CLOZE TEST 1

The increasing cost of higher education in the United States has been a –1– topic for debate in recent decades. American society –2– the importance of education after high school, yet the cost of undergraduate and advanced degrees continually rises at a greater rate than –3–.

According to the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, cost factors prevent 48% of college-qualified high school graduates from –4– further education (McKeon, 2004, p. 45). The current system requires the majority of students to –5– extensive debt with the expectation that they gain –6– post-graduate employment to repay their loans.

The cost of higher education raises several –7– issues. Among these are the perpetuation of the cycle of debt in American commercial society, the –8– of differing higher education institutions and cost, and the resulting socioeconomic and racial inequities in college demographics. Both an examination of the current trends and figures and a closer look at a real life example show the troublesome state of higher education and its –9– on our commercial society.

Research indicates a steep upward trend in the cost of higher education throughout the 20th century. In recent decades, America has witnessed a widening gap between inflation and tuition. An incoming freshman at a typical college –10– charges for tuition, university fees, books, room and board, and other miscellaneous items.

1. A) contempt B) constant C) continuing D) contrite

2. A) immaculate B) immune C) inimical D) emphasizes

3. A) inflation B) inference C) inflammatory D) incongruous

4. A) prefer B) perpetual C) perfunctory D) pursuing

5. A) accrue B) accumulate C) acrimonious D) accredited

6. A) lascivious B) luscious C) lucrative D) capricious

7. A) ethical B) ethereal C) exquisite D) immoral

8. A) hierarchy B) dichotomy C) trichotomy D) transgression

9. A) arcane B) affirmative C) effective D) effect

10. A) insure B) incurs C) insist D) inflate

SOLUTION WITH EXPLANATION

Answer Key

Solution with explanation

1. Option ‘C’ (continuing). CONTINUING = not ended; ongoing; e.g.

a) Every time she tried to think of a continuing future for herself, she felt weak and blocked.

NOTE: We can’t use CONSTANT here as it’s not used in the sense of ONGOING, means it’s not used for future contexts in this meaning. CONSTANT = happening a lot or all the time; e.g.

a) He’s in constant trouble with the police.
b) I have to combat this constant desire to eat chocolate.

2. Option ‘D’ (emphasizes). EMPHASIZES is the correct word here. Also we need a singular verb as the subject (AMERICAN SOCIETY) is in the singular. As you’ll see, that verb should be in the Present Simple Tense. We know a singular verb in the Present Simple Tense takes ‘S’ with it, so EMPHASIZES only is the correct option.

3. Option ‘A’ (inflation). INFLATION = a general increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of money. Here it’s a comparison of THE COST OF UNDERGRADUATE AND ADVANCED DEGREES with something else. So INFLATION suits us the best.

NOTE: INFLAMMATORY (option ‘C’) is incorrect. We need a noun here, but it’s an adjective. It means ‘relating to or causing inflammation of a part of the body. This is totally an out of the context word.

4. Option ‘D’ (pursuing) PURSUE = to carry on or continue a course of action, etc.

5. Option ‘B’ (accumulate). ACCUMULATE = gather together or acquire an increasing number or quantity of something. ACCRUE (option ‘A’) will be a wrong choice, it means = to increase in number or amount over a period of time, e.g.

Interest will accrue on the account at a rate of seven percent. It’s intransitive whereas we need a transitive infinitive you see.

6. Option ‘C’ (lucrative). LUCRATIVE = producing a great deal of profit.

7. Option ‘A’ (ethical). You see we need a positive word here. ETHICAL = relating to moral principles or the branch of knowledge dealing with these.

8. Option ‘A’ (hierarchy). HIERARCHY = a system in which members of an organization or society are ranked according to relative status or authority.

10. Option ‘B’ (incurs). IMCURE CHARGES/COSTS/EXPENSES = to lose money, owe money, or have to pay money as a result of doing something; e.g.

She may have to meet any costs incurred as a result of the delay.