The Power of Belief

C1 Advanced · Multiple Choice Cloze · Cambridge Ready original exercise

For questions 1–8, read the text below and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap. There is an example at the beginning.

distorted

deformed

disfigured

contorted

right

sake

way

terms

driven

steered

ridden

piloted

relief

release

rescue

remedy

upright

downright

forthright

outright

neglectful

negligent

neglected

negligible

point

edge

tip

blade

attribute

distribute

contribute

donate

It has long been (0) ___ that patients sometimes improve after taking a pill that contains no active ingredient at all. This so-called placebo effect was once considered little more than a nuisance, something that (1) ___ the results of drug trials. Increasingly, though, researchers are treating it as a phenomenon worthy of study in its own (2) ___ . The effect appears to be (3) ___ by expectation: large pills tend to work better than small ones, and injections better than tablets. Even the price can make a difference: patients told that a pill is expensive tend to report greater (4) ___ than those told it is cheap. Some even improve when told (5) ___ that they are taking a placebo. None of this means that illness is 'all in the mind'. Placebos cannot shrink tumours, and their effect on measurable signs of disease is (6) ___ at best. But they can take the (7) ___ off symptoms such as pain and fatigue. Some doctors now wonder whether the ritual of care itself may (8) ___ more to recovery than we realise.

The Power of Belief

known

aware

familiar

conscious

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

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