Rationale Cloze: PMR

MODEL FACTUAL

Each question in the following texts refers to a numbered lank. For each question, choose the best options A, B, and C or A, B, C and D to fit the numbered blanks.

Not many people enjoy _______(1). It is because, when we do the activity, we need to ________(2) the soil by digging a garden patch where worms live. But the fun of gardening _______(3) simply worth all the trouble. We can always get a pair of plastic gloves to keep our hands ______(4) from dirt. And then, we need to _______(5) basic gardening tools like a spade or ______(6) digger, a few flower _______(7) and seeds of plants. Each of us may have _______(8) favourite plant. I personally like the sunflower. It is not at all difficult to grow. You only need to make sure that that it gets as much rays of the morning sun for it to grow well. You will feel the joy of gardening especially when the plants you grow out healthy and beautiful.

1.	A B	garden gardens	C D	guardian gardening	5.	A B	has had	C D	have having
2.	A B	touch touches	C D	touched touching	6.	A B	a an	C D	The and
3.	A B	is are	C D	was were	7.	A B	pot pots	C D	Ports potted
4.	A B	dirty clean	C D	cleanse cleaned	8.	A B	us my	C D	Our the

Comments

1. For Question 1, the answer is “D”. The next sentence clearly mentions that the blank refers to an activity – gardening.
2. For Question 2, the answer is “A”. The clue to this question is “to” – before the blank.
3. For Question 3, the answer is “A”. The word “fun” is uncountable and thus must take a singular verb. Option “C” is a past tense verb. The passage is written in the present tense.
4. For Question 4, the answer is “B”. “A” is obviously wrong because we cannot keep our hands “dirty” from dirt. “D” is also wrong because it is a past tense. “C” is wrong because “cleanse” means to clean.
5. For Question 5, the answer is “C”. The clue is “to”. You have to use verb of the basic form after infinitive “to”.
6. For Question 6, the answer is “A” as it refers to a singular noun-digger.
7. For Question 7, the answer is “B” as it refers to the word “a few”, which shows plurality.
8. For Question 8, the answer is “C” because it refers to the previous word “us” of that sentence.