Solving problems while you sleep - Test 1

C1 Advanced · Open Cloze · Cambridge English Advanced 3, Cambridge University Press

For questions 9–16, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap.

How often do we struggle to figure (0) ___ a problem and then, after a night's sleep, we wake up knowing exactly what to do? We tend to view sleep simply (9) ___ a period of recuperation, but it actually has profound implications for a lot of human tasks, including a positive effect on problem-solving. Research now suggests that (10) ___ only are we able to come up with answers to life issues while asleep, but these answers are often better than the ones we might think of once the routines of our daily lives take (11) ___ . Sleep aids memory too, and it's believed that new information isn't processed and absorbed fully until we've had a good night's sleep. So, if you're faced (12) ___ a difficult problem, set it aside, sleep (13) ___ it and return to it the next day. But (14) ___ made a complex decision, you (15) ___ like to revisit it after a second night's rest on the off-chance that (16) ___ could be a better solution waiting to be considered.

Solving problems while you sleep

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