It’s been a while since I last shared any materials on exam preparation here. Recently, our team has mostly focused on advanced language development, and if you scroll through the feed, you’ll see it’s largely articles, vocabulary highlights, and the occasional glimpse into school life.

But exams are at the heart of AEE.

And today, as I was lazily browsing through an archive of old PDFs (with very little enthusiasm, I must admit) I opened a former CPE Use of English booklet. To say that I was suddenly full of beans within seconds would be an understatement — I had stumbled upon a task I hadn’t seen in years.

In 2013, Cambridge decided to abolish the Trios, the famous gapped sentences task. It used to test lexical depth, grammatical flexibility, and collocational awareness. In my not-so-humble opinion, that wasn’t a particularly wise decision. Some claimed the task was too difficult, but it was never about obscure or highfalutin vocabulary. It was about range and flexibility — qualities that are non-negotiable at C2.

So, without wasting a moment, I decided to create a few tasks for you, based on the vocabulary from the article we read together last week.

I hope you enjoy them. Share your answers in the comments, and let me know whether this old-but-gold format still has its charm.

Because to me, it felt like meeting a dear friend again.

Urgent! I’ve noticed that Cambridge is lagging. Is it just me, or are you experiencing the same issue? Or has destiny finally spoken and it’s time for us to turn to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary instead?

Dear language enthusiasts,

If you are still contemplating joining one of our courses, you are in for a treat: there are still spots available in two groups of our upcoming Breaking Bounds course.

Enrol today!

I have always loved Maslenitsa.

Mainly because blini – I refuse to call them crepes – have occupied a special place in my heart (and stomach) for as long as I can remember. Though now I have to defrost them instead of eating them freshly baked, I still immensely enjoy the holiday.

That being said, the vast amount of carbs is not the only reason for my loving this week.

Pagan traditions, which are at the root of this very holiday, are forever fascinating to me, if a bit… shall I say unusual? Eerie? Perhaps creepy? Whether you are amazed or irked by, say, the burning of an effigy, we cannot deny how memorable such an occasion is. That is why today I’m thrilled to share an article dedicated to several holidays that are no less interesting and no less creepy.

Every culture welcomes spring in its own unique way – give the piece a read and enjoy fun facts about these festivities, as well as superb vocabulary and the author’s razor-sharp wit.

Quizlet

A few days ago, we shared an 📄 article about Maslenitsa, packed with carefully selected vocabulary. We extracted the most vivid and useful expressions and compiled them into a Quizlet set for you.

Today, it’s time to test how well you’ve absorbed them.

Shortly, we’ll publish a poll in the feed where you’ll need to choose the best definition for each word.

To take the practice further, write your own sentences using the target vocabulary in the comments. And don’t forget to keep track of your score - shout out if you get 8 out of 8.

This week, we shared an article exploring some of Europe’s strangest and most chaotic traditions used to welcome the arrival of spring. From masked figures and symbolic violence to noisy parades and ritualised disorder, these customs reveal how communities have historically marked the end of winter and the beginning of renewal.

Building on this fascinating topic, we’ve created a new ✨ speaking pack ✨. It includes discussion questions based on the article, opportunities to explore spring traditions from different cultures, and a structured exam-style speaking task. What a nice way to kick off this spring with your study buddy!