12.1 Reading Part B: Cloze Passages
Key Takeaways
- Reading Part B accounts for approximately 20% of the total CLEP Spanish Language exam (~24–25 questions), presenting short continuous paragraphs (50–100 words) with embedded blanks.
- Successful completion requires reading the entire paragraph first to establish macro-level context, discourse tone, and time frame before filling individual blanks.
- Discourse markers and logical connectors (sin embargo, por lo tanto, no obstante, por el contrario, además) establish critical structural transitions between sentences.
- Maintaining verb tense harmony (consecutio temporum) and tracking noun reference across sentence boundaries ensures narrative cohesion.
12.1 Reading Part B: Cloze Passages
Part B of the CLEP Spanish Language reading section introduces Cloze Passages (Textos con lagunas). Accounting for approximately 20% of the total exam score (around 24 to 25 questions), this section evaluates your ability to maintain grammatical and logical coherence across connected prose. Rather than isolated sentences, Part B presents short, continuous paragraphs (typically 50 to 100 words in length) containing three to five numbered blanks embedded directly within the narrative or expository text.
While discrete sentence items in Part A focus on local, single-clause grammar, cloze passages test your macro-level comprehension—your capacity to track temporal frameworks, follow argument development, select appropriate discourse connectors, and maintain agreement across sentence boundaries.
Format & Examination Mechanics of Reading Part B
In the CLEP test interface, each cloze passage is displayed on the left side of the screen, with individual questions corresponding to each numbered blank appearing on the right.
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Number of Questions | ~24 to 25 questions (across 5 to 6 passages) |
| Exam Weight | ~20% of total scaled score |
| Passage Length | Short paragraphs (50–100 words) with 3–5 embedded blanks |
| Option Structure | Four written choices per blank (testing grammar, connectors, vocabulary) |
| Pacing Strategy | ~45–60 seconds per blank (including initial passage skim) |
| Primary Focus | Textual flow, transitional discourse markers, tense sequences, referential pronouns |
Three Strategic Steps for Cloze Passage Resolution
Attempting to select answers for blanks in isolation is the most common error made on Part B. Follow this three-step analytical protocol for every cloze passage:
Step 1: The Macro-Passage Skim (Read First!)
Before looking at any multiple-choice options, read through the entire paragraph from start to finish, skipping over the blanks. This preliminary skim reveals:
- The Main Topic & Register: Is the passage a formal academic essay on ecology, a historical biography, or a narrative description of travel?
- The Primary Temporal Anchor: Is the narrative anchored in the past (imperfect/preterite), the present (indicative/present perfect), or the future/hypothetical?
- The Author's Rhetorical Direction: Is the text contrasting two ideas, building a cause-and-effect argument, or describing a chronological sequence?
Step 2: Clause & Boundary Analysis
When focusing on a specific blank, examine the entire sentence containing the blank as well as the immediate preceding and following sentences:
- Look ahead for conjunctions (que, si, aunque, para que) that govern verb mood.
- Identify the true subject of the clause, which may appear after the verb in Spanish stylistic inversions.
- Trace pronoun antecedents across sentence boundaries to verify gender and number agreement.
Step 3: Categorizing Discourse Markers & Connectors
Many blanks in Part B specifically test transitional phrases and discourse markers. Recognizing their logical functions allows immediate elimination of incorrect options:
| Category | Logical Function | Key Spanish Connectors |
|---|---|---|
| Adversative / Contrast | Signals an unexpected turn or opposition | Sin embargo, no obstante, por el contrario, a pesar de que, en cambio |
| Causal / Explanation | Introduces a cause or reason | Porque, ya que, puesto que, dado que, debido a que |
| Consecutive / Result | Introduces an effect or conclusion | Por lo tanto, por consiguiente, de modo que, en consecuencia |
| Additive / Extension | Adds supporting information | Además, asimismo, por otra parte, del mismo modo |
| Temporal / Sequential | Establishes chronological sequence | Al principio, más tarde, posteriormente, finalmente, en cuanto |
Advanced Grammar & Textual Cohesion in Cloze Texts
1. Sequence of Tenses (Consecutio Temporum)
Cloze passages strictly test sequence of tenses between main and subordinate clauses across sentences:
- Present Matrix Anchor: If the main narrative is set in the present or future, subordinate clauses expressing doubt, volition, or emotion require the Present Subjunctive or Present Perfect Subjunctive.
- Example: "El gobierno anuncia hoy un plan de energía para que las industrias reduzcan sus emisiones."
- Past Matrix Anchor: If the main narrative is set in the past (preterite/imperfect), subordinate clauses require the Imperfect Subjunctive or Pluperfect Subjunctive.
- Example: "El gobierno anunció ayer un plan de energía para que las industrias redujeran sus emisiones."
2. Anaphora and Referential Cohesion
Paragraph cohesion relies on direct object pronouns (lo, la, los, las), indirect object pronouns (le, les), and demonstrative pronouns (este, esta, estos, estas). Ensure that pronouns match the exact gender and number of the antecedent noun introduced in previous lines.
Three Full Cloze Passage Models with Line-by-Line Analysis
Passage Model 1: Science & Environmental Expository Text
Read the following paragraph and analyze the numbered blanks:
"En las últimas décadas, la deforestación en la cuenca del Amazonas ha alcanzado niveles preocupantes. Muchos científicos afirman que si la tala indiscriminada de árboles [1]________, se perderán miles de especies vegetales. [2]________, diversas organizaciones ecologistas han impulsado proyectos de reforestación en las zonas más afectadas. Es fundamental que las autoridades locales [3]________ medidas estrictas para sancionar la tala ilegal."
Blank [1] Analysis (Verb Form & Condition):
- Options: (A) continúa | (B) continuara | (C) continuó | (D) continuaría
- Analysis: This blank forms the condition in a real/open conditional sentence (si clause). The main clause contains the future tense (se perderán). Standard Spanish conditional syntax dictates that a si clause paired with a future result verb must use the Present Indicative. Present subjunctive is strictly forbidden after real condition si.
- Correct Choice: (A) continúa.
Blank [2] Analysis (Discourse Connector):
- Options: (A) Por lo tanto | (B) Sin embargo | (C) Por el contrario | (D) Por causa de
- Analysis: The preceding sentence presents a grave problem (loss of species due to deforestation). The following sentence presents a positive counter-action (ecological organizations launching reforestation projects). This logical relationship is a consequence/action taken in response to the situation.
- Correct Choice: (A) Por lo tanto (Therefore / Consequently).
Blank [3] Analysis (Subjunctive Trigger):
- Options: (A) toman | (B) tomen | (C) tomaron | (D) tomar
- Analysis: The sentence opens with the impersonal expression of necessity/value Es fundamental que (It is essential that). Impersonal expressions expressing necessity trigger the Subjunctive Mood in the subordinate clause. The subject is plural (las autoridades locales).
- Correct Choice: (B) tomen (Present Subjunctive third-person plural).
Passage Model 2: Historical & Cultural Narrative
Read the following paragraph and analyze the numbered blanks:
"Durante el siglo XVIII, la ciudad de Cartagena de Indias se convirtió en el puerto comercial más próspero de la región. Para proteger sus riquezas de los ataques piratas, los españoles [4]________ imponentes murallas de piedra alrededor de la villa. Aunque las fortalezas eran sólidas, la vida cotidiana dentro de la ciudad [5]________ marcada por el temor constante. [6]________ de las dificultades, la población logró desarrollar una rica identidad cultural que perdura hasta hoy."
Blank [4] Analysis (Past Aspect - Preterite vs. Imperfect):
- Options: (A) construían | (B) construyeron | (C) construyan | (D) han construido
- Analysis: The action describes a completed, historical event bounded in specific past time (the 18th-century fortification of the city). The Preterite Tense is required for completed actions in past narrative.
- Correct Choice: (B) construyeron.
Blank [5] Analysis (Past Aspect - Passive Description):
- Options: (A) estaba | (B) estuvo | (C) estará | (D) esté
- Analysis: The clause describes an ongoing, descriptive emotional state or background condition (marcada por el temor constante) during historical time. Descriptive background states in past narrative require the Imperfect Tense.
- Correct Choice: (A) estaba.
Blank [6] Analysis (Prepositional Pre-phrase):
- Options: (A) A pesar | (B) Sin embargo | (C) No obstante | (D) Debido
- Analysis: The phrase ends with de las dificultades. The idiomatic prepositional locution meaning "despite" or "in spite of" is A pesar de... Options (B) and (C) are adverbs that cannot directly precede de + noun in this structure.
- Correct Choice: (A) A pesar.
Passage Model 3: Academic Expository Essay
Read the following paragraph and analyze the numbered blanks:
"El aprendizaje de lenguas extranjeras no solo beneficia el desarrollo cognitivo, sino que también amplía las oportunidades laborales en un mercado globalizado. Quienes [7]________ dos o más idiomas con fluidez suelen resolver problemas con mayor efectividad. [8]________, es recomendable que los sistemas educativos promuevan el estudio lingüístico desde la infancia. Si las escuelas hubieran implementado estos programas antes, los graduados [9]________ mejor preparados hoy."
Blank [7] Analysis (Relative Clause Verb):
- Options: (A) hablan | (B) hablen | (C) hablaron | (D) hablarían
- Analysis: The relative pronoun Quienes introduces a factual generalization about real people who speak multiple languages. Since the antecedent is existing, factual people, the Present Indicative is used.
- Correct Choice: (A) hablan.
Blank [8] Analysis (Conclusion Connector):
- Options: (A) Por consiguiente | (B) En cambio | (C) No obstante | (D) Por el contrario
- Analysis: The sentence draws a logical recommendation based on the cognitive and professional benefits established in preceding sentences. Por consiguiente (Consequently / As a result) introduces this logical deduction.
- Correct Choice: (A) Por consiguiente.
Blank [9] Analysis (Counterfactual Conditional):
- Options: (A) estarían | (B) estaban | (C) estén | (D) estuvieran
- Analysis: The si clause contains the Pluperfect Subjunctive (hubieran implementado). A past counterfactual condition paired with a present result (hoy) requires the Conditional Simple (mixed condition: estarían).
- Correct Choice: (A) estarían.
Read the excerpt: "Los economistas advierten que la inflación continuará aumentando este trimestre. ________, sugieren que los consumidores reduzcan los gastos innecesarios y aumenten sus ahorros." Which discourse connector correctly fills the blank?
Read the excerpt: "El año pasado, la universidad inauguró un centro de investigación biológica. El decano solicitó que los investigadores ________ todos los informes de avance antes del primer viernes de cada mes." Which verb form correctly fills the blank?
Read the excerpt: "El año pasado la ciudad prohibió la circulación de camiones pesados por el centro. Los gases contaminantes ________ afectando la salud de los vecinos durante más de una década." Which form correctly fills the blank?