Comfortable Silences

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.

Few things make a conversation feel more awkward (0) ___ a long silence. In many English-speaking countries, people rush to fill even the briefest pause, regarding it (1) ___ a sign that something has gone wrong. Elsewhere, however, silence is valued (2) ___ its own right. In some cultures, a pause before answering is a mark of respect, showing that the listener has given the question the thought it deserves. To reply instantly, (3) ___ the other hand, might suggest that you had not really been listening. Misunderstandings are almost inevitable when people from these traditions meet. A speaker who is used (4) ___ rapid exchanges may interpret the other person's silence as boredom and hurry to fill it, (5) ___ turn leaving the quieter partner feeling interrupted. Neither of them is to (6) ___ ; each is simply following rules they have never been consciously aware (7) ___ . For anyone who works or travels abroad, learning to sit comfortably through a few seconds of silence may (8) ___ out to be one of the most valuable conversational skills of all.

Comfortable Silences

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