Module 1 · Exam Foundations & First Contact · Lesson 02
Reading Part 1
Reading & Use of English Part 1. 8 gaps, 4 options each. Learn to spot the collocation, preposition, phrasal verb or fixed phrase that fits.
Get talking · Section 1
5 minOn the board: 'She ___ a strong impression on the interviewer.' Options: do / make / take / have. As a class, vote — and explain WHY, not just which.
Tell your partner one English word pair you regularly confuse (e.g. do/make, say/tell, look at/watch). When did it last cost you marks?
On exam day you have about nine minutes for Part 1's eight gaps. How would you spend them? Discuss in pairs and agree on a strategy.
Grammar focus · Section 2
8–10 minThe four things RUoE Part 1 actually tests
Part 1 is not a grammar test — it is a lexical test in four flavours. (1) Collocation: which noun naturally pairs with which verb or adjective (make a decision, heavy rain, deeply concerned). (2) Dependent prepositions: which preposition a verb, adjective or noun demands (depend on, capable of, an interest in).
Examples
→ Collocation: 'She ___ a quick decision.' → made (not did / had / took).
→ Dependent prep: 'I'm not interested ___ it.' → in (not on / for / about).
→ Phrasal verb: 'We ___ out of milk.' → ran (not went / came / fell).
→ Fixed phrase: '___ particular, the second paragraph is unclear.' → In.
→ Trap: all four options can be correct English somewhere — only one fits this gap.
Question 1.'It really ___ me a long time to finish the essay.'
Question 2.'She isn't very keen ___ team sports.'
Question 3.'The price has ___ up by almost 20% this year.'
Question 4.'___ general, candidates underperform on Part 1.'
Question 5.'I can't ___ up with this noise any longer.'
Question 6.'There's been a ___ rise in applications this term.'
Quick check 1.What is the BEST first step when you see a Part 1 gap?
Quick check 2.If two options look possible, what usually decides?
Vocabulary · Section 3
5–7 minWords & phrases to own
collocation (n.)
words that naturally go together: 'make a mistake' (not 'do a mistake').
dependent preposition
the preposition a word demands: 'depend ON', 'interested IN', 'capable OF'.
phrasal verb
verb + particle with a new meaning: 'put up with' = tolerate.
fixed phrase / chunk
a multi-word expression with a single meaning: 'on the whole', 'in particular'.
near-synonym
words with similar but not identical meaning — the trap in Part 1 distractors.
distractor (n.)
a wrong option deliberately designed to look possible.
to scan a sentence
to read quickly to spot the key trigger word before deciding.
trigger word
the word in the sentence that signals which option must be correct.
to commit to an answer
to circle one option and move on — Part 1 punishes hesitation.
to transfer answers
to copy your answers to the separate answer sheet, in pencil.
Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.
Pronunciation · Section 4
3–4 minStress in two-word collocations and phrasal verbs
Say it aloud
- • make a deCIsion ↘
- • a sharp RISE ↘
- • put UP with it ↘
- • run OUT of time ↘
- • in parTIcular ↘
Reading · Section 5
8–10 minWhy Part 1 looks easy and isn't
Read the passageTap to openTap to hide
Reading & Use of English Part 1 is the shortest task on the whole exam: a 150-word text with eight gaps, four lettered options each. Most candidates finish in seven minutes and feel quietly pleased. The marks tell a different story.
The reason is hidden in the options. A typical Part 1 question gives you four words that share a meaning ('important / serious / vital / major') and asks you to choose the one that fits the surrounding language. Out of context, three of them are interchangeable. In context, only one collocates correctly with the noun next to it, or takes the preposition the sentence demands, or completes the phrasal verb the writer started. The distractors aren't wrong English; they're wrong here.
This is why the cleverest reflex in Part 1 is not to pick the word with the best meaning — it's to find the trigger word in the sentence and let it choose for you. A noun like 'rise' triggers 'sharp'. A preposition like 'on' two words later triggers 'depend' over 'rely'. An adverb like 'particularly' inside a fixed phrase triggers 'in' over 'at'. Train your eye to spot the trigger, not the gap.
And never leave a gap blank. You have a 25% chance with a guess and a 0% chance with nothing.
Question 1.According to the text, why is Part 1 harder than it looks?
Question 2.What is the 'cleverest reflex' the writer recommends?
Question 3.What does the writer say about leaving a gap blank?
Question 4.The distractors in Part 1 are described as…
Q1.All four options in a Part 1 question are usually unrelated in meaning.
Q2.Trigger words help you choose between near-synonyms.
Q3.There is a penalty for wrong answers in Part 1.
Q4.Part 1 mostly tests grammar rules.
Listening · Section 6
8–10 minTeacher coaching a Part 1 cloze in class (about 1:40)
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Drag the timeline to jump anywhere.
Show transcript
Teacher:Right, look at question three. 'There has been a ___ rise in unemployment.' Options: big, sharp, strong, fat.
Lily, what did you choose?
Lily:Big? It sounded the most natural.
Teacher:It sounds natural in your head, yes — but 'rise' is the trigger word. With 'rise' or 'increase', the standard collocation is 'sharp'.
Tom:What about 'fat rise'?
Teacher:'Fat' fits with 'profit' or 'salary', not with 'rise'. That's a classic distractor — it's English, but it's the wrong context.
Teacher:Now look at question five. 'She is very keen ___ classical music.' On, for, of, about.
Lily:Has to be 'on'. 'Keen ON' is a dependent preposition.
Teacher:Exactly. And how did you spot it?
Lily:Because 'keen' triggers 'on' the way 'interested' triggers 'in'.
Teacher:Perfect. That's the reflex I want — find the trigger, then the preposition almost picks itself.
Tom:What if I genuinely don't know?
Teacher:Then guess. Don't leave it blank. Twenty-five per cent is better than zero.
And don't waste more than a minute on any single gap.
Question 1.Why is 'sharp' the right answer for question three?
Question 2.What does the teacher say about 'fat'?
Question 3.Lily explains 'keen ON' as an example of…
Question 4.What is the teacher's advice if you genuinely don't know?
Exam skills · Section 7
5 minRUoE Part 1 — the four-pass technique (9 minutes)
Your task
On exam day you have ~9 minutes for the 8 gaps. Don't read the whole text first and then start — that doubles your reading time. Work the text live, gap by gap, with a four-pass routine.
Example
Gap 4 is between 'we' and 'attention to detail'. The four options are: take, do, make, pay. Trigger word: 'attention'. The collocation 'pay attention to' is non-negotiable. Pick D and move on — total time on this gap: about eight seconds.
Practice · Section 8
8–10 minFill in the blank
Question 1.She has a real ___ for languages.
Question 2.Don't ___ the rubric — read it twice.
Question 3.We need to ___ this matter as soon as possible.
Question 4.He's not particularly fond ___ public speaking.
Question 5.Could you ___ me a favour and post this?
Question 6.She finally ___ up with a workable solution.
Q1.Collocation: 'She made a quick deCIsion'. Verb? 'She ___ a decision.'
Q2.Dependent preposition: 'I'm capable ___ doing this on my own.'
Q3.Phrasal verb: 'They ___ out of paper halfway through.'
Q4.Fixed phrase: '___ general, candidates underperform on Part 1.'
Writing · Section 9
5 minPut it in writing
Your task
Write 4–6 sentences advising a friend who is sitting B2 First next month on how to attack Part 1. Use AT LEAST one collocation, one dependent preposition, one phrasal verb and one fixed phrase from this lesson.
Show model answer
On the whole, Part 1 is the shortest task on the paper, but it's where most candidates lose easy marks. In particular, pay attention to the four options — they're almost always near-synonyms, and only one collocates with the surrounding text. My main piece of advice is to find the trigger word in the sentence: a noun like 'rise' calls for 'sharp', and a verb like 'depend' calls for 'on'. Don't get held up on a single gap; commit to an answer within a minute and move on. And whatever you do, never leave a gap blank — twenty-five per cent is always better than zero.
Speaking · Section 10
10–15 minMake it a real conversation
Roleplay
ROLEPLAY — Examiner debrief. In pairs, take the cloze you just did in the FCE Exam Practice block below and 'mark' it together. For each gap, your partner has to (1) say what KIND of test it was (collocation / preposition / phrasal verb / fixed phrase) and (2) name the trigger word. Swap halfway.
Useful phrases
- • I think the trigger word here is…
- • This one's a collocation — 'X' always goes with 'Y'.
- • It's a dependent preposition — 'X' takes 'Y'.
- • I'd say this is a phrasal verb…
- • I'm not sure — what made you choose that?
- • Let's commit and move on.
Teacher notes
Optional · Teacher-led
Teacher Activities
Two short in-class extensions to bake the Part 1 reflex into muscle memory. ~18 min total
FCE Exam Practice · Section 11
20–30 minReal FCE tasks
One authentic RUoE Part 1 cloze. Treat it as the real thing: pencil, nine minutes maximum, commit to every gap.
For questions 1–8, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.
Choosing where to live is one of the biggest decisions most adults ever 1. For decades, surveys have shown that city dwellers tend to 2 a faster pace of life, with easier 3 to jobs, culture and public transport. Country residents, 4 the other hand, often report higher levels of life satisfaction, despite the practical inconvenience of being further from major services. Recently, however, the line 5 the two has become blurred. Improved internet connectivity has allowed many professionals to 6 up remote working from rural homes, while a generation of city families is moving 7 in search of more space. Whether this trend will 8 on long-term, or fade as offices reopen, is still anyone's guess.
Gap 1
Gap 2
Gap 3
Gap 4
Gap 5
Gap 6
Gap 7
Gap 8
Homework · Section 12
Take-homeTake it home
RUoE Part 1 — multiple-choice cloze (8 items)
Choose A, B, C or D for each gap. Strict 9-minute timer.
The rise of slow travel
In recent years, more and more holiday-makers have begun to (1)___ the idea of slow travel. Rather than rushing between famous landmarks, they (2)___ time in one place, getting to know local people and habits. Supporters (3)___ out that this style of travel is kinder to the environment, because it usually (4)___ fewer flights and shorter distances.
It also (5)___ a deeper understanding of the culture you are visiting, since you have time to (6)___ in the language and food. Of course, slow travel does not (7)___ everyone — some people simply do not have the holiday time. However, even a long weekend can (8)___ as slow travel if you choose one neighbourhood and stay there.
- 1) A) embrace B) hug C) catch D) grasp
- 2) A) pass B) spend C) waste D) make
- 3) A) say B) tell C) point D) speak
- 4) A) includes B) involves C) contains D) consists
- 5) A) gives B) makes C) brings D) offers
- 6) A) drown B) sink C) immerse yourself D) fall
- 7) A) suit B) match C) fit D) like
- 8) A) count B) tell C) stand D) work
Collocation triggers — fill the gaps
Complete each sentence with the correct verb.
Use ONE word per gap. All collocations were taught in this lesson.
- She always ___ a real effort to speak English at home.
- Can you ___ me a favour and check this email?
- We need to ___ a decision before Friday.
- He ___ research on bilingual children.
- Try not to ___ time scrolling on your phone.
- I'd like to ___ the opportunity to thank everyone.
- She ___ progress every week.
- Please ___ attention to the safety notice.
Sentence-building with today's collocations
Write 6 personal sentences using the prompts.
Each sentence must be about you, your week or your studies — no generic textbook examples. 15–25 words each.
- … make an effort to …
- … have a huge impact on …
- … bear in mind that …
- … come up with …
- … look forward to …
- … take advantage of …
Phrasal verbs — choose the meaning
Match each phrasal verb (1–8) to a meaning (A–H).
Items
- 1) point out
- 2) come up with
- 3) take up
- 4) put off
- 5) get over
- 6) look into
- 7) bring up
- 8) turn down
Meanings
- A) postpone
- B) recover from
- C) investigate
- D) mention / draw attention to
- E) start a new hobby
- F) invent / produce (an idea)
- G) raise (a topic) in conversation
- H) refuse / reject (an offer)
Recap · Section 13
2–3 minWhat you've learned
- RUoE Part 1 tests four things only: collocation, dependent prepositions, phrasal verbs and fixed phrases.
- Find the trigger word; let it pick the option for you.
- Use the four-pass technique to spend ~9 minutes total — never more than 1 minute per gap.
- Distractors are correct English elsewhere; they are wrong only here.
- Never leave a gap blank — guessing beats blank, always.