Read the text “Gender gap in education” and choose which answer (a, b, c, d) best fits each space. There is an example at the beginning (0).

For many years now, British girls have 0 performed much better in exams than boys. Most theories about the causes of this gap 1_____the sexes have blamed the education 2_____. However, new research suggests that boys’ poor performance has nothing to do 3_____internal practices at schools. Instead external factors, such as different learning styles and how children are 4_____up, have to be considered.

For this 5____, many educationalists are now studying how boys and girls learn to read. They believe that, since reading is 6____taught either by mothers or by female primary school teachers, many boys 7____reading as a woman’s activity and this puts them 8____it.

Another factor could be that boys are generally more 9____than girls. When they can’t be the best, they would rather 10_____up on education than be considered average. Girls seem much happier to be second best.