Open Cloze
Part 1 Every (1)_____________ and again, a plain grey cardboard box was dished (2)__________ to each boy in our House, and this, (3)____________ it or not, was a
present from the great chocolate manufacturers, Cadbury. Inside
the box there were twelve (4)___________ of chocolate, all of different
shapes, all with different fillings, and all with numbers from one
to twelve stamped on the chocolate underneath. Also in the box there was a (5)__________ of paper with the
numbers one to twelve on it as well as two blank columns, one
for giving marks to each chocolate from nought to ten, and the
other for comments.
Word formation
All we were required to do in return for this (6)___________ (SPLENDOUR) gift was
to taste very (7)_____________ (CARE) each bar of chocolate, give it marks, and
make an intelligent comment on why we loved or (8)___________ (LIKE) it.
It was a clever stunt. Cadbury’s were using some of the (9)____________ (GREAT) chocolate-bar experts in the world to test out their
new inventions. We were of a sensible age, between thirteen
and eighteen, and we knew (10)___________ (INTIMACY) every chocolate bar in (11)_____________ (EXIST), from the Milk Flake to the Lemon Marshmallow. Quite (12)____________ (OBVIOUS) our opinions on anything new would be (13)___________ (VALUE). All of
us entered into this game with great gusto, sitting in our studies
and nibbling each bar with the air of connoisseurs, giving our
marks and making our comments. ‘Too subtle for the common
palate’ was one note that I remember writing down.
Part 2
For me, the (14)_____________ (IMPORTANT) of all this was that I began to realize
that the large chocolate companies (15)_____________ (ACTUAL) did possess
inventing rooms and they took their inventing very (16)_____________ (SERIOUS).
I used to picture a long white room like a laboratory with pots
of chocolate and fudge and all sorts of other delicious fillings
bubbling away on the stoves, while men and women in white
coats moved between the bubbling pots, tasting and mixing and
concocting their wonderful new (17)_____________ (INVENT). I used to imagine
myself working in one of these labs and suddenly I would come
up with something so (18)________________ (BEAR) delicious that I would grab it
in my hand and go rushing out of the lab and along the corridor
and right into the offices of the great Mr Cadbury himself. ‘I’ve
got it, Sir’ I would shout, putting the chocolate in front of him.
‘It’s fantastic! It’s fabulous! It’s marvellous! It’s (19)_______________ (RESIST)!’
Slowly, the great man would pick up my newly-invented
chocolate and he would take a small bite. He would roll it round
his mouth. Then all at once, he would leap up from his chair,
crying, ‘You’ve got it! You’ve done it! It’s a miracle!’ He would
slap me on the back and shout, ‘We’ll sell it by the million! We’ll
sweep the world with this one! How on earth did you do it? Your
salary is doubled.’
It was lovely dreaming those dreams, and I have no doubt at
all that thirty-five years later, when I was looking for a plot
for my second book for children, I remembered those little
cardboard boxes and the (20)____________ (NEW) invented chocolates inside them,
and I began to write a book called Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory.
KEY
1. now
(every) now and then/again: sometimes, but not very often. From time to time. Occasionally.
E.g.
We meet up for lunch now and then, but not as often as we used to.
2. out
dish something out (informal): to give something, often to a lot of people or in large amounts. Sp. repartir.
E.g.
Students dished out leaflets to passers-by.
She's always dishing out advice, even when you don't want it
3. believe
believe it or not (informal): used to introduce information that is true but that may surprise people.
E.g.
Believe it or not, he asked me to marry him!
4. bars
a bar of chocolate
5. sheet
a sheet of paper
6. splendid
7. carefully
8. disliked
9. greatest
10. intimately
11. existence
12. obviously
13. valuable/ invaluable
14. importance
15. actually
16. seriously
17. inventions
18. unbearably
19. irresistible
20. newly
