R.5-6 · Preliminary reading: lexical and open cloze

Reading Parts 5 and 6 are the clozes 完形填空 at B1: Part 5, six gaps with four options each (vocabulary and collocation); Part 6, six gaps with no options (grammar words).

• Part 5 is the A2 shelf with a fourth option and meaner choices: the four words are often near-synonyms 近义词, and only one collocates 搭配.
• Part 6 is the open cloze: articles, prepositions, pronouns, auxiliaries, linkers — the small words, one per gap.
• Memory hook: Part 5 is a chess opening 国际象棋开局 — many moves look natural, one is right. Part 6 is still the kitchen: cook the word yourself.

Four options that all mean almost the same thing: say / tell / speak / talk.

• Collocation decides. She ___ me a story. → told (tell a story). say takes the words, speak takes languages, talk takes about.
• Check the preposition after the verb: listen to, depend on, good at. The gap often owns its neighbour.
• ⚠ Meaning alone is not enough. All four options "fit" the meaning; the grammar of the company they keep decides. The sentence is a party; the wrong word doesn't know anyone.

Same kitchen as A2 Part 5, with a bigger menu: the grammar words now include the B1 machinery.

• The relative pronouns join the menu: the shop ___ I bought it → where. B1's grammar pays its rent here.
• ⚠ One word per gap, spelled right, capital letter when the gap opens a sentence. The A2 rules never retired.

• ⚠ The four-option friendliness is fake. At A2, two options were obviously wrong. At B1, all four look friendly. Slow down and check collocation.
• ⚠ Chinese verb-noun pairs don't map. 做作业 is do homework, 犯错误 is make a mistake — the pair must be learned as a pair. The cloze is where unlearned pairs come to collect their debt.
• ⚠ Read the sentence after the gap too. The answer often hides in the next line, especially prepositions: "she insisted ___ going" — the gap and its after-word decide together.
• ⚠ Don't leave the have/has/had chain broken. "I ___ never seen snow" → have. The perfect needs its helper; the gap is often exactly that helper.

Part 5 style: "We ___ a lot of photos during the trip." A) made B) took C) did D) got → took (take photos).

Part 6 style: "The film ___ we watched last night was amazing. I had never seen anything like it." → that/which. The relative clause from B1 topic 9, collecting marks.

Answer first, then read the explanation.

1. She ___ me a story. — told. tell a story; the collocation decides.
2. listen ___ music — to. The gap often owns its neighbour.
3. the shop ___ I bought it — where. The relative joins the menu.
4. I ___ never seen snow. — have. The perfect needs its helper.
5. fàn cuòwù — make a mistake. Pairs are learned as pairs; the cloze collects debts.