She copied a few answers for Exercise 3, then stopped. A strange smell filled the room, like old paper and rain. Her laptop screen flickered, and the PDF text rearranged itself into a new sentence:
The answers were perfect. Too perfect. Each transformation exercise had alternative correct answers. Each multiple choice included a brief explanation. It wasn’t just a key—it was a masterclass.
Elena stared at the damp ceiling of her dorm room. The Gateway B2 Workbook lay open on her desk, Unit 7 staring back like a silent accusation. The exercises on inversion and split infinitives might as well have been written in ancient runes. Gateway B2 Workbook Answers
She deleted the copied answers. She opened a fresh document and began to write. She wrote about the time she found a lost wallet in the cinema and returned it, even though she was late. It wasn’t a grand story. But it was hers.
A wave of replies flooded in. “Same.” “Stuck on pg. 54.” “Help.” She copied a few answers for Exercise 3, then stopped
Her phone buzzed. A message from Leo in the group chat: “Who has the answers for the WB? Deadline is 8 a.m.”
Elena’s heart pounded. Exercise 4 was the essay: “Describe a time you chose integrity over convenience.” Too perfect
“Where did you get this?” Elena typed.
“You have opened the Gateway. To close it, complete Exercise 4 correctly. Without help.”
When she finished, the strange smell vanished. The PDF file corrupted itself into gibberish. Anya_K’s chat window disappeared.
She turned to Exercise 5. For the first time, she didn’t want the answers. She wanted the questions. Moral of the story: The shortcut closes doors. The hard work opens them.