Cambridge B1 Preliminary Exam: Mastering RUE Part 4

B1 Preliminary Reading · Exam Instructions

1. Before You Start the Reading Paper 📝

Before we practise Part 4, let’s understand the official exam rules. This will help you work calmly, control your time and avoid mistakes that have nothing to do with your English level.

⏱️ Time

You have 45 minutes for the complete Reading paper.

🔢 Total questions

The Reading paper has 32 questions in total.

✅ Marks

Questions 1–32 carry one mark each.

📌 Part 4

Part 4 has 5 questions: Questions 16–20.

Official candidate instructions

Do not open the question paper until you are told to do so.
Write your name, centre number and candidate number on your answer sheet.
Read the instructions for each part carefully.
Answer all the questions.
Read the instructions on the answer sheet.
Write your answers on the answer sheet. Use a pencil.
You must complete the answer sheet within the time limit.
At the end of the test, hand in both the question paper and your answer sheet.

Paper-based and digital-based exams: in the paper-based version, you mark your answers on an answer sheet using pencil. In the digital-based version, you select your answers on screen. The skill is the same: understand the text, follow the logic, connect ideas and choose the sentence that fits the gap.

Teacher tip: Part 4 is about cohesion. That means you need to understand how sentences connect before and after each gap.

Lesson Introduction

2. Welcome! Today We Are Going to Master Reading Part 4 🌟

Hello, my lovely students! Today we are going to practise Part 4 of the Cambridge B1 Preliminary Reading paper. This is the part where sentences have been removed from a text and you need to put the correct sentence back in the correct place. 😊

I know this part can feel confusing at first because all the options may look possible. But please do not worry. With the right strategy, this task becomes much easier. We are going to train your brain to look for logic, grammar links and meaning clues.

What are we going to do in this lesson?

🧩 Understand the task

We will learn what Cambridge asks you to do in Reading Part 4.

📖 Analyse a real exam text

We will use the official text called A new life.

🚫 Avoid common traps

We will see why some options seem correct but do not fit the text.

✅ Solve step by step

We will solve Question 16 with a clear method you can repeat in the exam.

In this lesson, I want you to stop guessing randomly. Part 4 is like completing a puzzle. Every sentence must connect with the sentence before and the sentence after. We are going to find those connections together. 🧠✨

Reading Part 4 · Real Exam Task

3. What Do You Have to Do in Part 4? 🧩

In Reading Part 4, five sentences have been removed from a text. You must choose the correct sentence for each gap. There are three extra sentences, so not every option will be used.

Official instruction

Part 4

Questions 16–20

Five sentences have been removed from the text below.

For each question, choose the correct answer.

There are three extra sentences which you do not need to use.

Real exam text — A new life

I used to work as a college lecturer in the north of England, running photography courses. It wasn’t a bad job and I really liked my students, but I began to feel tired of doing the same thing every day.

16 ____

I’d always loved travelling, so one weekend I typed ‘international volunteering’ into an internet search engine.

Options A–H

That’s why I knew it was a terrible plan.
I had trained in icy water in the UK so the crystal clear warm water felt amazing.
They always ask lots of questions.
I work far harder than I used to.
I began joking to friends about sending in an application.
Afterwards, some people were surprised by my decision but I wasn’t too worried.
I decided I needed a break.
I needed to explain that first.

Important: do not choose a sentence only because it sounds nice. The correct sentence must connect logically with the sentence before and the sentence after the gap.

Examiner Secrets

4. Problems and Common Mistakes in B1 Reading Part 4 🚫

Part 4 can be dangerous because the options are complete sentences. That means many of them look grammatically correct, but only one fits the exact gap.

1. Looking only at the gap

Students often read only the sentence before the gap. You must read before and after the gap to understand the complete connection.

2. Ignoring pronouns

Words like it, they, that and this must refer to something clear in the text.

3. Choosing by topic only

If the text is about travelling, not every sentence about travelling will fit. The sentence must continue the logic of the paragraph.

4. Forgetting the extra options

There are three extra sentences. Cambridge includes them to distract you. Do not force an option if the connection is weak.

Common Spanish-speaking student mistakes

Problem	Example	How to fix it
Translating everything word by word	Students get stuck on vocabulary and lose the general meaning.	Focus on the logic: problem → decision → action.
Ignoring contrast words	Words like but, however and although change the direction.	Mark connectors because they show how ideas move.
Confusing “break” with “broken”	“I needed a break” means rest/change, not something damaged.	Learn common chunks, not just individual words.
Choosing an option with no clear reference	“They always ask lots of questions” needs a clear “they”.	Ask: who or what does the pronoun refer to?

Teacher tip: in Part 4, the best question is not “Do I understand this sentence?” The best question is: Does this sentence connect perfectly here? 💛

Reading Strategy

5. Tips for Success and Strategies 🌟

Here is the method I want you to use every time you solve Reading Part 4. This part becomes much easier when you follow a system.

The 6-Step Reading Part 4 Strategy ⚡

Read the title first. It gives you the topic of the text.
Read the whole text quickly. Get the general story before answering.
Look before and after each gap. The correct option must connect both sides.
Check pronouns and references. Words like it, they, this and that must be clear.
Check time and logic. Does the sentence continue the sequence naturally?
Eliminate extra options. Remember: three sentences are not needed.

For Question 16, what are we looking for?

Clue	What it tells us	What we need
“I began to feel tired of doing the same thing every day.”	The writer is unhappy with routine.	A sentence about needing a change or break.
“I’d always loved travelling...”	The next idea introduces travel as a possible solution.	A bridge from tired routine to looking for travel opportunities.
Paragraph logic	Old job → tired of routine → need change → search for volunteering.	A sentence that explains the decision to change something.

My advice: Part 4 is not magic. It is logic. Look for the sentence that acts like a bridge between two ideas. 🌉

Real Exam Solution

6. Solving Step by Step – Example from the Real Exam ✅

Now let’s solve Question 16 together. Remember: the correct sentence must connect the idea before the gap and the idea after the gap.

Question 16: The gap

16 ____

I’d always loved travelling, so one weekend I typed ‘international volunteering’ into an internet search engine.

Step 1: Understand the logic before the gap

The writer says the job was not bad, but she was tired of the same routine. This tells us she probably wanted a change.

Step 2: Understand the logic after the gap

After the gap, she searches for international volunteering. This means she is looking for a new experience connected to travelling.

Step 3: Check the best option

Option	Why it fits or does not fit	Result
A. That’s why I knew it was a terrible plan.	There is no terrible plan before the gap.	Wrong
E. I began joking to friends about sending in an application.	This fits better after seeing the volunteering opportunity, not before searching for it.	Wrong for 16
G. I decided I needed a break.	This connects perfectly: she was tired of routine, so she needed a break, then she searched for travel volunteering.	Correct
H. I needed to explain that first.	There is no clear “that” to explain here.	Wrong

Correct answer: G ✅

The correct answer is G. I decided I needed a break. It connects naturally with the sentence before: she was tired of doing the same thing every day. It also prepares the next sentence: she loved travelling and searched for international volunteering.

Teacher tip: the logic is: tired of routine → needed a break → searched for travel volunteering. That is why G is the best answer.

Grammar and Vocabulary

7. Essential Grammar and Vocabulary Knowledge 📚

Reading Part 4 tests how ideas connect. To solve it well, you need vocabulary and grammar for cohesion, sequence, contrast, cause and reference.

Key vocabulary from the text “A new life”

Expression	Meaning	Example
used to work	worked in the past, but not now	I used to work as a college lecturer.
feel tired of	be bored or unhappy because of repetition	She felt tired of doing the same thing every day.
need a break	need rest or a change	I decided I needed a break.
search engine	a website used to find information	She typed “international volunteering” into a search engine.
opportunity	a chance to do something	She found an opportunity to volunteer abroad.
volunteering	working to help without being paid	International volunteering changed her life.

Grammar and cohesion you need for Part 4

Language feature	What it does	Example
Pronoun reference	Connects a pronoun to a noun before it	“They” must refer to clear people in the text.
Cause and result	Shows why something happens	She was tired, so she needed a break.
Contrast	Shows a change of direction	It wasn’t a bad job, but she felt tired.
Time sequence	Shows order of events	One weekend, she searched online.
Topic continuation	Keeps the same idea moving	Routine → break → travel opportunity.

Useful connectors for missing sentence tasks

Connector	Function	Example meaning
so	result	She was tired, so she searched for a change.
but	contrast	The job was good, but she was bored.
however	strong contrast	However, she never went back to her old life.
afterwards	later in time	Afterwards, people were surprised.
as soon as	immediate time connection	As soon as she arrived, she felt sure.
in fact	adds surprising or stronger information	In fact, she loved it so much that she stayed.

Teacher tip: after doing Part 4 exercises, do not only check the answer. Ask yourself: What connected this sentence to the text? That is where the real learning happens. 🧠

Conclusion

8. Final Advice: Never Leave an Answer Blank 🌈

My dear students, please remember this: never leave a Reading answer blank. Cambridge tells you to answer all the questions, so give yourself every possible chance.

How many marks is Part 4 worth?

The Reading paper has 32 questions, and Questions 1–32 carry one mark each.

Part 4 has 5 questions, Questions 16–20, so this part is worth 5 marks out of 32.

That means every answer matters. Even if you are not completely sure, choose the sentence that connects best with the text. A blank answer has no chance, but a careful answer might be correct.

Final teacher tips 💛

Read the title first.
Read the whole text quickly before choosing answers.
Look at the sentence before and after each gap.
Check pronouns like it, they, this and that.
Look for cause, contrast and time sequence.
Remember that three options are extra.
Answer every question. Do not leave blanks.

Remember this ❤️

You do not need to understand every word to succeed in Reading Part 4. You need to understand how ideas connect. With practice, you will start seeing the links: pronouns, connectors, time order and logic. That is how you become faster and more confident.

Source

This activity is based on the official Cambridge B1 Preliminary Sample Paper (2022) – Reading and Use of English: Part 4.

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