The Forger's Art

C2 Proficiency · 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.

outgrows

outlives

outwits

outstays

bear

carry

wear

hold

last

remain

endure

abide

assure

ensure

ascertain

assert

suspecting

suspicious

suspended

suspenseful

traces

trails

tracks

footsteps

writes

spells

reads

speaks

dish

tray

saucer

plate

Few crimes (0) ___ the public imagination quite like art forgery. There is something almost admirable, many feel, about a lone craftsman who (1) ___ the experts and sells his fakes to the very galleries that should have known better. Such sympathy, however, does not (2) ___ close scrutiny. Forgeries distort our understanding of an artist's development, and once they have found their way into reputable collections they can (3) ___ undetected for decades. Exposing them is painstaking work. Specialists examine brushwork under magnification, analyse pigments to (4) ___ whether they were available in the period, and trace a picture's history of ownership in search of any (5) ___ gaps. Even so, a skilled forger covers his (6) ___ meticulously, ageing canvases artificially and inventing plausible histories. Ironically, it is often the forger's own vanity that (7) ___ his downfall. Unable to resist leaving a private signature or boasting to an acquaintance, he hands investigators the very clues they need on a (8) ___ .

The Forger's Art

grasp

clutch

snatch

capture

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

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