Find the single word that can fill each of these gapped sentences :

We need a big ........ of colour on that wall to stop it looking so dull.

He was quite an extrovert and made quite a ........ in the office on his first day.

Add a ......... of lemon juice to the salad and it's finished.

CPE Reading

When reading English texts, do so quickly and efficienly by being able to ignore unknown words or expressions that do not hinder comprehension. Aim to understand sentences first rather than each and every word. If comprehension is hindered by unknown vocabulary, try guessing the meaning first before using a dictionary. This will help build your confidence prior to the exam when dictionaries will be out of bounds!

In addition, practice the skill of speed-reading:

*Try using your finger as a pointer and run it along a line of text to speed up your eye movement. This will stop you becoming too focussed on individual words and avoid 'skipping back' to previous words or phrases, a tendency we all have when we feel the need to confim we understand something.

*Try reading groups of words rather than individual words.

*Set a very short time limit to scan paragraphs for key words. Then read the text through more slowly to see if you managed to get a general understanding the first time.

*Moving your lips and mouthing the words will slow you down. Read silently with your eyes only!


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