LEXICO – E140

1. Because of a serious crash on the motorway, traffic __________ for two hours.
A. came to a dead end B. came to the boil
C. came to a standstill D. came to the crunch
2. My brother can be unreliable at times but when it __________ I know I can depend on him to help me.
A. comes to a dead end B. comes to the boil
C. comes to a standstill D. comes to the crunch
3. I don’t know who stole my money, but __________ I’ll find out.
A. by any chance B. by all means
C. by hook or by crook D. by trial and error
4. I’ve cleaned your office, Mr Jones, but I didn’t __________ anything on your desk.
A. annoy B. confuse C. disturb D. bother
5. If you don’t pull your __________ up next term, you will have to repeat the year.
A. hat B. boot C. belt D. socks
6. I think it will be OK once we __________ out the difficulties.
A. wash B. iron C. wipe D. boil
7. Dad went for a check-up at the hospital and was given a clean __________ of health.
A. chance B. bill C. account D. sheet
8. Attention __________ is the amount of time spent concentrating on a task before becoming distracted.
A. scope B. span C. limit D. stretch
9. I would take what he says __________ if I were you.
A. off the cuff B. with a pinch of salt
C. out of luck D. down the drain
10. The __________ of society was at their wedding, including top film stars and journalists.
A. bean B. grape C. salt D. cream
11. I expect everyone who works here to __________ and comply with the rules.
A. toe the line B. get a grip on themselves
C. cap it all D. tighten their belt
12. I'm not sure what is causing the problem, but I'm determined to __________ of it.
A. get the gist B. get to the bottom
C. get the knack D. get the feeling
13. They've only just met - isn't it __________ to be talking about marriage already?
A. throwing in the towel B. jumping the gun
C. playing it safe D. facing the music.
14. The area has been smartened __________ by the arrival of yuppy residents.
A. out B. off C. over D. up
15. When Sue has had a row with someone, she works it __________ by going for a long walk.
A. out B. up C. away D. off
16. Heavy rain will cover most of the UK next week with ______________ cold and strong gales set to make a
miserable end to the month.
A. biting B. squeezing C. cutting D. scathing
17. I’m afraid that Tim doesn’t take much care over his homework. He usually does it __________.
A. any old how B. any how C. how on earth D. how come
18. Don’t __________ in judgment on my driving when yours is worse.
A. put B. plead C. sit D. take
19. I just think he ought to __________ - he's behaving like a child.
A. toe the line B. get a grip on himself
C. cap it all D. tighten his belt
20. We went through hell and high __________ to get these theatre tickets and now she says she doesn’t want to go.
A. storms B. heaven C. mountains D. water
21. We were prepared to move heaven and __________ to ban a new airport here.
A. cosmos B. sphere C. earth D. planet
22. It was the end of the __________ for Tommy when the boss saw him at the races during working hours.
A. edge B. rim C. lane D. line
23. He seemed to __________ after his wife’s death. He completely lost control of his life.
A. take a back seat B. take a wrong turning
C. go off the rails D. run out of steam
24. It didn’t seem amusing at the time, but we had a __________ laugh about it afterwards.
A. loud B. good C. big D. sound
25. If you always let children have their __________, they’ll become spoilt.
A. course B. way C. shot D. path
26. The city is worth visiting – it has a lot __________ for it – attractive landscape, delicious food, and low cost of
living.
A. going B. making C. fleeing D. flying
27. I went to the exhibition, but there was nothing much to _______ of there.
A. talk B. speak C. tell D. say
28. If I can __________ this weekend, I ‘ll bring you those plans.
A. bide my time B. play for time C. make time D. kill time
29. She can’t leave the house because of her broken leg, so I’m sure time __________ very slowly for her.
A. moves B. drags C. flies D. runs
30. He gave speeches all over the world to __________ support for his “Help the Homeless” Campaign.
A. trot out B. turn to C. weigh up D. whip up
31. It is not nice to pour __________water on someone's plan when you do not want to be a part of it in the first
place.
A. hot B. cold C. deep D. shallow
32. The West Bank of the River Jordan was a __________ of contention between Palestine and Israel.
A. finger B. spot C. bone D. point
33. In __________ with an international treaty, whale hunting in these areas has been banned.
A. common B. connection C. conjunction D. line
34. Everybody noticed my absence because you __________ their attention to it.
A. gave B. brought C. paid D. called
35. The local council closed the roller skating-rink in the park __________ it was unsafe for young children.
A. on the grounds that B. on the understanding that
C. on the off-chance that D. on the terms that
36. Discussions on the issue of expansion of the company have been in __________ since the outbreak of the
disease in the area.
A. hitch B. limbo C. feud D. core
37. Viewers were __________ at the incredible sight of the lunar landscape, unable to take their eyes off the screen
until the very end of the broadcast.
A. switched B. devised C. transfixed D. stifled
38. Having lost her mother at an early age, Mary felt she had become a mere __________, having to do absolutely
everything for her five brothers and sisters.
A. taskmaster B. workmate C. slavedriver D. workhorse
39. If you need help, please don’t hesitate to call me. I can be there __________.
A. in a fix B. in a flash C. in a daze D. in the bag
40. My car broke down and I had to __________ a huge sum of money to have it towed and serviced.
A. splash out B. fork out C. put aside D. pay off
41. The candidate’s optimism gave __________ to doubt as the result of exit polls became known.
A. place B. lie C. vent D. voice
42. Somehow I managed to __________ my physics exam. The pass mark was 55 and I got 56.
A. scrape through B. shake off C. sit through D. slip off
43. As much as the candidate tried to convince people of his honesty, he could not shake off his __________ past.
A. serene B. tranquil C. shady D. frigid
44. The local authorities annually __________ between £50 million and £100 million on art projects.
A. disperse B. disband C. disburse D. dispose
45. Most people are __________ to believe that girls and boys like certain toys when they are young.
A. hardened B. acclimated C. conditioned D. accustomed
46. They offered to buy her a BMW but she's holding ____________ a Porsche.
A. out for B. out on C. back with D. up with
47. All the inhabitants in the area have been asked to ____________ at home if the storm returns.
A. settle B. dwell C. remain D. occupy
48. If it hadn't been for the hint that the professor ____________ nobody would have found out the correct answer.
A. dropped B. cast C. threw D. flung
49. At one moment, the teacher got nervous seeing that whatever he said was ____________ on the students who
weren't paying any attention to the lecture.
A. missed B. lost C. failed D. slipped
50. Their relationship had been on the ____________ for years before they finally broke up.
A. stones B. rocks C. pebbles D. marbles
51. It was the ____________ warning from the seismologists that helped save the lives of the island inhabitants
before the volcano erupted.
A. preliminary B. hasty C. cursory D. advance
52. The comforting news from my sister was a real ___________ off my mind.
A. stone B. deal C. load D. mass
53. I didn't really feel like memorizing all these definitions. It was only the risk of getting another bad mark that
made me ____________ myself.
A. exert B. absorb C. endeavour D. deploy
54. His jokes set the whole class ____________ laughing.
A. off B. out C. up D. about
55. Anyone who lies under oath will be charged with ____________ the course of justice.
A. perverting B. inverting C. converting D. diverting
56. It was a close ____________ but we just made it to the airport on time for our flight.
A. run B. drive C. call D. go
57. Marlene is quite ____________ - I don't know she manages to fit everything in.
A. inexhaustible B. tiresome C. inexorable D. indefatigable
58. James never really broke the rules but he did ____________ them a little bit when it suited him.
A. twist B. curve C. move D. bend
59. I went to see the boss about a pay rise and he ____________ with a weak excuse about a business dinner and
left me standing there.
A. brushed me aside B. brushed me up
C. brushed me off D. brushed me down
60. The government is using the taxes from the working class to bail out the banks that ruined the economy? That
really ____________!
A. sows wild oats B. spills the beans
C. takes the biscuit D. upsets the apple cart
61. This conservative, evangelical megachurch, just outside San Diego, is a ____________ of activity on a Sunday
morning.
A. mest B. home C. seat D. hive
62. Mr Jones is ____________, unfortunately, so you’ll have to call again tomorrow.
A. indifferent B. inimitable C. indisposed D. incongruous
63. He tried to be as ____________ as possible, but his garish attire made it difficult.
A. accessible B. amenable C. incessant D. inconspicuous
64. Through a series of protestations and exclamations, coyness and giggling, I ____________that she was talking
to her boyfriend.
6A. assembled B. amassed C. harvested D. gathered
5. Regional parliaments allow ____________ for remote parts of the country or islands far from the capital.
A. self-government B. self-sufficiency C. self-regulation D. self-support
66. Her ____________ behaviour made her the life of the party; everyone loved talking to her.
A. exhaustive B. fragrant C. exuberant D. aromatic
67. It gets my ____________ that she expects to look after the children every afternoon.
A. goat B. horse C. dog D. beetle
68. Although he came to work the day before his retirement, everyone knew he was just ________.
A. going with the flow B. going through the motions
C. going against the grain D. going along with them
69. They are not likely to ____________ information during the current armed conflict.
A. cop out B. ladle out C. peter out D. pull out
70. I offered to do the job, but soon found that I was ____________ as it was more difficult than I had thought.
A. pushing up daisies B. knocking on wood
C. in over my head D. off my hands
71. The local area is ____________ lacking in places to enjoy art and cinema.
A. properly B. rashly C. sorely D. aptly
72. The well-known ____________ clash between the President and the rebel leader is not making things easier.
A. character B. mood C. enemy D. personality
73. We hurried back to our car as we saw the clouds ____________ over the mountains.
A. rolling in B. holding off C. beating down D. bucketing down
74. Colin is only just ____________; he gets unemployment benefit, but it isn’t much.
A. scraping by B. putting aside C. bailing out D. tiding over
75. This is a very busy office and in your new position you will have to be able to think on your ____________!
A. toes B. legs C. feet D. knees
76. Being a college professor ____________ you the opportunity simply to write and do research.
A. affords B. dispenses B. grants C. procures
77. I am afraid that sofa is a ____________ too big to fit along that wall.
A. dose B. portion C. shade D. slice
78. Fortunately, I noticed that the shop assistant had ____________ the wrong amount.
A. run over B. rung up C. put on D. rounded up
79. It did not take much to ____________ the old animosity lurking behind the surface of their relationship.
A. resuscitate B. rekindle C. restore D. regain
80. That's a pretty ____________ excuse - he could have gotten there if he'd really wanted to.
A. blank B. bare C. raw D. thin
81. Getting away from the stresses of work would do you a ____________ of good.
A. sense B. taste C. virtue D. power
82. Don’t ____________ him on to join a gang: nothing could be worse for him!
A. egg B. toast C. butter D. knife
83. The phrase ‘money doesn't buy happiness’ is a cautionary cliché that keeps us from blindly lining your pockets
with ____________ in the hope that we’ll feel happier.
A. stash B. hoard C. stock D. dosh
84. Malaysians should embrace their natural generosity and not let hard times ____________ their spirit to help
others in need.
A. dampen B. moisten C. drench D. deluge
85. My first impression of Vanessa was that she was very charming and ____________; she seemed totally at ease
with people.
A. exuberant B. urbane C. aloof D. compassionate
86. Apart from one or two ____________ of brilliance from Owen, England put on a rather poor performance.
A. flashes B. spells C. storms D. strokes
87. All he has done since losing his job is ____________ around the house all day.
A. mourn B. depress C. mope D. wallow
88. Kitchell says the city was a ____________ of all American culture during the '60s.
A. microclimate B. microcopy C. microcosm D. microscope
89. The island of Tahiti ____________ sandy beaches and crystal clear water.
A. brags B. gloats C. boasts D. swaggers
90. The Government is trying to ____________ when it says it will spend more on the health service without raising
taxes.
A. chew the fat B. wave the flag
C. square the circle D. put the lid
91. Her position became ____________ when rumours were spread that she’d lied about her qualifications.
A. precipitous B. precarious C. perennial D. dubious
92. The priest was tormented by guilt when he looked back on the ____________ lifestyle he had led in his youth.
A. insolent B. irresolute C. insolvent D. dissolute
93. The prime minister’s way of dealing with his own incompetence is to ____________ his cabinet.
A. restructure B. reorganise C. rearrange D. reshuffle
94. I have to ____________ it to William; he put in the hard work and got results.
A. hand B. present C. give D. applaud
95. Her ____________ treatment by her employers finally forced her to look for a better job.
A. shabby B. messy C. grungy D. tardy
96. After ____________ over the pros and cons for weeks, she finally quit her job last Friday.
A. moralizing B. agonizing C. sterilizing D. rationalizing
97. They are a real ____________ organisation; they are only interested in making a profit.
A. devil-may-care B. fly-by-night C. open-handed D. down-to-earth
98. Unfortunately, Jamie’s plans to tour around Australia didn’t ____________ due to a lack of finances.
A. pan out B. pull off C. knuckle down D. waltz through
99. We ____________ deny that we have ever cheated or tampered illegally with any match ball in any game during
our careers.
A. categorically B. fully C. distinctly D. highly
100. She had a strong desire to be a dancer but failed to make the ____________.
A. grade B. term C. mark D. degree
101. Mr. Jones is ____________, unfortunately, so you’ll have to call again tomorrow.
A. indifferent B. inimitable C. indisposed D. incongruous
102. Millions of people left Italy for the USA during the Italian ____________ of the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries.
A. clique B. diaspora C. horde D. troupe
103. The football fans were coming in ____________ to watch the final game. An hour before the kickoff the
stadium was packed full.
A. fingers and thumbs B. bits and bobs
C. dribs and drabs D. bibs and tuckers
104. He likes nothing better than to spend his Sunday mornings ____________ in the gardens.
A. pottering about B. hanging around C. whiling away D. winding down
105. I had been feeling very down in the dumps after being given the sack, but took ____________ when a
prestigious employment agency booked two interviews for me.
A. stride B. shine C. heart D. issue
106. He says that the clothes that judges wear in court are irrelevant ____________ from another era.
A. remains B. relics C. remnants D. leavings
107. While writing the exam, Mark stole a(n) ____________ glance at the answer key on the teacher’s desk.
A. stealthy B. underhand C. furtive D. secret
108. I wrote the outline of the plot, then an experienced radio dramatist helped me ____________ the story.
A. churn out B. farm out C. flesh out D. kick out
109. We don’t want him to suspect we’re giving him a surprise party. Make sure you don’t ____________.
A. break the ice B. kick the bucket C. spill the beans D. sweep the board
110. The earl refuses to allow anyone who is not of ____________ blood to marry his son.
A. blue B. green C. red D. yellow
111. I've searched ____________ for that old photo album, but I can't find it anywhere.
A. high and low B. long and short
C. straight and narrow D. thick and thin
112. The designer refuses to gild the ____________, preferring clean, simple lines for his creations.
A. lily B. flower C. rose D. daisy
113. Jane ____________ about the surprise party for Sheila and now the whole idea is ruined.
A. blabbed B. gossiped C. prattled D. chatted
114. Your column must have ____________ a nerve, because we are getting slammed with feedback from readers
—and they're not happy.
A. drilled B. punched C. touched D. knocked
115. You say you need new clothes but your wardrobe is full to ____________ with dresses.
A. overflowing B. overfilling C. overlaying D. overstepping
116. Critics agree that Trevor Richmond gave a particularly ____________ performance as King Lear.
A. holding B. arresting C. apprehensive D. detaining
117. He didn’t mean to be offensive; it was quite an ____________ remark.
A. innocuous B. inaugural C. integral D. insidious
118. I had ____________ my hopes on this promotion, so I was crushed when I didn't get it.
A. clipped B. nailed C. stuck D. pinned
119. I didn't have time to organize my thoughts, so I just spoke ____________.
A. beyond the pale B. in deep water
C. off the cuff D. on the hop
120. I wish I could convey how much it means to me having you all here, but words ____________ me at the
moment.
A. miss B. abandon C. leave D. fail
121. Under the threat of a strike, the management ____________ and agreed to reinstate annual pay increases for all
employees.
A. caved in B. ebbed away C. held off D. wore down
122. The poor girl was absolutely ____________ with him, not knowing that his tastes lie in quite a different
direction.
A. infatuated B. incapacitated C. captivated D. encapsulated
123. Those remarks were ____________. No wonder they provoked such an angry reaction.
A. below par B. below the belt C. below the radar D. below the salt
124. I may seem confident when I'm leading a training seminar, but I'm really shaking in my ____________ most of
the time.
A. trousers B. suits C shirts D. shoes
125. It is difficult to get skips in this age group capable of keeping their ____________ up at this level of
competition.
A. end B. self C. frame D. edge
126. There is a big investigation ____________, but I don't know when.
A. in the offing B. off the peg
C. on the blink D. over the hill
127. As I said before, the report will be released in the ____________ of time. I can't estimate when that will be.
A. rightness B. fullness C. greatness D. correctness
128. What a bad day: I left my phone in the grocery store, my car broke down on the way home, and, to
____________ it all off, my groceries broke through the bag as I was walking to the front door.
A. top B. sum C. total D. peak
129. I was ____________ when I heard that the MP for Burnham had been arrested for fraud.
A. leveled B. floored C. hurled D. heaved
130. Disagreements among party members have led to a major political ____________.
A. tussle B. wrangle C. scrap D. squabble
131. Only after buying the cottage did we discover that it was ____________ with mice.
A. inflicted B. infested C. invaded D. infected
132. She has a(n) ____________ mind which kept her alert and well-informed even in old age.
A. examining B. demanding C. enquiring D. querying
133. My sunburnt nose made me feel rather ____________ for the first few days of the holiday.
A. self-effacing B. self-centred C. self-conscious D. self-evident
134. The old man led a ____________ existence after she left and refused even to see his children.
A. reclusive B. deserted C. remote D. vacant
135. If we ____________ over the details, we’ll never finish filming this episode by today.
A. niggle B. discuss C. huddle D. mob