Neologisms – creating new words - Test 3

C2 Proficiency · Open Cloze · Cambridge English Proficiency 1, Cambridge University Press

For questions 1–8, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each space. Use only one word in each space.

To survive, language must evolve, yet it is resistant (0) ___ certain forms of change. Most new words sparkle briefly, (1) ___ at all, and then fade away. However, new words are necessary because, as the world changes, (2) ___ must our vocabulary. In a society (3) ___ science seems to occupy the intellectual high ground, it is inevitable that vocabularies are continually being augmented (4) ___ technical terms. Novel items of vocabulary distress people for two reasons. They attest to phenomena we don't like (5) ___ expect not to like, and their tone offends our sensibilities. There is (6) ___ new about this aversion to neologism. As far (7) ___ as the 1750s, a distinguished English lexicographer criticised the 'unnecessary words creeping into the language'. So what does make a word stick? First of all, it has to be widely adopted; it also has to denote something of lasting significance for it will only last as long as the phenomenon (8) ___ question; and to become embedded, it needs to generate derivative forms.

Neologisms – creating new words

Available as a free printable PDF worksheet with an optional answer key.

More C2 Proficiency Open Cloze practice · All C2 Proficiency practice