📝 Use of English Test – B1+

Three years ago, my father ____was diagnosedhas been diagnoseddiagnosedhad diagnosed with cancer. It was stage IV cancer, which meant that he didn’t have much time to live. When I learned that he was going to die, I ____hadn't seendidn't seehasn't seenwasn't seeing him in over a year and, to be honest, our relationship wasn’t the best. It was not that we argued a lot because we ____hardly ever spokerarely had spokennever speakwere hardly speaking. But if we never argued, it was just because we didn’t talk very often.

My parents divorced when I was a teenager, and my father had to move into ____atheanhis apartment on the outskirts, which wasn’t convenient for me. My friends lived near my mum’s home, and in my father’s apartment, I had a very dark and tiny room. My father ____did his bestwas doing his besthas done his bestdoes his best and he even bought me an amazing TV with the little income that he had. But I ____hated beinghated to bewas hating beinghad hated to be in ____suchsoverytoo a tiny space, and I always made ____everyalleachany excuse to avoid visiting.

The thing is, I ____hadn't beenwasn'thasn't beenhad been there for my dad when he needed me. Years went by and I started to feel guilty. I really wanted to have him back, but I had let the relationship ____deterioratedeterioratedto deterioratedeteriorating to the extent that we were practically strangers.

When he gave me the news, he looked ____as iflikeas thougheven if he was truly sorry, and he told me that it was his fault that we had grown apart; he hadn’t fought hard enough to make our relationship work. I couldn’t believe how he could feel guilty when I was the one to blame.

I decided ____to taketakingtaketaken an unpaid leave of absence at work ____so thatin order tosothat I could spend my dad’s last weeks with him. It was very hard and wonderful at the same time. We talked for hours every day, we remembered all the good moments, we recounted all the details of our separate lives, and we expressed all those feelings that had gone unconfessed. Before dying he told me that I had given him the best present he could ever have hoped for. I was so moved to hear that, and glad. Since that day I have always regretted ____not having spentnot spendingnot to have spenthaving not spent more time with my dad. I wish I ____had donedidwould dohave done things differently while my father was alive and I still had the chance.