A Fake Job Interview Became the Entry Point for Binance’s $6.3 Billion Cyber Heist

Study the questions and tasks

Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.

Practice level

C2. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.

Question formats

Fill in the blank (dropdown)

How to approach this practice

Read the complete sentence and notice the subject, verb form, time reference and word order before answering.

1. Question 1 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

   Choose the correct option for each blank.

   Had Binance not detected the initial effort, the attackers ___ greater access to its systems.

   Choices for blank 1

   1. would have had
   2. would have
   3. will have had
   4. had
   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   would have had

   The mixed conditional requires would have had for a past unreal consequence.

2. Question 2 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

   Choose the correct option for each blank.

   Only after the second interview ___ that the assignment contained malicious code.

   Choices for blank 1

   1. the engineer discovered
   2. did the engineer discover
   3. the engineer had discovered
   4. discovered the engineer
   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   did the engineer discover

   Fronted negative adverbials require subject–auxiliary inversion.

3. Question 3 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

   Choose the correct option for each blank.

   The file, ___ as a professional assignment, concealed executable code.

   Choices for blank 1

   1. disguised
   2. disguising
   3. was disguised
   4. had disguised
   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   disguised

   The past participle phrase modifies the file and expresses passive presentation.

4. Question 4 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

   Choose the correct option for each blank.

   The attackers sought to establish credibility, ___ they could make the download seem routine.

   Choices for blank 1

   1. so that
   2. despite
   3. whereas
   4. unless
   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   so that

   So that correctly introduces the intended purpose of establishing credibility.

5. Question 5 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

   Choose the correct option for each blank.

   The operation was sufficiently sophisticated ___ experienced employees might have been deceived.

   Choices for blank 1

   1. that
   2. for
   3. to
   4. which
   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   that

   The result construction requires adjective plus enough and an infinitive clause.

6. Question 6 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

   Choose the correct option for each blank.

   Binance recommended that an independent review ___ commissioned without delay.

   Choices for blank 1

   1. be
   2. was
   3. is being
   4. would be
   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   be

   The mandative subjunctive uses the base form after recommended that.

7. Question 7 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

   Choose the correct option for each blank.

   The engineer may have avoided the download if the recruiter ___ independently verified.

   Choices for blank 1

   1. had been
   2. was
   3. would be
   4. has been
   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   had been

   A past unreal condition requires the past perfect in the if-clause.

8. Question 8 · Fill in the blank (dropdown)

   Choose the correct option for each blank.

   The apparent normality of recruitment made the malicious request seem ___.

   Choices for blank 1

   1. routine
   2. routinely
   3. to routine
   4. routineness
   Check answers and explanations

   Blank 1

   routine

   Seem takes an adjective complement describing the request’s apparent quality.

What to review next

After checking an answer, explain the rule in your own words and write a new sentence using the same pattern. Revisit any rules you could not explain.

A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.