Topic 7: Comprehension Cloze

Fill in each blank with one suitable word. Coral reefs are often called the rainforests of the sea. Although they cover less than one per cent of the ocean (1)___, they are (2)___ to about a quarter of all sea creatures. A reef is built by tiny animals called polyps, which (3)___ hard skeletons around their soft bodies. Over thousands of years, these skeletons (4)___ up to form huge structures. Corals also live in a close partnership with tiny algae. The algae give the coral its bright colours and, in (5)___, receive a safe place to live. Sadly, reefs around the world are (6)___ threat. When the sea becomes too warm, the algae leave the coral and the reef turns white. This process is known as (7)___. Pollution from farms and factories has also (8)___ many reefs. Careless divers who (9)___ the delicate coral can kill it as well. Fortunately, scientists are working (10)___ to protect what remains. They grow young corals in tanks and (11)___ them on damaged reefs. Ordinary people can help too. We can (12)___ the amount of plastic we use and (13)___ tour companies that care about the sea. If we all do our part, future generations will still be able to (14)___ these colourful underwater cities, and coral reefs will (15)___ to shelter the creatures that depend on them.

Fill in each blank with one suitable word. Every Saturday morning, Grandpa takes me to the hawker centre near his flat. We (1)___ early so that we can find a table before the crowd comes. Grandpa always (2)___ a bowl of fishball noodles, while I ask for a plate of chicken rice. The stall owner, Mr Tan, has known Grandpa for over thirty years. He waves at us as soon as he (3)___ us walking towards his stall. While we wait for our food, Grandpa tells me stories about his childhood. He grew (4)___ in a wooden house by the river, where there was no electricity. "We had to study by the light of a small oil lamp," he says with a (5)___. I find it hard to (6)___ living without air-conditioning or even a fan! When our food arrives, Grandpa (7)___ me to say thank you to the uncle. The noodles are hot and (8)___, and I finish every last strand. Grandpa is (9)___ to see me clear my bowl. "Never waste food," he says. "There are people in the world who do not have (10)___." Before we leave, Grandpa buys a packet of kaya toast to (11)___ home for Grandma. She (12)___ it very much. I always (13)___ forward to our Saturday outings because they let me (14)___ time with him. Grandpa is a very (15)___ man.

Fill in each blank with one suitable word. The bicycle is one of the most popular means of (1)___ in the world today, but the first bicycles looked very different from the ones we ride now. In 1817, a German inventor built a wooden machine with two wheels. It had no pedals, so riders had to (2)___ themselves along by pushing their feet against the ground. Many people laughed at the invention and (3)___ it a silly toy. Pedals were added about fifty years later, but they were fixed to the front wheel. To go (4)___, makers built the front wheel bigger and bigger. These bicycles were fast, but they were also very (5)___. Riders sat high above the ground and often (6)___ headfirst when they stopped suddenly. In the 1880s, an English engineer solved this problem by (7)___ a chain between the pedals and the back wheel. Both wheels could now be the (8)___ size, and the rider sat much lower. This design is very (9)___ to the bicycles we ride today. Soon, bicycles became (10)___ enough for ordinary families to buy. They gave people, especially women, a new sense of (11)___. Today, cycling is not only fun but also good for our (12)___ and (13)___ to the environment. Many cities now build special lanes so that cyclists can ride (14)___, and more people choose to cycle to work (15)___ of driving.