The Grass Is Always Greener

C1 Advanced · Open Cloze · Cambridge Ready original exercise

For questions 1–8, read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only one word in each gap. There is an example at the beginning.

We are, it seems, incapable (0) ___ judging our own good fortune in isolation. A pay rise that delights us one day can leave us feeling cheated the next, the moment we learn that a colleague received a bigger one. What matters to us is not so much how comfortable we are as how comfortable we are relative (1) ___ the people around us. Social media has made the problem all the (2) ___ acute, exposing us to an endless stream of holidays, promotions and perfect families, few (3) ___ which reflect real life. It is hardly surprising that so many users end (4) ___ feeling worse about themselves after an hour of scrolling. Yet comparison is not always harmful. Seeing a friend succeed can spur us (5) ___ to try harder, as long as we treat their success as proof of what is possible rather (6) ___ as a judgement on ourselves. The healthiest comparison of (7) ___ , psychologists suggest, is with the person we were a year ago. That, (8) ___ least, is a race we have some chance of winning.

The Grass Is Always Greener

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

More C1 Advanced Open Cloze practice · All C1 Advanced practice