What Is a Tip For?

C2 Proficiency · Word Formation · Cambridge Ready original exercise

For questions 1–8, read the text below. Use the word given in capitals at the end of some of the lines to form a word that fits in the gap in the same line. There is an example at the beginning (0).

OPTION

PRACTICE

ADEQUATE

WEAK

APPEAR

PREDICT

DEPEND

FIERCE

Few customs cause as much (0) ___ among travellers as tipping. In some countries a tip is a small, entirely (1) ___ gesture of thanks; in others it is (2) ___ compulsory, since waiting staff rely on it to make up for (3) ___ wages. In theory, a tip rewards good service. In reality, research suggests that its size is linked only (4) ___ to how well a customer has been served, and far more closely to matters that have nothing to do with it, such as the weather, the size of the bill and the server's (5) ___ . Critics argue that the system makes earnings (6) ___ from one week to the next and leaves workers (7) ___ on the moods of strangers, while allowing employers to pay less than a living wage. A number of restaurants have tried abolishing tips and raising prices instead, only to find that customers are (8) ___ attached to the ritual. Many, it seems, enjoy the sense that they are personally choosing to reward someone, even if the reward is far from fair.