Choose the answer A, B, C, or D that best completes each of the following sentences.

Exercise 1:

1. The scientist gave his assistant ___________ for the discovery.

A. credit B. a breaK

C. the boot D. pause

2. Jeff decided to _________ business selling baseball cards.

A. go for B. go in for

C. go into D. go without
3. Alexander has ____________ and always thinks of others before himself.

A. a heart of stone B. heavy heart

C. hearts and minds D. a heart of gold

4. Martin wanted a hot drink after spending the day skiing. A cup of hot cocoa was just
_______________________.

A. what the doctor order B. know what’s what

C. what goes around comes around D. what the eye doesn't see
5. Bob's friend Charles ___________ in the stock market and retired at age 4 5.

A. made your mouth water B. made light

C. made your blood boil D. made a bundle

6. Whenever Susan feels ____________, she takes several deep breaths and starts to feel more relaxed.

A. on a sidetrack B. on edge

C. a slap on the wrist D. at the double

7. Ted ________________on hot dogs and hamburgers at the barbeque and then got a stomachache.

A. pigged off B. pigged up

C. pigged out D. pigged in

8. It's not surprising that Lisa is _______________. Paws, the cat she had for 20 years, just died.

A. brought down a notch B. down in the dumps

C. down to D. soft as down

9. Last summer, Nicole _____________backpacking through Europe with some friends.

A. had a blast B. was at full blast

C. blasted away D. was put on blast

10. Jessica is offended. I guess she _________________ when I told her she should exercise more.

A. was set in her ways B. took it the wrong way

C. came a long way D. was down hill all the way

Exercise 2:

1. Bob _________$5,000 for Nicole's piano lessons before she decided she'd rather play the flute.

A. sold off B. shelled out C. phased out D. sold up

2. “Produce 101" – a TV program really took Seoul ___________.

 A. a port in a storm B. by storm

C. calm before the storm D. in the eye of the storm

3. Lauren is such a ___________. She's always telling her teacher how much she enjoys class.

A. brown thumb B. brown energy C. brown study D. brown-noser

4. Kristen had three years of working for a large law firm _____her_______before leaving to start her own
firm.

A. pull … belt B. hit … below the C. under …belt D. tighten … belt

in belt

5. When Lisa saw Amber at the mall, she didn't even stop to talk to her. She really gave her ___________.

A. the cold B. shoulder to C. a good head D. a chip on

shoulder shoulder on shoulders shoulder

6. __________________usually sit in the front row and smile at the teacher during class..

A. Born optimists B. Culture vultures

C. Eager beavers D. Goody-goodies

7. Chris didn't want to come to the dance club on Saturday night, but Erin _____________it.

A. talked at B. talked C. talked him D. talked

back into down

8. Jeremy loves to ____________, so don't be offended by anything he says.

A. kid around B. fly around C. drop D. skirt

around around

9. The auto mechanic didn't know exactly how much the repairs would cost, but he was able to give me
(a)____________.

A. key figure B. ballpark C. stick D. that figure

figure figure

10. The house was in such bad shape, they decided to tear it down and re-build it ______________.

A. from B. from hand C. from soup D. from the

scratch to mouth to nuts horse's mouth

Exercise 3:

1. When Tiger Woods got a hole-in-one during the golf tournament, the crowd __________.

A. went belly up B. went a long way toward

C. went across D. went nuts

2. Nicole really _________by writing her acceptance speech before the results of the elections were announced.

A. jumped the gun B. jumped at the chance

C. jumped ship D. jumped through her throat

3. _______________________and finish making these cookies!

A. Let get on with this B. Let loose

C. Let every man skin his own skunk D. Let's roll up our sleeves

4. Nicole won't hear back from the colleges she applied to until April. For now, she'll just have to ___________.

A. sit tight B. sit at her feet

C. sit back D. sit in judgement
 5. Scott loves to ______________ numbers, so he decided to become an accountant..

A. crunch B. do
C. have D. make

6. My friend Emily wanted me to climb Mount McKinley with her, but I told her it was ____________________.

A. out of money B. out of nowhere

C. out of work D. out of the question

7. We really want you to take the job here at Magna Corporation, so let us know what we can do to
sweeten______.

A. the pill B. the deal

C. it up D. the pot

8. Ted didn't want to get another tattoo on his back, but Amber __________ his arm.

A. chanced B. flung
C. gave D. twisted

9. Jennifer is having a dinner party for 50 people, and she can't even cook. I think she's _____________more
than she can chew.

A. eaten off B. bitten off

C. drank off D. swallowed off

10. Kyle hates to study. It's like pulling _________ getting him to do his homework every night.

A. chain B. leg
C. teeth D. an attitude

Exercise 4:

1. Most frequently, the earthquake lasts 30 to 60 seconds, so usually there is no time to avert the mortal ________ once
the shaking starts.
A. upkeep B. upturn C. upshot D. upswing
2. They live under a constant pressure of being ________ and subsequently replaced by someone who is younger,
faster and more accomplished.
A. outcast B. outshone C. outstayed D. outgrown
3. There was a lot of ________ as throngs of people tried to see the famous actor walking through the mall.
A. stamina B. discipline C. counsel D. commotion
4. Luckily my wallet was handed in to the police with all its contents ______________.
A. preserved B. unscathed C. contained D. intact
5. Serena is still _____________ ignorant of the fact that she is about to be made redundant.
A. blissfully B. decorously C. jubilantly D. ecstatically
6. No decision has been taken about the building of the new airport. The authorities are still ______________.
A. beating about the bush B. comparing apples and oranges
C. sitting on the fence D. holding all the aces
7. Oil spills will _______________ even the healthiest of marine ecosystem.
A. play havoc on B. break ground with
C. pay the consequences for D. take their toll on
8. Don’t look so worried! You should take the boss’s remarks with a ____________of salt.
A. teaspoon B. pinch C. grain D. dose
9. Rachel has an amazing _______________ of jokes that she uses to good effect at parties.
A. body B. repertoire C. variation D. store
10. The question of peace settlement is likely to figure ________________ in the talks.
A. prominently B. prolifically C. proportionately D. properly

Exercise 5:
1. Egypt is a fantastic country for tourists. It’s absolutely ______ in history.
A. soaked B. drenched C. steeped D. saturated
2. I wanted to talk, but she was determined to sweep the matter under the ______.
A. cupboard B. table C. carpet D. bed
3. The newspaper story was based on an interview which had been done off the ______.
A. script B. record C. key D. tape
4. Before you make a decision you should ______ all the issues involved.
A. weigh through B. weigh out C. weigh up D. weigh down
5 We woke up at the ____ of dawn this morning.
A touch B turn C burst D crack
6. I read some pretty ______ news about the economy today.
A. challenging B. jumpy C. disconcerting D. cutting
7. He spent too much on his credit card, and now he can’t ______ the minimum payments.
A. keep on B. keep in C. keep to D. keep up
8. Her condition is improving, but she's not out of the ______.
A. dark B. cupboard C. woods D. fire
9. Some electric cars have a ______ of 150 kilometres.
A. run B. distance C. range D. scope
10. I’d give up my job ______ if only I could find a better one.

A. at one swoop B. at the drop of a hat

C. on the dot D. on the spur of the moment