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Practice Reading: Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown) ID: #36551 British schools
Instructions ›
Below is a text with blanks. Click on each blank, a list of choices will appear. Select the appropriate choice for each blank.
Many  parents  want  their  children  to  grow  up  with  a  love  of  reading.  However,  recent  research    that  children  nowadays  spend  far  more  of  their  time  using  their  phones  or  computers  than  reading  books.  Of  course,  technology  brings  children  many  advantages,  but  books  are    as  computers.  For  instance,  when  children  read  storybooks,  they  imagine  the  characters  and  practice  their  language  skills,  too.
Many  British  schools  run  an  event  called  World  Book  Day.  This  event    to  promote  reading  to  pupils  using  various  fun  activities.  Some  pupils  come  to  school  in  costumes  inspired  by  their  favourite  book.  Other  schools  organise  World  Book  Day  activities  where  pupils  create  music,  art  or  plays  about  books.
But  it’s  also  important  for  children  to  read  at  home,  too.  At  the  moment,    parents  spend  time  reading  with  their  children  regularly.  Unfortunately,  this  means  that  these  children  are  missing  an  opportunity  to  develop  the  reading  habit  at  an  early  age.

Result:

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Correct answer: has shown

Explanation: The phrase 'has shown' is in the present perfect tense, which is appropriate here as it indicates that the research results are relevant to the present situation. This aligns with the context of discussing ongoing trends in children's reading habits.

Meaning: 'Has shown' means that the research has demonstrated or revealed something, in this case, the amount of time children spend on devices compared to reading.

Wrong options:

  • was showing: This option is in the past continuous tense, which implies an ongoing action in the past, not suitable for the context of presenting research findings.
  • showed: This is the simple past tense, which does not convey the ongoing relevance of the research findings to the present situation.
  • has been shown: While this is also present perfect, it suggests a passive construction that does not fit the active voice used in the sentence.
Correct answer: as important

Explanation: The phrase 'as important' is a comparative structure that correctly indicates that books hold equal significance to computers. This fits grammatically and contextually within the sentence, emphasizing the importance of both mediums.

Meaning: 'As important' means that books are equally significant or valuable compared to computers.

Wrong options:

  • as much: This phrase is typically used to compare quantities or degrees, not suitability or importance, making it grammatically incorrect in this context.
  • less useful: This option contradicts the intended meaning of the sentence, which is to assert the equal importance of books and computers.
  • not like: This phrase does not provide a comparative structure and is grammatically incorrect in this context.
Correct answer: aims

Explanation: The verb 'aims' is in the present simple tense, which is appropriate for stating the purpose of the event. It aligns well with the context of describing what World Book Day seeks to achieve.

Meaning: 'Aims' means to intend or to have a goal, indicating that the event has a specific purpose of promoting reading.

Wrong options:

  • has: This verb does not convey the intended meaning of purpose and is grammatically incorrect in this context.
  • allows: This suggests permission rather than intention, which does not fit the context of promoting reading.
  • encourages: While this could fit, it does not convey the direct intention of the event as clearly as 'aims' does.
Correct answer: very few

Explanation: The phrase 'very few' accurately quantifies the number of parents who read with their children, indicating a small amount. This fits grammatically and contextually within the sentence, emphasizing the lack of parental involvement in reading.

Meaning: 'Very few' means a small number, highlighting that not many parents are engaging in reading activities with their children.

Wrong options:

  • too many: This option contradicts the intended meaning, suggesting an excess rather than a deficiency in parental reading time.
  • so much: This phrase implies a large quantity, which does not fit the context of the sentence that discusses a lack of reading time.
  • not much: While this suggests a small amount, it does not convey the same emphasis on the limited number of parents as 'very few' does.

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