For Questions 1-15, read the text below and decide which answer A, B, C or D best fits each space.

Example: (0) A say B TELL C speak D announce

Write the Perfect Crime Novel

Most people are born with the natural ability to (0) … stories, but only a rare few have the determination to become professional authors, and even fewer have the joy of seeing their novels top the (1) … of bestselling books. Some of the world’s famous crime writers have achieved the (2) … success of all. Who can (3) … the appeal of famous detectives like Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot? Even if you haven’t read the (4) … books you will have seen them in films or on the TV.
If you have an ambition to become the (5) … Agatha Christie what should you do? The best starting (6) … is to read lots of examples of crime fiction written by good authors. You will need a notebook to carry around with you or, (7) … better, some loose (8) … of paper that you can (9) … notes on and then file into a folder. After all, the most everyday situation – for example, watching a woman get (10) … a train – may be the (11) … for your first bestseller.
Like any good recipe you have to know the main (12) … of a successful novel. These are: an original story, strong characters and a memorable setting.

1 A queue B list C row D line
2 A largest B greatest C highest D prime
3 A deny B refuse C insist D hide
4 A first B initial C early D original
5 A next B following C subsequent D later
6 A spot B tip C point D mark
7 A even B still C very D so
8 A strips B sheets C layers D pieces
9 A complete B do C fill D make
10 A out B down C off D from
11 A notion B idea C invention D inspiration
12 A parts B ingredients C pieces D sections

Answers:

1. B
2. B
3. A
4. D
5. A
6. C
7. A
8. B
9. D
10. C
11. D
12. B