Helping Around the House

C2 Proficiency · 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.

There was a time when children were expected to pull their (0) ___ at home as a matter of (1) ___ . Today many parents prefer to spare them household tasks altogether, reasoning that childhood should be devoted (2) ___ play and study. It is an understandable instinct, but one that may end (3) ___ doing children more harm than good. Regular chores teach practical skills, of course, but their value goes well (4) ___ learning how to fold a shirt or peel a potato. A child who is relied (5) ___ to set the table every evening learns that their contribution matters, and that a household is a shared enterprise and not a hotel (6) ___ which they happen to live. The key, many educationalists suggest, is to present tasks not as punishments but as a natural part of family life. Equally important is resisting the temptation to step in and redo a job that has been done less (7) ___ perfectly. A bed that is made badly is, (8) ___ all, still a bed that has been made, and the child who made it will probably do better next time.

Helping Around the House

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