B2 First Reading Part 6: Tips & Practice

Hello, English learners! Have you ever completed a B2 First Reading Part 6 exercise, felt confident about your answers and then discovered that several of them were wrong? Perhaps you understood almost every word in the text. You even recognised some of the vocabulary in the missing sentences. So what went wrong? The problem is that B2 First Reading Part 6 is not simply a test of vocabulary or reading comprehension. It tests how well you understand the connections between sentences and ideas.

In this lesson, you will learn how to approach the gapped-text task, recognise the clues that lead to the correct answers and avoid common mistakes. You’ll also work through a complete exam-style practice exercise with detailed explanations.

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What Is B2 First Reading Part 6?

Part 6 belongs to the Reading and Use of English paper of the Cambridge B2 First examination, also known as FCE.

You read a text from which six sentences have been removed. Your task is to decide which sentence belongs in each gap.

Here are the main features of the task:

• You have six numbered gaps.
• There are seven possible sentences, labelled A–G.
• One sentence does not belong in any of the gaps.
• Each correct answer is worth two marks.
• You can earn a maximum of 12 marks in this part.

The complete Reading and Use of English paper lasts 75 minutes and contains seven parts.

In Part 6, Cambridge wants to see whether you can follow the development of a text and understand how sentences connect to form a logical whole.

You can find more information about the exam in my complete guide to preparing for B2 First.

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Six Important Clues for B2 First Reading Part 6

1. Pronouns: Who or What Are They Referring To?

Pronouns such as he, she, it, they, him, her and them often connect one sentence to another.

Look at this example:

• Emma bought an old bicycle at a market. Unfortunately, it needed several repairs.

The pronoun it refers to the bicycle.

Exam tip: Whenever you see a pronoun in one of the answer options, ask yourself what it refers to. If you cannot find a suitable reference in the text, the sentence may not belong in that gap.

2. Reference Words: This, That, These and Those

Words such as this, that, these and those help writers refer to information already mentioned.

Consider:

The company decided to introduce a four-day working week.

This decision surprised many employees.

The expression this decision refers to the company’s decision to change the working week.

3. Linking Expressions: Follow the Writer’s Logic

Linking words can show contrast, result, addition, explanation or an example.

They are particularly useful when two possible answers seem equally suitable.

However, nevertheless	Contrast
Therefore, as a result	Result
Furthermore, in addition	Addition
For example, for instance	Example
In fact, actually	Clarification or emphasis
Meanwhile, afterwards	Time or sequence

Compare these sentences:

The weather forecast predicted heavy rain.

However, the sun shone throughout the afternoon.

The word however introduces an unexpected contrast.

Exam tip: Don’t choose a sentence simply because it contains a linking word. Check whether the relationship expressed by that word makes sense in the whole paragraph.

4. Repeated Ideas and Paraphrasing

Writers often refer to the same idea using different words.

For example:

Many employees now work remotely.

This arrangement allows them to avoid travelling to the office every day.

The expressions work remotely and avoid travelling to the office are connected, even though they don’t use exactly the same vocabulary.

You must understand the relationship between the ideas, not just recognise similar words.

5. Chronological Order: What Happened First?

In a narrative, events normally follow a logical sequence.

Words and phrases such as at first, later that day, by the following morning, eventually and a few years later can help you understand this sequence.

For example:

James had always wanted to open his own restaurant.

After saving money for several years, he finally found a suitable location.

Six months later, his restaurant welcomed its first customers.

The events progress naturally from an ambition to preparation and finally to opening the business.

When choosing a missing sentence, check whether it introduces an event at the correct point in the story.

Pay attention to verb tenses too. The past perfect, for example, often refers to something that happened before another past event.

6. Logical Connections: Look Before and After the Gap

This is probably the most important strategy of all.

A sentence must make sense with both sides of the gap.

Consider:

Sarah had been working long hours for several months.

[GAP]

She decided to take a week off and spend some time with her family.

Which sentence fits better?

1. Eventually, she realised that she was becoming exhausted.
2. Her colleague had recently bought a new car.

The correct answer is A.

Why?

The first sentence describes Sarah’s long working hours. Sentence A explains the consequence: she was exhausted. The following sentence describes what she decided to do about it.

Sentence B is grammatically correct, but it doesn’t help develop the story.

This illustrates an essential rule for B2 First Reading Part 6:

Don’t stop when a sentence seems to fit the information before the gap. Read what comes afterwards as well.

How to Approach B2 First Reading Part 6 Step by Step

Now that you know what clues to look for, let’s put them into a practical exam strategy.

Step 1: Read the Whole Text First

Before looking carefully at sentences A–G, read the text from beginning to end.

Try to understand the main topic and how the story or argument develops.

You don’t need to understand every word.

Your first goal is to understand the overall meaning.

Step 2: Examine the Words Around Each Gap

Read the sentence immediately before the gap and the sentence immediately after it.

Look for pronouns, references, linking words and changes in time.

Try to predict the purpose of the missing sentence.

Does it probably explain something? Introduce a contrast? Describe what happened next?

This prediction will help you evaluate the options.

Step 3: Read All Seven Options

Read sentences A–G and identify any useful clues.

Underline words such as however, therefore, they, this, afterwards and such.

Notice whether a sentence refers to a person, object or situation that has already been introduced.

You can also make brief notes beside the options.

Step 4: Complete the Easiest Gaps First

You don’t have to work through the gaps in order.

If you find a particularly strong connection between the surrounding text and one of the options, complete that gap first.

Then cross out the sentence you have used.

Each sentence can be used only once.

As you complete more gaps, you’ll have fewer options to compare.

Step 5: Check the Sentence on Both Sides

Insert your chosen sentence mentally and read the three sentences together.

Ask yourself whether they form a natural, logical sequence.

If the paragraph sounds strange, look again.

The correct answer should help the text flow smoothly.

Step 6: Check the Extra Sentence

When you have completed all six gaps, one sentence should remain unused.

Don’t assume you’ve made a mistake just because that sentence contains vocabulary from the text.

It may deliberately refer to the same topic without fitting any particular gap.

Finally, read the complete text with all your answers in place.

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B2 First Reading Part 6 – Practice Test

Answers and Detailed Explanations

Question 37 – C

Then a message in her neighbourhood group made her change her mind.

The paragraph explains that Maya had intended to throw her lamp away.

The phrase made her change her mind tells us that something persuaded her to reconsider that decision.

The following sentence explains what the message contained: a photograph of the repair café shared by her neighbour.

This creates a logical sequence:

1. Maya decides to throw the lamp away.
2. She receives a message.
3. She decides to visit the repair café instead.

The main clues are the change of decision and the reference to a message.

Question 38 – F

He encouraged her to follow each step and ask as many questions as she liked.

The previous sentence introduces Tom, who asks Maya to sit beside him.

The pronoun he in option F refers to Tom.

The phrase follow each step also explains why he wants Maya to sit next to him rather than leave the lamp and return later.

The following quotation supports this idea:

‘If you understand what we’re doing … you might be able to solve a similar problem yourself one day.’

The main clues are the pronoun reference and the connection between watching, learning and repairing.

Question 39 – G

What surprised her most, though, was how ordinary the whole process felt.

Maya has just watched Tom repair her lamp.

The missing sentence explains her reaction to the experience.

The expression what surprised her most introduces a contrast between what she expected and what actually happened.

The following sentence explains her previous beliefs: she thought repairs involved mysterious equipment and complicated skills.

The connection is therefore between her expectations and her new understanding.

The main clue is the contrast between how difficult she imagined repairs would be and how simple the process appeared.

Question 40 – A

Even when an object could not be fixed that day, the visit was rarely wasted.

The paragraph explains that several visitors had to take their possessions home without having them repaired.

However, the missing sentence introduces a more positive interpretation of their experience.

The following sentence explains why their visits were still worthwhile: they received information about the problem, the necessary replacement parts and where to find them.

The main clues are the contrast between an unsuccessful repair and the useful advice visitors received.

Question 41 – E

For her, the real achievement was no longer just the number of objects they saved.

The previous sentence explains that Rosa originally cared about reducing waste, but another benefit had become equally important.

The missing sentence introduces this other form of success.

The following quotation reveals what it is: bringing neighbours together and encouraging them to help one another.

The expression for her refers to Rosa’s personal view of the project.

The main clue is the movement from the environmental benefits of the café to its social benefits.

Question 42 – B

For the first time, she felt that repairing things might be a skill she could actually learn.

At the beginning of the article, Maya believed that she wasn’t good at repairing things.

By the end, she has watched a repair, helped another visitor and realised that she might be capable of learning new practical skills.

The missing sentence completes this change in her attitude.

It also prepares the reader for the final sentence, in which she plans to return to the café.

The main clue is Maya’s personal development throughout the story.

Why Is Sentence D the Extra Sentence?

In fact, most of the visitors had already decided to replace their broken items rather than repair them.

This sentence contains vocabulary related to the article: visitors, replace, broken items and repair.

However, it doesn’t fit the development of the story.

The visitors have come to the café because they want to repair their possessions, understand the problems or learn practical skills.

There is no appropriate point in the text where the claim that most visitors had already decided to replace their belongings connects logically with the surrounding information.

This is a good example of why recognising vocabulary is not enough to choose the correct answer.

Common Mistakes in B2 First Reading Part 6

Mistake 1: Choosing a Sentence Because It Contains the Same Words

Sometimes two sentences mention the same subject without having a logical connection.

For example, a paragraph may discuss travelling by train, and one of the options may also contain the word train.

That alone is not enough.

What to do instead: Look for a clear relationship between ideas, such as cause and effect, explanation or contrast.

Mistake 2: Reading Only the Sentence Before the Gap

A sentence may seem appropriate when you read what comes before it, but it can create a problem with the following sentence.

What to do instead: Always read the sentence before the gap, your chosen answer and the sentence after the gap as one continuous passage.

Mistake 3: Ignoring Pronouns and Reference Words

Words such as he, they, this and those may provide the strongest clue in the entire question.

What to do instead: Identify exactly what each pronoun or reference word refers to.

Mistake 4: Spending Too Long on One Gap

You may find two sentences that initially seem possible.

If you spend several minutes comparing them, you risk running out of time.

What to do instead: Move on to a more straightforward gap and return later. Completing other gaps can help you eliminate options.

Mistake 5: Forgetting the Overall Meaning

Even if individual sentences seem to fit, the completed text may not tell a logical story or develop a clear argument.

What to do instead: Read the entire passage once more when you have finished.

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Continue Practising Your Reading and Exam Skills

Would you like to improve your reading skills further? These lessons will help you recognise connections between ideas, understand texts more confidently and prepare for Cambridge English exams.

• How to Improve Your English by Reading: 12 Practical Strategies – Learn how to understand difficult texts, recognise important information and develop better reading habits.
• In Spite Of, Despite, However and Although: What’s the Difference? – Practise linking expressions that help you recognise contrasts and connections between sentences.
• B2 First Multiple-Choice Cloze: 10 Things to Look For – Try another Reading and Use of English task with explanations, strategies and practice.
• C1 Advanced Reading Part 7: Gapped Text Tips and Practice – Ready for a bigger challenge? Learn how to recognise connections between whole paragraphs at C1 level.

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Want More B2 First Reading and Use of English Practice?

If you’re preparing for the Cambridge B2 First exam and would like to practise all seven parts of the Reading and Use of English paper, have a look at my B2 First Reading and Use of English books.

The 12 Complete Practice Tests workbook provides exam-style practice across all seven parts, while the Complete Collection combines full tests with additional grammar and vocabulary practice.

You can work through the free lessons on this website first, then use the books to develop your skills more systematically.

Explore the B2 First Reading and Use of English books in my Bookshop

You can also explore my B2 First lessons for more help with grammar, vocabulary, writing, speaking and exam preparation.