Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks · Part 2: Reading

Atmosphere on the move Wind

243 students marked "I sat this"Added 9 May 2020Question #120122

Choose the word for each blank.

The world’s atmosphere is forever on the move. Wind is air in motion. Sometimes air moves slowly, giving a gentle breeze. At other times it moves rapidly, creating gales and hurricanes. 1 or fierce, wind always starts in the same way. As the sun moves through the sky, it heats up some parts of the sea and lands more than others. The air above these 2 spots is warmed, becomes lighter than the surrounding air, and begins to rise. Elsewhere, cool air sinks, because it is 3. Winds blow because air squeezed out by sinking, cold air is sucked in under rising, warm air. Winds will blow wherever there is a 4 in air temperature and pressure, always flowing from high to low pressure. Some winds blow in one place, and have a local name - North America’s Chinook and Frances mistral. Others are part of a huge circulation pattern that sends winds over the 5 globe.

Options for each gap (alphabetical)

  • 1 calm · gentle · kind · mild
  • 2 cool · hot · large · small
  • 3 colder · deeper · heavier · larger
  • 4 difference · discrepancy · divergence · diversity
  • 5 all · entire · total · whole

More Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks questions

Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks format (Pearson)

Pearson's name: Fill in the Blanks (Dropdown)

PromptText up to 200 words
Time to answerNot set per question (Part 2 lasts 23–30 minutes)
Skills assessedReading, Writing

How it is scored

  • Partial credit applies: a partly correct response still scores.

Source: Pearson, PTE Academic & UKVI test format, Part 2: Reading, checked 9 October 2026.