final sentence in the paragraph The physical and practical advantages of training in the fresh air are vast and have boosted his confidence in his running ability as well as providing inspiration to others refers back to the opening sentence (C) showing that there are more positive aspects in what he does than negative ones.

42 But for Simon the real thrill and motivation for training come from simply being able to compete on equal terms. E It gives him a great opportunity to run with everyone. ‘I can’t hide the fact I’m blind,’ he says, ‘but at the same time I would rather compete with everybody else and not be put into a special group. Being visually impaired doesn’t mean you can’t run.’

Towards the end, he says: This gives me a great opportunity to compete with everybody, expressing his wish to race alongside sighted runners, not in a separate category.

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Part 7

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43 С Many of us are very unsure of our future ambitions aged 18, and should therefore be given as many choices as possible, rather than being pushed into a degree course.

As many choices as possible is the same as a range of options.

44 C Many of us are very unsure of our future ambitions aged 18, and should therefore be given as many choices as possible, rather than being pushed into a degree course.

Many of us are very unsure of our future ambitions emphasizes teens are too young to make such important decisions yet.

45 A It sounded like nonsense to me… what could be relevant …? It turns out they were referring to the wealth of other skills.

She initially rejected the concept of transferable skills, then realized their value.

46 B I didn’t really have a clue about what other options were open to me.

This sentence paraphrases the idea of not being aware of the alternatives to university.

47 A In contrast to the way you may have been taught before, university teaches you to be innovative and to think for yourself.
 

She explicitly contrasts university learning with previous teaching methods.

48 C I ended up studying something I wasn’t sure I was interested in.
 

She expresses doubt that she might not be on the right course.

49 B for many the degree is barely relevant to the work we end up doing later on.

This is a paraphrase of the information in the question: Some people discover that what is studied at university is not useful in the workplace.

50 D I don’t really remember making the decision to go … Someone asked me … why I had gone, and I remember not being able to answer the question.

This shows she was unclear about her own motivation.

51 B The degree … is the screening method used by large numbers of employers … opens certain doors.

She explicitly states graduates have an advantage.

52 D Everyone always assumed I would … even though I was never the most gifted academically.

This shows she was expected to attend despite average grades.

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