20 Cloze Test MCQs from the English Comprehension section, with answers and short explanations.
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Q1. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: The villagers regarded the stranger with ________, having been cheated by outsiders many times before.
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Answer: C. mistrust
Having been cheated before, the villagers would view a stranger with 'mistrust'. 'Reverence' and 'adulation' are admiration, and 'nostalgia' is longing for the past.
Q2. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: The negotiations had reached such an ________ that neither side was willing to make the first concession.
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Answer: D. impasse
An 'impasse' is a deadlock in which no progress is possible, which fits neither side conceding. An 'accord' would mean agreement, the opposite.
Q3. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: Far from being chastened by the defeat, the party leader remained ________, insisting that victory was only a matter of time.
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Answer: C. undaunted
'Undaunted' means not discouraged by difficulty, matching his insistence on eventual victory. The other options all suggest regret or loss of hope.
Q4. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: The critic's review was scathing; he dismissed the novel as a ________ of clichés strung together without purpose.
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Answer: B. farrago
A 'farrago' is a confused mixture, which fits a scathing dismissal. A 'paragon' is a model of excellence, a 'panegyric' a speech of praise, and a 'pinnacle' the highest point.
Q5. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: The scientist was ________ in her methods, repeating each experiment dozens of times before publishing a single result.
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Answer: C. punctilious
'Punctilious' means showing great attention to detail and correctness. 'Slipshod' means careless, 'cavalier' offhand, and 'capricious' unpredictable.
Q6. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: Instead of addressing the charges directly, the spokesperson chose to ________, offering vague answers that committed the government to nothing.
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Answer: C. equivocate
To 'equivocate' is to use ambiguous language to avoid committing oneself. To 'elucidate' is to make clear, the opposite; 'capitulate' means surrender; 'reiterate' means repeat.
Q7. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: The minister's ________ remarks about the flood victims provoked a nationwide outcry, and he was forced to apologise.
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Answer: A. callous
'Callous' means showing cruel disregard for others, which explains the outcry and the apology. The other options describe praiseworthy remarks.
Q8. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: His speech, though long, was so ________ that the audience found it difficult to follow any single line of argument.
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Answer: D. discursive
'Discursive' means digressing from subject to subject, which makes an argument hard to follow. 'Cogent', 'incisive' and 'pithy' describe clear, sharp or concise speech.
Q9. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: Years of ________ leadership had left the institution bankrupt, demoralised and riddled with corruption.
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Answer: A. venal
'Venal' means open to bribery and corruption, which explains the institution's state. 'Sagacious', 'exemplary' and 'scrupulous' are all positive.
Q10. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: The treaty was meant to ________ the long-standing hostility between the two nations, but fresh border clashes broke out within a month.
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Answer: C. defuse
To 'defuse' is to reduce tension. The contrast signalled by 'but' shows the treaty was meant to calm hostility; the other options would mean increasing or prolonging it.
Q11. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: The witness's testimony was ________ by CCTV footage, which showed exactly the sequence of events he had described.
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Answer: A. corroborated
'Corroborated' means confirmed or supported by further evidence. Since the footage showed exactly what he described, it supported his testimony; 'refuted' and 'contradicted' mean the opposite, and 'fabricated' means invented.
Q12. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: The auditor's report brought to light a series of financial ________ that the management had tried desperately to conceal.
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Answer: D. irregularities
'Irregularities' (improper or dishonest practices) fits the idea of something the management tried to conceal. Accolades, dividends and reforms would not be hidden.
Q13. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: Though the evidence against him was overwhelming, the accused remained ________, refusing to show the slightest remorse.
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Answer: D. impenitent
'Impenitent' means not feeling shame or regret, which matches 'refusing to show remorse'. 'Contrite', 'penitent' and 'remorseful' all mean regretful, which contradicts the sentence.
Q14. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: The new manager's ________ style of functioning, in which he consulted no one before taking decisions, soon alienated his team.
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Answer: A. autocratic
'Autocratic' means taking decisions without consulting others, which fits the clause. 'Collegial', 'consultative' and 'egalitarian' imply sharing authority.
Q15. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: Having squandered his inheritance on gambling and luxuries, the once-wealthy heir was reduced to ________.
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Answer: B. penury
'Penury' means extreme poverty, the natural result of squandering a fortune; 'reduced to penury' is a standard collocation. 'Opulence' and 'affluence' mean wealth, and 'prominence' means fame.
Q16. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: Far from being a sudden decision, the merger was the ________ of months of painstaking negotiation.
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Answer: A. culmination
'Culmination' means the final result or climax of a long process, which fits 'months of painstaking negotiation'. 'Inception' and 'genesis' mean beginning, and 'abandonment' contradicts the merger taking place.
Q17. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: The government's ________ response to the epidemic, announcing measures only after thousands had fallen ill, drew sharp criticism.
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Answer: C. belated
'Belated' means coming late, which fits a response made only after thousands fell ill. 'Prompt', 'pre-emptive' and 'timely' would not attract such criticism.
Q18. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: The two rival parties agreed to ________ their differences and form a coalition government in the larger interest of the state.
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Answer: A. sink
'To sink one's differences' is the idiomatic expression meaning to set aside disagreements for a common goal. The other verbs do not collocate with 'differences' in this sense.
Q19. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: The professor's lectures were so ________ that even students with no background in the subject could follow them with ease.
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Answer: A. accessible
'Accessible' means easy to understand. 'Abstruse', 'esoteric' and 'convoluted' all mean difficult to understand, contradicting 'could follow them with ease'.
Q20. Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: Critics dismissed the minister's promise of jobs for all as mere ________, designed to win votes rather than to be fulfilled.
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Answer: B. rhetoric
'Rhetoric' here means language designed to persuade or impress but often lacking sincerity or substance, which fits 'designed to win votes rather than to be fulfilled'.
