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  CHÌA KHÓA SỐ 1: TÔI LÀ NGƯỜI HAY PHÂN VÂN
 
1. be in a quandary: in a state of not being able to decide what to do about a
situation in which you are involved ~ ở tình thế khó xử 
● I've had two job offers, and I'm in a real quandary about/over which
one to accept.
2. be in/of two minds: to be unable to decide about something ~ vừa thích

làm cái này, vừa thích làm cái kia
● I was in two minds whether or not to come this morning.
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3. be on the horns of a dilemma: to be unable to decide which of two things

to do because either could have bad results ~ tiến thoái lưỡng nan, khó đưa
ra quyết định
● Wendy is on the horns of a dilemma: she just wonders whether to go
for a picnic with her friends or to stay at home with her family.
4. fall between two stools: if something falls between two stools, it fails to
achieve either of two aims ~ lưỡng lự giữa 2 lựa chọn thành ra xôi hỏng
bỏng không
● The grammar guide falls between two stools - it's too difficult for a
beginner but not detailed enough for an advanced student.
5. be between the devil and the deep blue sea: to have two choices that are
both equally unpleasant or not convenient ~ tiến thoái lưỡng nan
● I was between the devil and the deep blue sea, for if I didn't take out
another loan—and go deeper into debt—I could not pay off the debts I
already owed.

6. double bind (n): a difficult situation in which, whatever action you decide
to take, you cannot escape unpleasant results ~ tình huống khó xử (giải quyết
kiểu gì cũng gây ra rắc rối)
● The principal is caught in a double bind because whether she expels the
student or lets him off, she still gets blamed.
7
7. be spoilt/spoiled for choice: to be unable to choose because there are so

many possible good choices ~ toàn cái tốt, chẳng biết chọn cái nào
● There's so much good theatre in New York City - one is spoilt for
choice.
8. be (caught) between a rock and a hard place: to be in a very difficult

situation and to have to make a hard decision ~ ở tình thế khó khăn, khó đưa
ra quyết định
● You were really between a rock and a hard place when you had to
choose between your career and your relationship.
9. be torn between something and something: finding it very difficult to

choose between two possibilities ~ khó chọn giữa 2 khả năng
● She’s torn between her loyalty and her desire to tell the truth.
10. walk/tread a tightrope: to deal with a difficult situation, especially one

involving making a decision between two opposing plans of action ~ đi trên dây,
khó đưa ra quyết định
● Many manufacturers have to walk a tightrope between pricing their
goods too high and not selling them, and pricing them low and losing
money.
11. get cold feet: to begin to hesitate about doing something ~ chần chừ,
chùn bước
● I wanted to enter the competition but at the last minute I got cold feet.
8
12. be (caught) in a cleft stick: to be in a very difficult situation in which

any action or decision you make will cause problems ~ chọn làm cái gì cũng
gây ra vấn đề
● Well, we're caught in a cleft stick now! Do we start pushing the car
towards town, or hope that someone passes by with a can of petrol?
13. be at a crossroads: to be at a stage in your life when you have to make a

very important decision ~ đến ngã rẽ cuộc đời, phải đưa ra lựa chọn
● After earning my degree, I'm at a crossroads. I need to figure out
which direction my life should take.
Mở rộng ra thì lưỡng lự thường sẽ giữa 2 việc khó chọn, hay cả 2 việc đều xấu.
Nếu vậy, trong tiếng anh, cụm từ nói " 1 tình huống mà có 2 thứ xấu xảy ra
cùng 1 lúc " là:
14. double whammy: a situation when two unpleasant things happen at almost
the same time
● Farmers have faced the double whammy of a rising dollar and falling
agricultural prices.
15. blow hot and cold: to sometimes like or be interested in something or

someone and sometimes not ~ lúc thích, lúc không
● He's been blowing hot and cold about the trip to Brazil.
9
BÀI TẬP
Question 1: Marry wonders whether to go camp with her friends or to stay at

home in order to prepare for her final composition. She is on the horns of a
______.
A. predicament B. mess C. dilemma D. puzzle
Question 2: The material is not suitable for an academic book or for a popular
one. It falls between two ______.
A. tools B. means C. utensils D. stools
Question 3: The protagonist was between a ______ and a hard place when he
had to choose between his future or his wife.
A. pillar B. devil C. gravel D. rock
Question 4: The director is caught in a double ______ because whether he
fires the employee or lets her off, he still gets blamed.
A. hole B. hassle C. bind D. pickle
Question 5: Customers are ______ for choice when buying a new car.
A. spoilt B. upset C. impaired D. devastated
Question 6: As a company, we're at a ______. We can continue business as
usual, or we can take a risk and try to grow.
A. byways B. crossroads C. highways D. intersections
Question 7: I'm ______ between hiding the truth or coming clean about it.
A. broken B. cracked C. burst D. torn
Question 8: Since there's been talk of layoffs, I've been walking a _____ at
work to prove how valuable I am.
A. tight ship B. tightrope C. tight rein D. teardrop
Question 9: I'm in something of a cleft ______ — whatever I do, I'll upset
someone.
A. stick B. wand C. rob D. wedge
Question 10: She’s in a bit of a(n) ______ about which of the jobs to accept.
A. uncertainty B. quandary C. embarrassment D. plight
ĐÁP ÁN:
1.C 2.D 3.D 4.C 5.A 6.B 7.D 8.B 9.A 10B
10
CHÌA KHOÁ SỐ 2: TÔI LÀ NGƯỜI LUÔN LÀM VIỆC HẾT MÌNH
1. burn the midnight oil: to work late into the night ~ thức khuya đèn sách
● If you burn the midnight oil night after night, you'll probably become ill.

2. work your ass off (offensive): to work very hard (dùng khi bạn rất tức
giận)
● I worked my ass off for that man.
11
3. work your fingers to the bone: to work extremely hard, especially for a
long time ~ làm việc đến mức ngón tay gầy trơ xương
● She worked her fingers to the bone to provide a home and food for
seven children.  
4. hammer away at sth: to work without stopping and with a lot of effort ~
làm việc không ngừng nghỉ
● She spent all weekend hammering away at her novel.
5. pull an all-nighter: thức trắng cả đêm để học, làm việc

● I pulled an all-nighter last night.
6. eager beaver (n): a person who is willing to work very hard
7. busy bee (n): an industrious person ~ con ong chăm chỉ

So sánh: be (as) busy as a bee: to be moving about quickly doing many things
~ di chuyển, đi lại liên hồi để làm việc
● My mom is (as) busy as a bee around Christmastime.
12
8. burn the candle at both ends: to work or do other things from early in
the morning until late at night and so get very little rest ~ làm việc từ sáng
tới đêm, làm việc kiệt sức
● You'll wear out if you keep burning the candle at both ends.
9. spread oneself too thin: to try to do too many things at the same time, so
that you cannot give enough time or attention to any of them ~ ôm 1 lúc nhiều
việc, không tính đến khả năng của mình
● I realized I'd been spreading myself too thin so I resigned as
secretary of the golf club.
10. sweat over sth: to work very hard using or doing something ~ đổ mồ hôi
làm việc gì đó
● She's been sweating over that essay all afternoon.
● I've been sweating over a hot stove (= cooking) all morning.
11. exert yourself: to make a mental or physical effort ~ tự mình nỗ lực

(cả tinh thần lẫn thể chất)
● I was too tired to exert myself.
12. pull your socks up: to make an effort to improve your work or behaviour
because it is not good enough ~ nỗ lực cải thiện khuyết điểm
● He's going to have to pull his socks up if he wants to stay in the team.
13. apply oneself to something: to work hard and diligently at something

● You should apply yourself to your studies.
● She applied herself to her work and the time passed very rapidly.
13
14. work from dawn to/until dusk: work from early morning until early
evening ~ làm việc từ sáng sớm đến tối muộn
● We worked from dawn to dusk, seven days a week.
15. roll up your sleeves: to prepare for hard work ~ xắn tay áo lên mà làm
việc đi
● There's a lot of work to do, so roll up your sleeves and get busy.
16. bash away at: to continue to work hard on something ~ vẫn tiếp tục làm
việc gì
- SYN: slave away at: to work strenuously and continuously (doing
something).
● She’s still bashing away at her last chapter.
● I slave away over a hot stove all afternoon, and you can't even be
bothered to finish what's on your plate?
- can't be bothered to do sth: used for saying that someone will not do
something because they feel lazy or because it is too much effort ~
chẳng buồn làm gì, chẳng muốn làm gì (vì lười, vì nghĩ nó nặng nhọc
quá)
● She couldn’t even be bothered to say hello. (cô ấy còn chẳng buồn nói lấy
một lời chào ~ đến cả một lời chào mà cô ấy còn cảm thấy nặng nhọc)
17. give a hundred percent: to try or work as hard as you can in order to
achieve something
● Everyone on the team gave a hundred percent.
- SYN: give sth your all ~ cố gắng hết sức
14
18. keep/put your nose to the grindstone: to work very hard for a long time
● She kept her nose to the grindstone all year and got the exam results
she wanted.

19. put your shoulder to the wheel: to start doing something with all your
energy and determination ~ bắt đầu làm gì với toàn bộ tâm lực
- SYN: knuckle down: to start working or studying hard = buckle down
● We need to put our shoulders to the wheel if we’re going to finish this
on time.
● You're going to have to really knuckle down (to your work) if you want to
pass your final exams.
● He'll have to buckle down (to his work) soon if he wants to pass his
finals.

20. put the pedal to the metal:
- to drive very fast: tăng ga, lái nhanh
- to work very quickly: "tăng ga" khi làm việc
● We are going to have to put the pedal to the metal if we want to finish
on time.
21. drive/work/run yourself into the ground: to make yourself tired or ill by
working too hard ~ làm việc quá sức
● We ran ourselves into the ground to meet the July deadline.
15
22. blood, sweat, and tears (n): a lot of effort and hard work ~ máu, mồ
hôi và cả nước mắt
● A lot of blood, sweat, and tears have gone into this victory.
23. fight tooth and nail: to try very hard to get something you want
- SYN: go to great/any lengths: to try very hard to achieve something
● We fought tooth and nail to get the route of the new road changed.
● Some people go to great lengths to make their homes attractive.
24. sweat blood (also sweat your guts out): to make a great effort
● We sweated blood to get the work finished on time.
25. with all one's might: using all your strength

● Amos was tugging at the rope with all his might.
26. with a vengeance: with great force or extreme energy ~ với 1 lực rất
lớn, tràn đầy năng lượng.
● He's been working with a vengeance over the past few weeks to make up
for lost time.
● Flared trousers are back with a vengeance (= very popular again) this
summer.
(ở ví dụ 2: be back with a vengeance: quay trở lại và lợi hại hơn xưa)
16
27. work round/around the clock: work all day and all night ~ làm việc suốt
ngày suốt đêm
● Doctors and nurses worked round the clock to help those injured in the
train crash.
28. try one's best = do one's best = do sth to the best of your ability
● I promise to carry out my duties to the best of my ability.
29. pull out all the stops: to do everything you can to make something
successful ~ dồn hết sức lực cho 1 việc thành công
● They pulled out all the stops for their daughter's wedding.
30. stop at nothing: to be willing to do anything, however dishonest etc, in

order to get something ~ không từ 1 thủ đoạn nào
● He’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants.

31. give sth your best shot: to do something as well as you can
● I gave writing my best shot, but I just don't think I can make a career
out of it. 
32. go to the trouble to do something (also take the trouble to do

something): to make an effort to do something
● If the police had gone to the trouble of looking up his record, they
would not have released him.
● Your father took the trouble to cook this delicious meal, and now you are
going to sit down and eat it.
- SYN: go out of your way: to try very hard to do something for sb
17
33. leave no stone unturned: to do everything you can to achieve a good

result, especially when looking for something ~ không để hòn đá nào cản
đường, dùng đủ mọi cách
● He left no stone unturned in his search for his natural mother.
34. be firing on all cylinders /ˈsɪl.ɪn.dɚ/: to be operating as powerfully and

effectively as possible ~ hoạt động hết công suất
● Dawson will be firing on all cylinders after two months of fitness
training.
35. not do things by halves: to put a lot of effort and enthusiasm into doing
things, often more than is necessary ~ chẳng bao giờ làm việc nửa vời cả;
đã làm là phải đến nơi đến chốn
● "I didn't realize you were decorating the whole house." "Oh, we don't do
things by halves around here."
36. pull your weight: to work as hard as other people in a group

● The others had complained that Sarah wasn't pulling her weight.
18
BÀI TẬP
Question 1: She worked her fingers to the ______ to bring home the bacon.
She is a breadwinner.
A. chin B. sternum C. bone D. skull
Question 2: I know you're disappointed, but you need to roll up your ______
and redouble your efforts.
A. socks B. sleeves C. collars D. pockets
Question 3: You'll do well at school if you just keep your nose to the ______.
A. whetstone B. steel C. grindstone D. grinder
Question 4: You're going to have to really put your ______ to the wheel if
you want to pass your final exams.
A. leg B. ear C. head D. shoulder
Question 5: He's been working ______ a vengeance over the past few weeks
to make up for lost time.
A. for B. at C. with D. up
Question 6: Students pulled out all the ______ for their final exams.
A. halts B. stops C. rests D. stopovers
Question 7: She left no stone ______ in her search for her wedding present
- a diamond ring.
A. unreturned B. unretarded C. unturned D. intoned
Question 8: I gave composition my best ______, but I just don't think I can
obtain a good comment from my professor.
A. blast B. cannon-ball C. bullet D. shot
Question 9: I only fire on all ______ after I've had my coffee.
A. cylinders B. tubes C. barrels D. pistons
Question 10: If you don't start __________ around here, you're fired.
A. shirking your duties B. squaring the circle
C. pulling your weight D. walking the tightrope
ĐÁP ÁN:
1.C 2.B 3.C 4.D 5.C 6.B 7.C 8.D 9.A 10.C


19
CHÌA KHÓA SỐ 3: TÔI LÀ NGƯỜI TRỐN TRÁNH TRÁCH NHIỆM
1. bury/have your head in the sand: to refuse to think about unpleasant

facts, although they will have an influence on your situation ~ giấu đầu dưới
bãi cát, không muốn nghĩ về 1 vấn đề
● You've got to face facts here - you can't just bury your head in the
sand.
2. shrug off your responsibility for sth: to treat your responsibility as if it

is not important or not a problem ~ rũ bỏ trách nhiệm
● You're a father and you can't simply shrug off your responsibility for
your children.
20
3. abdicate (your) responsibility: to refuse to be responsible for something,

when you should be or were before ~ thoái thác trách nhiệm
- SYN: shirk your responsibilities/duties
● The government cannot abdicate responsibility for national security.
● If you shirk your responsibilities/duties now, the situation will be much
harder to deal with next month.

4. draw a veil over sth: not speak about sth because it is unpleasant and you
do not want to think about it ~ che giấu cái gì xấu, vì mình không dám nói
● Yes, well I think we'll just draw a veil over what went on last night.
5. not face the music: not accept criticism or punishment for something you
have done ~ không đối mặt với sự trừng phạt, chỉ trích
● We refused to face the music over our bold moves.
   
6. shift the blame/responsibility (onto somebody): to make someone else

responsible for something, especially for something bad that has happened ~
đổ trách nhiệm lên đầu ai
● It was a clear attempt to shift the responsibility for the crime onto
the victim.
7. pass the buck: to blame someone or make them responsible for a problem
that you should deal with ~ đổ trách nhiệm lên đầu ai
● She's always trying to pass the buck and I'm sick of it!
21
8. do a runner: to quickly leave a place to get out of paying for something or

to avoid trouble or the law ~ chạy trốn, chuồn
● He stole all the money in the office and did a runner.
Từ cụm này, sẽ có nghĩa thiên về ngó lơ, bỏ mặc ai/cái gì
9. gloss over sth: to avoid considering something, such as an embarrassing

mistake and quickly continue talking about something else ~ tránh nhắc đến
việc gì xấu hổ
● She glossed over the company's declining profits.
10. skate over/around sth: to avoid dealing completely with something or to

fail to pay enough attention to it ~ trốn tránh giải quyết việc gì
● Providing homeless people with somewhere to stay when the weather is
cold only skates around the problem, it doesn't solve it.
11. turn a blind eye: to ignore something that you know is wrong
● Management often turns a blind eye to bullying in the workplace.
- SYN: close/shut your eyes to sth: to ignore something bad and
pretend it is not happening
(The phrases turn a blind eye to and close your eyes to are slightly
more formal than shut your eyes to)
● She closed her eyes to the fact that her son was stealing.
● He shut his eyes to the problem and pretended that everything was
fine.

12. fall on deaf ears: if a suggestion or warning falls on deaf ears, no one
listens to it ~ (lời đề nghị, cảnh báo,…) không lọt vào tai
● Their appeals to release the hostages fell on deaf ears.
22
13. turn a deaf ear: to ignore someone when they complain or ask for
something
● In the past they've tended to turn a deaf ear to such requests.
● Be careful: Some people find the phrases turn a blind eye to and turn a
deaf ear offensive to people with disabilities. Use ignore instead.
14. shun (v): ignore or avoid something regularly

● As assistant to the president, he shunned the spotlight, but worked very
hard behind the scenes.
● After the trial he was shunned by friends and family alike.
15. snub/slight: insult someone by ignoring them or treating them as if they

are not important (‘slight’ is more formal than snub)
● I didn't mean to snub him - I genuinely didn't see him come into the
room.
● She felt very slighted by her boss when he didn't include her in the
company-wide email.
16. give someone the cold shoulder: to intentionally ignore someone or treat
someone in an unfriendly way ~ ngó lơ ai
● I thought she really liked me, but the next day she gave me the cold
shoulder. 
- SYN: cut sb dead = look right through someone: to pretend you do not
know someone in order to show you are angry
23
16. leave sb in the lurch: to leave someone at a time when they need you to
stay and help ~ bỏ mặc ai khi họ cần mình giúp đỡ
● He said he would help with the rent, but he left me in the lurch.
17. tune out (something/someone): to stop paying attention to something or

someone
● She tends to tune out her parents’ advice and make her own decisions.
18. look the other way: to ignore something bad or someone on purpose ~
quay ra chỗ khác
● All these predators got away with it because administrators just looked
the other way and pretended it wasn't happening.
19. turn one’s back on sb/sth: to ignore someone or something ~ quay lưng
với ai/cái gì
● He said the nation had turned its back on the poor for many years.
20. pay no heed to sth/sb = take no heed of sth/sb: to pay no attention to

sth/sb ~ không chú ý đến cái gì
● He paid no heed to my warning.
BÀI TẬP TRANG SAU

24
BÀI TẬP
Question 1: Her parents had been burying their heads in the ______ about
the problem.
A. ground B. sand C. soil D. powder
Question 2: By invoking testosterone a man can ______ responsibility for his
own behaviour.
A. abduct B. snatch C. abdicate D. relinquish
Question 3: If you _____ your responsibilities/duties now, the situation will
be much harder to deal with next month.
A. stand over B. slip away C. blurt out D. shrug off
Question 4: I tried to draw a _____ over my inexperience so that the
recruiter would seriously consider me for the job.
A. blanket B. veil C. mask D. curtain
Question 5: He refused to face the _____ over his inappropriate words.
A. tune B. melody C. harmony D. music
Question 6: You were in charge of that project, so don't try to _____.
A. make headway B. jump on the bandwagon
C. shoot the breeze D. pass the buck
Question 7: Providing homeless people with somewhere to stay when the
weather is cold only _____ the problem, it doesn't solve it.
A. skim through B. glide across C skate over D. sail along
Question 8: He _____ a blind eye to the problem and pretended that
everything was fine.
A. twisted B. spinned C. shifted D. turned
Question 9: She thinks you started that rumor about her—that's why she's
been giving you the cold _____ all day.
A. eye B. shoulder C. look D. heart
Question 10: His friends ran away and he was left holding the _____.
A. fire B. newborn C. bucket D. baby
ĐÁP ÁN:
1.B 2.C 3.D 4.B 5.D 6.D 7.C 8.D 9.B 10.D
25
CHÌA KHÓA SỐ 4: TÔI LÀ NGƯỜI BIẾT NHẬN TRÁCH NHIỆM
1. the blame lies with (also the blame rests with): trách nhiệm nằm, thuộc
về ai
● Some of the blame lies with investors.
● Much of the blame rests with the government, which has confused
people with conflicting health messages
2. through no fault of her/my etc own: không phải lỗi của ai

● In my opinion Anna acted more childishly but through no fault of her
own.
3. blame somebody for something = put/lay/pin/place the blame on

somebody for something: đổ lỗi cho ai
● Health officials put the blame for the disease on poor housing
conditions
● The bridge's architect was quick to lay the blame on the engineers.
26
4. hold someone responsible: to blame somebody for something

● If anything goes wrong, I will hold you responsible.
5. apportion blame: to give or share out blame among several people or things
~ đổ trách nhiệm cho 1 tổ chức, bộ phận, nhóm người
● The investigation into the air crash would inevitably apportion blame to
certain members of the crew.
6. pin the blame on: to blame someone for something, especially for
something they did not do
● You can't pin the blame on her - she wasn't even there when the
accident happened.
7. only have yourself to blame (also have nobody/no one to blame but
yourself): used to say that you think something is somebody’s own fault ~
chẳng đỗ lỗi cho ai ngoài bản thân cả
● If you lose your job, you'll only have yourself to blame.
8. take the blame for something: if you take the blame for something, you
say that you did it or that it is your fault ~ chịu nhận tội
● If anything goes wrong, I'll take the blame.
9. be to blame for something: to be the reason for something that happens

~ là nguyên nhân gây ra việc gì
● The hot weather is partly to blame for the water shortage.
- SYN: be at fault, be sb’s fault
● She was at fault for the error.
● This is all my fault.
10. blameworthy = culpable (adj) (formal): having done something wrong ~

có tội, có lỗi
● He was held culpable (= blamed) for all that had happened.
27
11. the finger of blame/suspicion: if the finger of blame/suspicion points or

is pointed at somebody, they are suspected of having committed a crime, being
responsible for something, etc. ~ sự tình nghi
● The inquiry pointed the finger of blame at the driver of the crashed
coach.
● The finger of suspicion was pointed at the chicken served for lunch.
12. fall on one's sword: to accept the responsibility or blame for a problem
or mistake ~ đổ nhào về thanh gươm của mình; tự mình nhận lỗi
● The CEO fell on his sword when widespread corruption in the company
was exposed.
13. be left holding the baby (also be left holding the bag): to suddenly
have to deal with a difficult situation because others have decided that they
do not want the responsibility ~ bị bắt “đổ vỏ”, bị người khác đổ mọi trách
nhiệm lên đầu mình
● The other investors pulled out of the project and we were left holding
the baby.

28
14. have a lot to answer for: to be responsible for many bad things that have
happened ~ phải chịu nhiều trách nhiệm
● The company executives have a lot to answer for.  
15. be brought/called to account: to be forced to explain something you did

wrong, and usually to be punished ~ bị mang ra ánh sáng, phải chịu tội
● We must ensure that the people responsible for the violence are brought
to account.
29
BÀI TẬP
Question 1: Some of the blame ______ with the government, which has
caused anxiety among people.
A. comes B. fills C. lies D. stands
Question 2: For my money, Anna has reached a wrong conclusion but ______
no fault of her own.
A. for B. in C. at D. through
Question 3: Any attempt to ______ blame so many years after the incident is
pointless
A. allocate B. distribute C. apportion D. administrate
Question 4: No one should be looking to ______ the blame on others.

A. affix B. fasten C. fix D. pin
Question 5: So, because I lost the contract, I am supposed to fall on my

______ or something?
A. blade B. sword C. dagger D. weapon
ĐÁP ÁN:
1.C 2.D 3.C 4.D 5.B
30
CHÌA KHÓA SỐ 5: TÔI LÀ NGƯỜI HAY TỨC GIẬN
1. sore (adj): angry because you feel you have been unfairly treated
● He accused me of being a sore loser (= someone who does not accept
defeat well).
● sore loser: người háo thắng
2. livid (adj): extremely angry

- SYN: apoplectic /ˌæp.əˈplek.tɪk/: extremely and obviously angry
furious: extremely angry
incensed /ɪnˈsenst/: extremely angry
mad: very angry or annoyed
● He was livid when he found out.
● He was apoplectic with rage/fury.
● The villagers are incensed at the decision to close the railway station.
● Are you still mad at me?
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3. seething (adj): extremely angry but unable or unwilling to express it clearly

~ rất tức giận nhưng không bộc lộ rõ ra bên ngoài
● The town is seething with indignation about this little boy's case.
4. ruffle sb's feathers: to upset or annoy someone ~ làm ai xù lông

lên
● She knows how to ruffle his feathers. 
5. beside yourself with: if you are beside yourself with a particular feeling or
emotion, it is so strong that it makes you almost out of control ~ lấp đầy bản
thân mình với 1 trạng thái cảm xúc nào đó
● Beside herself with rage, she threw the plate on the floor.
6. up in arms: angry or upset

● People are up in arms over plans to close the local swimming pool.
 
7. cross (v): to annoy someone by not doing or saying what they want
● She's really nice until you cross her.
cross (adj): annoyed or angry
● My Dad gets cross (with me) if I leave the kitchen in a mess.
32
8. make one’s blood boil: làm máu ai sôi lên, khiến họ vô cùng tức giận
● It still makes my blood boil to think of all the time we wasted on this. 
9. throw a wobbly: to become very angry or upset

● My little girl loves the telephone, and she threw a wobbly when I
wouldn't let her play with it.
10. hit the ceiling/roof: to become extremely angry

- SYN: go through the roof
● Dad'll hit the ceiling when he finds out I've left school.
● When I was expelled from school, my parents went through the roof.
11. enrage sb (also become enraged): làm ai tức giận hoặc trở nên tức
giận
● Plans to build a new nightclub in the neighbourhood have enraged local
residents.
● He was enraged at the article about him.
12. lose your temper: to get angry

● She never lost her temper, never raised her voice.
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13. see red: to become very angry

● I had a hairbrush in my hand and I just saw red and hit him with it.
14. fly into a rage/passion: to suddenly become very angry

● I never saw him fly into a rage or treat anyone cruelly.
15. boil over: if anger or other feelings boil over, they become too strong to
be controlled
● His anger boiled over into fights with other students.
16. go off the deep end: to get very angry about something or lose control
of yourself
● Tom will go off the deep end if Jerry can't pay him the money he owes.
17. be/go off on one: to suddenly start talking or shouting in an angry way ~
nói chuyện, hét hò 1 cách tức giận
● I said I realised I was very untidy - and Toby just went off on one for
the next 20 minutes.     
18. set sb's teeth on edge: to annoy you very much (especially a noise)
● That DJ's voice really sets my teeth on edge.
34
19. rub sb (up) the wrong way: to annoy someone without intending to ~ làm
phiền ai mà không cố ý
● As soon as they met they started to rub each other up the wrong way.
  
20. be on edge: dễ cáu

● She’s on edge because she’s waiting for her exam results.
21. get on someone’s nerves: to annoy someone a lot    

● Stop whining. You’re getting on my nerves.  
- SYN: get up sb's nose: to annoy someone
● People who drive like that really get up my nose.  
- SYN: put/get sb's back up: to annoy someone
● Just ignore him - he's only trying to put your back up.
- SYN: get in your hair: to annoy you, usually by being present all the
time
● The children have been getting in my hair all afternoon.
22. go bananas: to become extremely angry or excited

● She'll go bananas when you tell her the news.
- SYN: go nuts = go ape = go spare = go berserk /bɚˈzɝːk/ = go

ballistic /bəˈlɪs.tɪk/: to become extremely angry
● My sister will go nuts when she finds out I crashed her cat.
35
23. step/tread on sb's toes: to say or do something that upsets or annoys

that person (eg: involving yourself in matters that are not your responsibility):
giẫm lên ngón chân của ai; quan tâm quá đáng đến việc không phải trách
nhiệm của mình
● I want to help Johnny out on his project, but I know he's very proud, and
I don't want to tread on his toes in any way.
24. have/throw a tantrum: have a sudden period of extreme anger ~ nổi cơn
tam bành, thịnh nộ
● When he doesn't get his way, he throws a tantrum.
25. have a face like thunder (also look like thunder): to look extremely
angry ~ nổi trận lôi đình
● She suddenly came into the room with a face like thunder.
26. look daggers at sb: to look angrily at someone

● I mentioned the fact that he used to be very overweight and then he
looked daggers at me.
27. somebody’s blood is up: someone is extremely angry about something and
determined to do something about it ~ máu dồn lên não, rất tức tối
● They tried to stop me, but my blood was up.
36
28. put/set the cat among the pigeons: to say or do something that causes
trouble or makes a lot of people very angry ~ thả mèo giữa bầy bồ câu; làm
ai đó nổi giận, khiến tình hình hỗn loạn
● Once again she set the cat among the pigeons, claiming that Michael
was lying.
29. bite someone’s head off: to speak to someone angrily when there is no
reason to ~ nổi giận vô cớ
● I just asked if I could help – you don’t have to bite my head off!
30. drive sb up the wall: to make someone extremely angry

● My flat-mate is driving me up the wall.
- SYN: drive somebody crazy
31. cheese sb off: to annoy someone

● Her attitude to the whole thing really cheeses me off!
- SYN: wind sb up: to annoy or upset someone
● It really winds me up when he goes on about teachers having an easy life.
37
32. hot under the collar: embarrassed or angry about something

● When I suggested he was mistaken he got rather hot under the collar.
33. be short with someone: saying little but showing slight impatience or
anger in the few words that you say ~ cộc cằn, thô lỗ, tức giận với ai
● I'm sorry if I was a bit short with you on the phone this morning.
34. blow one’s top: to become very angry, often quickly

● Oh man, Dad is going to blow his top when he sees that I wrecked his
car!
35. make sb’s hackles rise (also raise sb’s hackles): to annoy someone ~ làm
dựng lông ai lên, khiến họ bực tức
● The president's speech has raised hackles among members of the
opposing party.
36. get a rise out of (also take a rise out of): to annoy someone
● Steve always manages to get a rise out of me with his racist jokes.
38
37. blow a fuse/gasket (old-fashioned informal): to become very angry

● The boss blew a fuse when the shipment didn't arrive on time.  
38. cut up rough: to become very angry, and often violent ~ tỏ ra, cư xử
giận dữ, thô bạo
● Don't leave those guys alone together—they've been known to cut up
rough when they disagree with each other.
39. get bent out of shape: to become very angry or upset

● I'm not getting bent out of shape because people don't respect my
opinion. I'm used to that.
40. be foaming at the mouth: to be extremely angry ~ sủi bọt ra đầy mồm,
tức sùi bọt mép
● The Almeida Theatre's recent staging of the opera had critics foaming
at the mouth.
41. (almost) burst a blood vessel: to become very angry about something ~
tức muốn vỡ mạch máu, tức muốn ói máu
● Mum almost burst a blood vessel when I told her what happened.
39
42. drive/send sb round the bend: to make someone very angry, especially by
continuing to do something annoying
● He really drove me round the bend as he kept turning the TV at
maximum volumes.
43. tempers (get) frayed (also tempers begin to fray,...): if you say that
tempers are getting frayed, you mean that people are getting angry with each
other ~ không khí bắt đầu căng thẳng, mọi người bắt đầu tức giận
● After months of delays, tempers began to fray.
44. have/throw a fit: to become very angry or worried, often shouting a lot ~
tức điên lên
● She'll throw a fit when she sees the mess you've made.
45. give sb an earful: to tell somebody how angry you are about something
you have done
● He gave me a real earful about being late so often.
- SYN: give sb a piece of your mind: to speak angrily to someone
46. fly off the handle: to react in a very angry way to something that
someone says or does ~ dễ nổi cáu
● He's extremely irritable - he flies off the handle at the slightest
thing.
40
47. wring someone’s neck /rɪŋ/: used for emphasizing that you are very angry
at someone ~ “vặt” cổ ai vì quá tức giận
● I could wring her neck for getting me in such trouble.
48. turn in your grave (also turn/roll over in your grave): if you say that a
dead person would turn in their grave, you mean that they would be very angry
or upset about something ~ có chết rồi cũng phải đội mồ sống lại
● She'd turn in her grave if she knew what he was spending his
inheritance on.
49. lose your cool: to suddenly become very angry

● He finally lost his cool with a photographer and threatened to hit him.
50. have had it (up to here) with sb/sth: to have reached the limit of one's
patience or forbearance ~ hết chịu đựng nổi ai/cái gì
● I’ve had it up to here with your lies!


41
BÀI TẬP
Question 1: A feeling of _____ resentment led to angry exchanges between

the teams.
A. teeming B. bursting C. seething D. hopping
Question 2: Students are up in _____ over plans to postpone the school trip.
A. limbs B. arms C. shoulders D. wings
Question 3: I know you're upset, but there's no point ______ into a rage like
that. It was just an honest mistake.
A. rushing B. diving C. flying D. landing
Question 4: The noise stemming from your radio really sets my ______ on
edge.
A. teeth B. mind C. ears D. head
Question 5: What are you going to get out of him if you ______ him up the
wrong way?
A. brush B. scrub C. rub D. polish
Question 6: Don't get in my ______ today because I don't have the patience
for it!
A. nerves B. nose C. back D. hair
Question 7: He tends to __________ when people disagree with him.

A. come to his senses B. cut the mustard
C. fly off the handle D. rest on his laurels
Question 8: That's the second time this week he's eaten my lunch. I ought to
______ his neck!
A. twist B. squeeze C. compress D. wring
Question 9: I was so embarrassed when Danny started ______ a tantrum in

the grocery store.
A. heaving B. throwing C. lifting D. casting
42
Question 10: He looked ______at Mary as if it had all been her fault.
A. swords B. blades C. bullets D. daggers
Question 11: We didn't want to put the cat among the ______, so we decided
not to mention the bomb threat until we knew for certain that it was
legitimate.
A. dogs B. pigeons C. mice D. ducks
Question 12: The way you kids deliberately disobey me makes me hot under
the ______!
A. choker B. sleeve C. collar D. sock
Question 13: The disrespect he showed our professor during class made my
______ rise so badly.
A. hackles B. eyebrows C. feathers D. eyelashes
Question 14: He was ______ at the mouth with rage.

A. creaming B. frothing C. foaming D. spraying
Question 15: ______ frayed at Thanksgiving when Uncle Stu and Aunt
Marsha started arguing about politics.
A. Moods B. Spirits C. Tempers D. Attitudes
ĐÁP ÁN:
1.C 2.B 3.C 4.A 5.C 6.D 7.C 8.D 9.B 10.D 11.B 12.C 13.A 14.C 15.C
43
CHÌA KHÓA SỐ 6: CỤM TỪ LIÊN QUAN ĐẾN THỜI TIẾT

1. take a shine to sb: to begin to like someone very much
● I think he's taken a shine to your sister.
2. make hay while the sun shines: to make good use of an opportunity while
it lasts ~ làm cho cỏ khô khi mặt trời lên; tận dụng cơ hội
● We finally have the full group assembled, so let's make hay while the
sun shines and get this thing done. 
- SYN: strike while the iron is hot: chớp lấy thời cơ
44
3. come rain or shine: whatever happens

● Come rain or shine, I'll see you on Thursday.
4. chase rainbows: to pursue something that is impossible ~ đuổi theo cầu

vồng, làm việc hão huyền
● The detective was told he was chasing rainbows by pursuing such an
unlikely suspect.
5. to save something for a rainy day: to put something aside for a future
time in which it may be needed ~ để dành khi cần đến
● Luckily she had saved some money for a rainy day.
6. rain cats and dogs: to rain very heavily

● Don't forget to take your umbrella - it's raining cats and dogs out
there.
7. be (as) right as rain: to feel healthy or well again

● You just need a good night's sleep, and then you'll be right as rain
again.
8. to rain on sb's parade: to do something that spoils someone's plans

● I'm sorry to rain on your parade but you're not allowed to have alcohol
on the premises.
45
9. to take a rain check on something: cannot accept an invitation now, but

would like to do so at a later time ~ biết thế …
● Mind if I take a rain check on that drink? I have to work late tonight.
10. it never rains but it pours (also when it rains, it pours): said when one
bad thing happens, followed by a lot of other bad things that make a bad
situation worse ~ họa vô đơn chí, phúc bất trùng lai
● The team not only lost the game but three of its best players were
injured. It never rains but it pours.
11. to get wind of something: to hear a rumour about something ~ nghe

phong thanh việc gì đó
● We have a crisis on our hands and don’t want the press to get wind of
it.
46
12. see/know which way/direction the wind blows: to understand what is

happening in changing circumstances and be able to anticipate what will happen
in the future ~ nhìn gió đang thổi chiều nào, để dự đoán những điều xảy ra
trong tương lai
● I think I'll see which way the wind is blowing before I vote at the
board meeting.
- SYN: find out/see how the land lies ~ chờ khi có đủ thông tin của vấn đề nào
đó thì mới đưa ra hành động cụ thể
13. be on cloud nine: to be extremely happy and excited ~ ở trên chín tầng
mây
● "Was Helen pleased about getting that job?" "Pleased? She was on cloud
nine!"
14. to have your head in the clouds: to not know the facts of a situation ~
để đầu óc, tâm trí ở trên mây
● She had her head in the clouds in class yesterday.
15. to throw caution to the wind/winds: to do something without worrying

about the risk or negative results ~ không quan tâm đến cảnh báo, nguy hiểm
● I threw caution to the wind and bought the most expensive one.
47
16. every cloud has a silver lining: every difficult or unpleasant situation has
some advantage ~ mây nào cũng có tia chớp bạc thôi mà, cho dù nó có âm u
đến đâu
● All in all it's a bit of a mess but they say every cloud has a silver lining.
17. shoot the breeze: to have a casual conversation ~ chém gió

● We sat out on the porch, just shooting the breeze.
18. a cloud on the horizon: something that threatens to cause problems or

unhappiness in the future ~ mây mù sắp kéo đến, điều gì không hay sắp xảy
ra
● The only cloud on the horizon is the physics exam in June. 
19. be under a cloud: to not be trusted or popular because people think you
have done something bad ~ không được tin tưởng vì mang tiếng xấu
● The cabinet minister left office under a cloud after a fraud scandal.
20. cloud someone's judgment: to cause someone to be unable to think clearly

~ làm lu mờ lý trí
● The alcohol must have clouded my judgment.
48
21. ray of sunshine: a happy person who makes others feel happy, especially
in a difficult situation
● We love looking after our grandchild. He's a ray of sunshine!
22. under the sun: in existence; on earth ~ đủ mọi thứ trên đời
● I’ve tried everything under the sun to fix this lock, but I just can’t get
it to work.
23. a bolt from the blue: something important or unusual that happens
suddenly or unexpectedly ~ sét đánh ngang tai
● The resignation of the chairman came like a bolt from the blue.
24. sail close to the wind: to do something that is dangerous or only just
legal or acceptable ~ mạo hiểm làm việc gì, có thể để lại hậu quả
● You were sailing a little close to the wind there when you made those
remarks about his wife.
25. to stem the tide (of something): to stop something from increasing or
continuing
● This rule was used to stem the tide of imported videos.
- SYN: keep a/the lid on sth = put a lid on sth ~ kiểm soát, không để
tăng
26. a place in the sun: a good or lucky position

● He certainly earned his place in the sun.
49
27. to reach for the moon: to try and achieve your ambitions
● My parents always taught me to reach for the moon when I was growing
up.
28. go down a storm: to be very popular

● The play went down a storm.
29. any port in a storm: used for saying that you will accept any help or take
any opportunity if you are in a bad situation ~ lúc gặp bão thì cập bến vào
cảng nào cũng được; trong lúc khó khăn thì giải pháp nào cũng được
● It’s not an ideal solution, but any port in a storm. 
30. in the cold light of day: if you think about something in the cold light of
day, you think about it clearly and calmly ~ sau khi bình tĩnh lại, xem xét sự
việc một cách vô tư, kỹ càng
● The next morning, in the cold light of day, Sarah realized what a
complete idiot she had been.
50
31. the calm/lull before the storm: a time that seems quiet but will very
soon be followed by something unpleasant happening
● Things seem quiet in the office right now, but this is just the lull before
the storm.
32. take someone/somewhere by storm: to be suddenly extremely successful

in a place or popular with someone ~ tạo ra một cơn bão, khiến ai, cái gì trở
nên nổi tiếng, thành công= put sth/sb on the map
● As everyone knows, the Beatles took the US by storm.
33. Indian summer:

- a period of calm, warm weather that sometimes happens in the early
autumn
- a pleasant or successful time nearly at the end of someone's life, job, or
other period:
● A star of the 1960s, she's enjoying an Indian summer with her second
highly acclaimed film this year.
34. lightning fast: very fast = like greased lightning

● Did you see that martial arts expert? His kicks were lightning fast!
● I told Jim she was coming, and he was out of the house like greased
lightning!
51
35. perfect storm: an extremely bad situation in which many bad things
happen at the same time
● It was the perfect storm – a fire in the cafe, staffing problems and then
the pandemic. There was no way the business could survive.
36. not have the foggiest (idea/notion): to not know or understand

something at all ~ không biết cái mô tê gì
- SYN: not know the first thing about sth (nói về chủ đề, lĩnh vực)
● I didn't have the foggiest idea what he was talking about.
● I'm afraid I don't know the first thing about car engines.
37. to spring-clean:
- to clean all of a place, especially your house, very well, including parts you
do not often clean: dọn sạch
● Mrs Bridges seemed to have spring-cleaned the whole house.
- to organize something, getting rid of the things you do not need
● The most sensible thing to do is to spring-clean the household finances.
38. weather/ride the storm: to not be badly harmed or damaged during a

difficult period of time
● The government appears to have weathered the storm.
39. cook up, dance up, talk up, etc. a storm: to do something with a lot of
energy and often skill
● Rob was in the kitchen cooking up a storm.
52
40. to steal someone’s thunder: to do what someone else was planning to do

before they do it, unfairly taking the attention or praise away from them~
giành sự chú ý, lời khen của ai
● I’ll let Rachel tell you her news. I don’t want to steal her thunder.
41. keep a weather eye on sth: to watch a particular situation closely to see
what happens
● Your weight can be a strong indicator of your general health, so it's
important to keep a weather eye on it.
42. make heavy weather of sth: to find something hard to do and spend a lot
of time on it, although it is not difficult ~ làm cái gì trở nên khó khăn hơn
● She's making such heavy weather of that report she's writing.
43. storm in a teacup (also tempest in a teapot): a lot of unnecessary anger

and worry about a matter that is not important ~ việc bé xé ra to, việc không
đâu cũng làm cho to chuyện.
● This matter is a storm in a teacup; it is an argument about nothing.
53
44. lightning never strikes twice: it is unlikely that something bad or strange
will happen twice to the same person or in the same place ~ sét chẳng đánh ai
hai lần
● The team was lucky to get that win but may not do as well next time.
Lightning never strikes twice.
45. in all weathers: in every type of weather

● He goes fishing in all weathers.
46. weather permitting: if bad weather does not prevent it ~ nếu thời tiết
đẹp
● The game starts at 11 o’clock, weather permitting.
47. fair-weather friend: a friend who cannot be relied on in difficult times ~

bạn nửa mùa, bạn bè vụ lợi
● I thought Gene would always stick by me, but when I got into trouble, he
turned out to be a fair-weather friend. 
54
 BÀI TẬP
Question 1: I think he's taken a ______to your friend at first sight.

A. gloss B. gleam C. shine D. twinkle
Question 2: We finally have the full group assembled, so let's make

______while the sun shines and get this thing done.
A. straw B. grass C. hay D. feed
Question 3: You can't ______ rainbows your whole life—you need to pick a
stable career and start being an adult.
A. pursue B. chase C. following D. hunt
Question 4: Even if you are rich, you should save some money for a ______
day. (ĐH KHỐI D 2010)
A. rainy B. foggy C. snowy D. windy
Question 5: You'll be as right as ______ as soon as you are back in your own
home with your baby.
A. rain B. sun C. wind D. cloud
Question 6: The heavy traffic congestion really rained on my ______. I can't

turn up in time.
A. demonstration B. display C. carnival D. parade
Question 7: I bumped into my old friends in a coffee shop and spent all night
______ the breeze.
A. firing B. aiming C. pointing D. shooting
Question 8: If mom gets ______ of this prank we're planning, we'll be

grounded for the rest of the summer.
A. smell B. wind C. shape D. cloud
Question 9: My father threw ______ to the wind and bought the most
expensive car.
A. attention B. suggestion C. caution D. sense
55
Question 10: Judy has just won a full scholarship to one of the most
prestigious universities in the country; she must be now on cloud nine. (ĐH
2018)
A. incredibly optimistic B. obviously delighted
C. extremely panicked D. desperately sad

Question 11: With all that money, you could do whatever you want. ______
for the moon, kiddo!
A. Stretch  B. Head C. Reach D. Approach
Question 12: His album went down a ______, as a rule.

A. downpour  B. tornado C. storm D. blizzard
Question 13: I didn't mean to steal your ______, but I just had to tell your
mom about your promotion.
A. thunder B. lightning C. roar D. explosion
Question 14: Investors are faced with the ______storm of slowing economic
growth, rising prices and an unstable housing market.
A. perfect B. excellent C. exact D. pure
Question 15: Take care that your love for him doesn't _____ your judgment.
A. cloud B. darken C. shadow D. topple
ĐÁP ÁN:
1.C 2.C 3.B 4.A 5.A 6.D 7.D 8.B 9.C 10.B 11.C 12.C 13.A 14.A 15.A

56
CHÌA KHÓA SỐ 7: TÔI LÀ NGƯỜI HẠNH PHÚC 
1. a joy wonder to behold: something that is enjoyable to watch

● The team’s performance was a joy to behold.
2. be full of the joys of spring (humorous): to be very happy

● He bounced into the office, full of the joys of spring.
57
3. be in a transport of delight/joy: to feel extremely happy or pleased

● I've been in a transport of delight ever since I got engaged—I just
can't stop looking at my ring!
4. burst with joy: to be full to the bursting point with happiness

● My kids burst with joy when we told them we were going to the theme
park over the weekend.  
5. leap for joy (=jump for joy): to jump up because one is happy ~ nhảy cẫng
lên vì sung sướng
● I'm going to leap for joy when I see my boyfriend at the airport.     

6. be your pride and joy: a person or thing that gives someone great joy and
satisfaction
● He spends hours cleaning that motorcycle - it's his pride and joy.
7. grin/smile from ear to ear: to look extremely happy ~ cười toe toét đến
tận mang tai
● "We've had a fantastic response!" he said, grinning from ear to ear.

58
8. weep for joy: to cry out of happiness ~ khóc nấc lên vì hạnh phúc
● We all wept for joy to see our older brother again after four years in
the army.

9. like a dog with two tails: used to say that someone is very happy about
something
● Lucy will be like a dog with two tails if she gets into the team.
10. on top of the world: extremely happy

● She was feeling on top of the world.
11. on cloud nine (=in seventh heaven): to be extremely happy and excited
● Ever since Mary got her promotion at work, she's been on cloud
nine.
59
12. happy camper (humorous): someone who is happy with their situation and
have no complaints
● She's just found out about the pay cut and she's not a happy camper.
13. have a whale of a time: to have a very good time, have an exciting or fun
time
● We had a whale of a time on holiday.
14. to be thrilled to bits: extremely pleased

● She was thrilled to bits with her present.
15. be walking/floating on air: to be very happy because something very good

has happened to you ~ vui vẻ như đi trên mây
● Ever since she met Mark, she's been walking on air.

60
16. be over the moon: to be very pleased

● She was over the moon about/with her new bike.
17. music to your ears: something you are pleased to hear about
● When she said they would make a profit, it was music to Richard’s ears.
18. feast your eyes on sth/sb /fiːst/: to look at someone or something with
great enjoyment
● We walked through the valley, feasting our eyes on the beauty all
around us.
19. make one’s day: to cause one to feel very happy

● When my neighbors surprised me with homemade chocolate chip cookies,
it really made my day. 
61
20. be tickled pink: to be very pleased

● She was tickled pink with the bunch of flowers we gave her.
21. be a barrel of laughs/fun: to be funny or enjoyable

● "He's a bit serious, isn't he?" "Yeah, not exactly a barrel of laughs."
22. have a ball: to enjoy yourself very much

● "So how was the party last night?" "Oh, it was great - we had a ball!"
- SYN: have a blast: to have a lot of fun
BÀI TẬP TRANG SAU  
62
 BÀI TẬP
Question 1: The spring flowers in this part of the country are truly a joy to
______.
A. witness B. behold C. discern D. perceive
Question 2: I've been in a ______ of delight ever since I got engaged—I just
can't stop looking at my ring!
A. carriage B. passage C. vehicle D. transport
Question 3: Her computer crashed an hour ago and she's lost a morning's
work - she's not a happy ______ at the moment.
A. vacationist B. camper C. holidaymaker D. sightseer
Question 4: Children had a ______ of a time in the entertainment center.
A. shark B. salmon C. whale D. crocodile
Question 5: The bunch of flowers we gave her really ______ her day.
A. caused B. did C. formed D. made
Question 6: I was tickled ______ with homemade chocolate chip cookies from
my neighbors.
A. pink B. red C. yellow D. blue
Question 7: I always have so much fun when Katie's around—she's totally a
______ of laughs!
A. vessel B. basket C. barrel D. case
Question 8: We ______ our eyes on the colors of the autumn landscape.
A. cast B. threw C. feasted D. hurled
Question 9: Everyone had a ______ at the party and didn't come home until 2
a.m. It really made our days.
A. gun B. blanket C. flower D. ball
Question 10: The whole team was ______ at winning the competition.
A. up in the arms B. on the up and up
C. on the cards D. over the moon
ĐÁP ÁN
1.B 2.D 3.B 4.C 5.D 6.A 7.C 8.C 9.D 10.D
63
CHÌA KHÓA SỐ 8 : TÔI CÓ THỂ THÀNH CÔNG
1. be a recipe for success: to be very likely to become a success

● Many people think that going to college is a recipe for success, but I
think in order for a person to be successful, they need to work hard.
64
2. dress for success: to dress nicely in hopes that by doing so one will be
successful~ ăn mặc đẹp, vì nghĩ như vậy sẽ giúp thành công
● I dressed for success in a suit and tie, but I don't think the recruiter
was very impressed with me.
3. overnight success: something that becomes successful very quickly ~

thành công chỉ qua một đêm
● In 1970 he became an overnight success in America.
4. bear fruit: to see the good results from one’s efforts ~ gặt hái quả ngọt
● Eventually her efforts bore fruit and she got the job she wanted.
5. be a roaring success: to be very successful ~ thành công vang dội

● At the beginning, I was extremely doubtful of his business plan, but it
turned out to be a roaring success.
- SYN: landslide/sweeping victory = chiến thắng áp đảo, vang đội
● The election was a sweeping victory for the party.
6. be home free: to be certain to succeed at something because you have

done the most difficult part of it
● Well, the last few months have been the hardest part, now we are home
free.
65
7. have (got) it made: to be certain to be successful and have a good life,

often without much effort
● With his father at the head of the firm, he's got it made.
8. nothing succeeds like success: used to say that one success often results
in another success ~ thành công này thường dẫn đến những thành công khác
● After the team won their first preseason game, they quickly became
celebrities in the small town. That gave them the momentum to win every
game for the rest of the season. I guess nothing succeeds like success.
9. hit a home run: to perform an action that is very successful

● It was an unexpected interview question, but I really feel like I hit a
home run with my answer.
10. spell success for something/someone: to indicate that there are signs
the one is going to achieve their goal or desired results ~ báo hiệu cho sự
thành công
● The government is hoping that a massive reinvestment in the city's
infrastructure will spell success for its economy.
66
11. every dog has its day: said to emphasize that everyone is successful or
happy at some time in their life ~ không ai nghèo ba họ không ai khó ba đời
● You may become famous someday. Every dog has his day.
12. sail through (something): to do something easily and confidently

● She sailed through her final exams.
13. have the world at your feet: to be extremely successful and admired by
a large number of people ~ cả thế giới phải ngước nhìn
● Five years after her debut, the diminutive star of the Royal Ballet has
the world at her feet.
14. with flying colours: if you do something such as pass an exam with flying
colours, you do it very successfully
● I passed law school with flying colors.
67
15. be riding/on the crest of a wave: to be very successful for a limited

period of time ~ cưỡi trên đỉnh ngọn sóng, thành công không được bao lâu
● Mrs Singh is still riding the crest of a wave of popularity.
16. be riding high: to be very successful

● Susan has been riding high ever since she got a promotion at work.
17. land on your feet (=fall on your feet): to be successful or lucky,

especially after a period of not having success or luck
● Don't worry - she always lands on her feet.
18. strike gold: to suddenly become very rich or successful

● He seems to have struck gold with his first film.
19. watch someone's smoke: to observe the successful results of

accomplishments of one's endeavors or activities ~ cho ngửi khói
● He told us to watch his smoke when he left to set up his own company.
68
20. make headway: to begin to succeed

● Has the city made any headway in attracting new businesses?
21. one’s moment in the sun: a brief period when one has become successful,
famous, popular, etc.
● Jonathan had his moment in the sun when one of his videos went viral on
the Internet and, for a little while at least, he became a household name.
(một cái tên mà ai cũng biết)
22. someone is going places: someone will be successful

● Maria’s a talented writer – she’s definitely going places.
23. have (the) golden touch: to be successful at whatever one does or

touches ~ một cái chạm tay có thể hóa đá thành vàng
● The manager is considered to have the golden touch of turning anyone
she works with into a huge star.
69
24. the sweet smell of success: the euphoric feeling of being successful or
victorious
● It seems like they've let the sweet smell of success cloud their
judgment, as this latest business venture is one of the most baffling in
their entire history.
25. crack it: to manage to do something successfully

● He seems to have got it cracked.
26. success depends on your backbone, not your wishbone: success is

achieved through dedication and effort, not one's hopes, dreams, or wishful
thinking ~ chỉ có nỗ lực mới mang lại thành công
● You need to work on your writing every single day if you really want to be
a famous author because success depends on your backbone, not your
wishbone.
"A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks
that others throw at him."
-- David Brinkley --
70
BÀI TẬP
Question 1: Eating healthy food and exercising regularly is a(n) ______ for
longevity.
A. ingredient B. formula C. recipe D. method
Question 2: In 1970 he became an ______ success in America.
A. overtime B. overnight C. overaged D. overweight
Question 3: My business was a ______ success in the 1980s and '90s, but the
advent of the Internet rendered my services obsolete.
A. roaring B. thunderous C. boisterous D. deafening
Question 4: You may become a millionaire someday. Every ______ has his
day.
A. cat B. tiger C. dog D. bird
Question 5: The government is hoping that a massive reinvestment in the
city's infrastructure will ______ success for its economy.
A. signify B. denote C. spell D. predict
Question 6: Betsy is such a talented singer that I'm sure she'll have the
world __________ one day.
A. under her thumbs B. at her feet
C. in her hands D. below her eyes
Question 7: The company's stock was _____ high after the merger.
A. riding B. standing C. flying D. holding
Question 8: While she ______ through her maths exams, he struggled.
A. floated B. drifted C. sailed D. flowed
Question 9: They've recently made some _______ in their search for a cure.
A. byways B. headway C. highways D. roadway
Question 10: Everyone is ______ their smoke to see how they do in the
competition.
A. observing B. inspecting C. surveying D. watching
ĐÁP ÁN:
1.C 2.B 3.A 4.C 5.C 6.B 7.A 8.C 9.B 10.D
71
CHÌA KHÓA SỐ 9 : TÔI LÀ NGƯỜI LIỀU LĨNH 
1. put your neck on the line: do something that could harm you
● No one wants to put their neck on the line and predict an outcome.
2. run the risk of doing sth: to do something although something bad might
happen ~ liều lĩnh làm gì đó
● If you tell him the truth, you run the risk of hurting his feelings.
72
3. be skating on thin ice: to be doing something that is dangerous or involves

risks
● He's skating on thin ice by lying to the police.
4. have/put your head on the block: to risk a bad thing happening to you by
doing something or helping someone ~ để đầu mình trên tảng đá; liều lĩnh,
đặt mình vào tình thế nguy hiểm
● I'm not going to put my head on the block for you.
5. go for broke: to risk everything in the hope of having great success

~ đánh đổi mọi thứ để có thành công
● It was a sharp disagreement about whether to go for broke or whether
to compromise.
73
6. a leap in the dark: something you do without being certain what will
happen as a result ~ hành động mù quáng, không suy nghĩ
● I had very little information about the company, so writing to them was a
leap in the dark.
7. bet the farm/ranch: to risk everything ~ đánh cược tất cả mọi thứ
● Don't bet the farm on these stocks.
8. play with fire: to act in a way that is very dangerous and to take risks
● Dating the boss’s daughter is playing with fire.
9. take a gamble/chance: to do something risky in the hope that it will

succeed         
● I thought I’d take a gamble on the horses today.
● Lorraine didn’t know me but she took a chance on my honesty.
10. dice with death: to do something very risky (and dangerous) ~ chơi xúc
xắc với tử thần ~ liều mạng, chơi đùa với tử thần
● He diced with death every time he took a shortcut across the main
railway line.
74
11. high wire: used to refer to a situation that involves a lot of risk
● The business has been on a high wire for the past few months.
12. take your life in your hands: to do something that is very dangerous,
especially where you risk death ~ làm việc gì nguy hiểm đến tính mạng
● Every time you go parachuting you're taking your life in your hands.
13. calculated risk: a risk that you consider worth taking because the result,
if it is successful, will be so good ~ rủi ro đã có tính toán trước
● The director took a calculated risk in giving the film's main role to an
unknown actor.
14. chance your arm: to take a risk in order to get something that you want
● Aren't you chancing your arm a bit giving up a secure job to start up a
business?

15. at risk to yourself/somebody/something: with the possibility of harming
yourself/somebody/something ~ có thể gây hại đến ai, cái gì
● He dived in to save the dog at considerable risk to his own life.
75
16. risk life and limb: to do something that is very dangerous

● They risked life and limb to pull the child from the river.
17. risk one’s neck: to do something that might cause severe injury or death
● Today we pay our respects to the brave men and women who risk their
necks every day to keep our country safe.
18. put all one’s eggs in one basket: to depend entirely on the success of one
scheme, plan etc ~ bỏ tất cả trứng vào 1 rổ; được ăn cả ngã về không
● You should apply for more than one job – don’t put all your eggs in one
basket.
19. do something at your own risk: if you do something at your own risk, you
are responsible for any harm or damage that you suffer as a result ~ tự làm
tự chịu
● Persons swimming beyond this point do so at their own risk.
20. close shave/call/thing: a situation in which you come very close to a

dangerous situation
● It was a close call for residents when a tornado swept through just west
of the town.
76
21. a drowning man will clutch at a straw: someone who is in a very difficult
situation will take any available opportunity to improve it ~ khi bị đuối nước
thì có là cọng rơm cũng bám lấy ~ có bệnh thì vái tứ phương
- SYN: any port in a storm
● Scott thinks this faith healer will cure his baldness. A drowning man will
clutch at a straw.
22. (Cụm từ này không có nghĩa là liều lĩnh, nhưng từ "risk" được nhắc đến với
một nghĩa rất đáng chú ý)
at the risk of doing sth: used before you say something that may seem
offensive or stupid: nghe có vẻ hơi ...
● At the risk of seeming rude, I'm afraid I have to leave now. (nghe có vẻ
hơi thô lỗ, nhưng …)
● At the risk of sounding stupid, how do I send this email? (nghe có vẻ
hơi ngu ngốc, nhưng …)
77
BÀI TẬP
Question 1: I try to stay well informed so I don't end up ______ on thin ice
when the teacher asks me a question.
A. skating B. gliding C. coasting D. skimming
Question 2: You have to take some risks to be successful in business and in
life, but don't put your head on the ______ for no good reason.
A. stone B. rock C. block D. boulder
Question 3: We have to go for ______ with this marketing campaign if we
want our product launch to be successful.
A. ruined B. penniless C. insolvent D. broke
Question 4: I don't usually go on blind dates, but I took a ______ in the dark
and agreed to meet Sarah's friend for dinner.
A. jump B. dive C. leap D. bound
Question 5: Stop betting the ______ on these horse races.
A. farm B. crop C. harvest D. asset
Question 6: The Aguilar brothers perform 25 feet above the arena on the
high ______.
A. string B. cable C. line D. wire
Question 7: Of course he's taking out his motorcycle in the pouring rain—he's
always ______ with death.
A. spinning B. chopping C. dicing D. pouring
Question 8: I think he's chancing his ______by dumping his life savings into
yet another bizarre money-making scheme.
A. finger B. wing C. branch D. arm
Question 9: Henry thinks this medicine will cure his short-sightedness. A
drowning man will clutch at a _______.
A. hay B. straw C. grass D. stubble
Question 10: There's a lot of money at stake here and none of the partners
wants to __________.
A. put his head on the line B. put his neck on the block
C. put his head on the track D. put his neck on the line
ĐÁP ÁN:
1.A 2.C 3.D 4.C 5.A 6.D 7.C 8.D 9.C 10.D
78
CHÌA KHÓA SỐ 10: TÔI LÀ NGƯỜI HAY LO LẮNG, SỢ HÃI
1. break out in a cold sweat: to begin sweating because one is nervous or

frightened ~ toát mồ hôi lạnh
● I used to be terrified of driving, but now I can get behind the wheel
without breaking out in a cold sweat!
       
           
79
2. with bated breath: in an excited or anxious way ~ trống ngực đập thình
thịch, rất lo lắng
● I waited with bated breath as the results were read out.
3. afraid of one's own shadow: be afraid of his/her own shadow is easily

frightened ~ nhát cáy
● A person who is afraid of his/her own shadow is very nervous or easily
frightened.

4. make sb's blood run cold: if something makes your blood run cold, it
shocks or scares you a lot
● I heard a tapping on the window which made my blood run cold.

5. a bundle of nerves: someone who is extremely nervous and worried
● My son is doing his driving test today. Needless to say he's a bundle of
nerves!
       
  
6. can't stand the pace: cannot do something well or at all when under stress
or pressure ~ không chịu nổi áp lực
● Don't ask Robert to do that urgent report—he can't stand the
pace.
80
7. have butterflies (in your stomach): to feel very nervous

● I had terrible butterflies before I gave that talk in Venice.

8. on the edge of your seat: very excited, and giving all your attention to
something, because you want to know what is going to happen ~ đứng ngồi
không yên
● They were both playing amazing tennis. Everyone was on the edge of
their seats the entire time.
        
9. sb's heart is in sb’s mouth: if someone's heart is in their mouth, they are
feeling extremely nervous ~ tim như muốn nhảy ra khỏi lồng
ngực
● My heart was in my mouth when I opened the letter.



81
10. your heart skips/misses a beat: you feel very excited or nervous ~ trái
tim loạn nhịp
● Every time he looks at me my heart skips a beat.
11. frighten/scare sb out of their wits: to make someone very frightened

● Don't shout like that! You scared me out of my wits.
 
12. hold your breath: to wait for something specific to happen
● "I went for a second interview today - now I'm holding my breath!"  
Tuy nhiên, chúng ta thường bắt gặp cụm từ này ở dạng phủ định: not hold your
breath ~ đừng mong chờ gì nữa
● She said she might finish by this afternoon but don't hold your breath.
13. jump/leap out of your skin: used to say that someone is suddenly
surprised or frightened very much by something ~ giật bắn mình
● I didn't hear her come in, so I nearly jumped out of my skin when she
spoke to me.
82
14. be on pins and needles (=on tenterhooks): to be nervously waiting to find

out what is going to happen ~ như đứng đống lửa, như ngồi đống than; lo
sốt vó
● Scott was on pins and needles while he waited for the result of the
exam.
● The candidates were kept on tenterhooks for hours while the panel
deliberated.
15. scare the (living) daylights out of someone (= scare the hell out of
someone): to frighten someone very much ~ dọa sợ đến mức hồn siêu phách
lạc, tim nhảy ra ngoài lồng ngực
● The sudden screaming scared the daylights out of me.
● Don't sneak up on me like that—you scared the hell out of me!
16. quake in one’s boots/shoes: to tremble with fear ~ run lẩy bẩy
● My brother is so strong and scary-looking that people quake in their
boots when he threatens them.

83
17. shake like a leaf: to shake a lot, for example because you are cold,
nervous, or afraid ~ run như cầy sấy
● At the beginning of the interview the candidate was shaking like a leaf.

18. scared stiff: very afraid ~ sợ cứng đơ người
● She was scared stiff of flying.   
19. tongue-tied: if you get tongue-tied, you find it difficult to express

yourself, usually because you are nervous ~ cứng họng
● At the start of the interview I was completely tongue-tied!
20. scare (someone) straight: to shock or frighten someone so severely that

their bad behavior or actions become corrected or markedly improved ~ dọa
nạt ai với tính răn đe
● I had a really bad drug addiction in college, but seeing my friend die
from an overdose really scared me straight.
21. send shivers/chills down/up sb's spine (also send a chill down/up sb's
spine): to make someone feel very frightened ~ làm ai lạnh xương sống
● The way he looked at me sent shivers down my spine.
● His words sent a chill down her spine.
84
22. be at your wits' end: to be so worried, confused, or annoyed that you do

not know what to do next ~ đi đến đường cùng, bó tay, không biết làm thế
nào nữa
● I'm at my wits' end. I don't know how to help him. 
 
23. be scared to death: be very afraid ~ sợ muốn chết
● She was scared to death of flying.
24. scare/frighten (one) out of a year's growth: to give one a very serious
shock or fright. Hyperbolically alludes to frightening one so severely as to
shorten their lifespan ~ dọa ai khiến họ muốn đoản thọ, khiến họ sợ đến
mức giảm tuổi thọ
● Thank goodness that car swerved out of the way in time. That really
scared me out of a year's growth!  

25. have/get goosebumps (/ˈɡuːs.bʌmps/): nổi da gà (vì sợ, lo lắng, kinh

ngạc,...)
● I get goosebumps anytime I’m scared.
85
26. beat, bore, scare, etc. the pants off sb: to defeat, bore, frighten, etc.
someone completely
● The film “Nightmare on Elm Street” scared the pants off me.    
27. get/have your fingers burned: suffer as a result of an unsuccessful

action and are nervous about trying again ~ có tâm lý sợ hãi sau thất bại
● He got his fingers burnt so badly in the last elections that he decided
to withdraw from politics."

Một số thuật ngữ khác có liên quan:
28. pit of your stomach: the part of the body in which people say they feel
fear or nervousness ~ lõm thượng vị (phần giữa dạ dày), chỗ dễ bị ảnh
hưởng khi chúng ta cảm thấy căng thẳng, sợ hãi, …
● I got a sick feeling/a knot in the pit of my stomach when the news of
the attack was announced.
86
29. have nerves of steel: to be very brave ~ tinh thần thép, vô cùng can
đảm
● You need to have nerves of steel to be a fighter pilot.
● fighter pilot: phi công lái máy bay chiến đấu
30. have a yellow streak down one's back: to have a tendency to be cowardly
or easily frightened ~ nhát như cáy
● He knew what they were doing was wrong, but he has a yellow streak
down his back that kept him from intervening.
31. whist in the dark: to try to keep up one's confidence in spite of fear ~
huýt sáo trong bóng tối, giả vờ tỏ ra tự tin, can đảm, không sợ sệt
● I waited, trying not to feel as if I were whistling in the dark.
87
BÀI TẬP
Question 1: Please don't take my sister to a haunted house on

Halloween—she's afraid of her own ______.
A. voice B. sight C. shadow D. breath
Question 2: The screams coming from the old, dark house made my blood run
______.
A. hot B. quick C. cold D. slow
Question 3: I was a ______ of nerves before the driving test started.
A. barrel B. pack C. bundle D. host
Question 4: I wouldn't ask Robert to do a report if you need it urgently—he
can't stand the ______.
A. pace B. speed C. movement D. rate
Question 5: It's not going to win any awards, but the film certainly kept us on
the edge of our ______ from start to finish.
A. bench B. chair C. armchair D. seat
Question 6: I tried a dating agency once, but got my fingers badly ______ –
I’ll never do it again
A. injured B. smouldered C. fired D. burned
Question 7: Our hearts were in our _______ as we waited for them to
announce the winner.
A. hands B. thumbs C. mouths D. eyes
Question 8: Put on a sweater – you’re shaking like a ______!
A. page B. leaf C. sheet D. side
Question 9: We felt like we just couldn't control our teenager's behavior any
longer, so we sent him to a prison boot camp to scare him ______.
A. straight B. vertical C. upright D. level
Question 10: He was still on pins and needles waiting for his directors'
decision about the job.
A. face to face B. at loggerheads
C eye to eye D. on tenterhooks
ĐÁP ÁN:
1.C 2.C 3.C 4.A 5.D 6.D 7.C 8.B 9.A 10.D
88
CHÌA KHÓA SỐ 11: TÔI LÀ NGƯỜI HAY NÓI DỐI
1. white lie: a lie that is told in order to be polite or to stop someone from
being upset by the truth ~ lời nói dối ngọt ngào, nói dối vô hại, tránh làm
người khác buồn bã
● He told a (little) white lie as his excuse for missing the party.
89
2. lie through your teeth: to tell someone something that you know is
completely false
● He asked me how old I was and, lying through my teeth, I said "29".
3. a tissue of lies (=be a pack of lies): a story that is just a series of lies ~
một loạt các lời nói dối
● The article was nothing but a tissue of lies.
● The whole report is a pack of lies.
4. lie your way into/out of something: get yourself into/out of a situation by

telling lies
● I lied my way into the concert by claiming to be a journalist.
● You can’t lie your way out of it this time, I’m afraid.
5. a lie has no legs: a lie has nothing to support it ~ lời nói dối không có
chân nên không thể biện hộ, dễ nhận ra
● A: "I'm really worried that this rumor about me is going to reach the
whole school."
B: "No way—a lie has no legs, so the truth will definitely prevail. 
90
6. take sb to the cleaner's:

- to get a lot of money from someone, usually by cheating them
● Paul was really taken to the cleaner's on that deal.
- to defeat someone by a very large amount
● In the second half, United were really taken to the cleaner's, and they
finally lost the match 6–1.
7. pull the wool over sb's eyes: to deceive someone in order to prevent them
from discovering something ~ vải thưa che mắt thánh
● He tried pulling the wool over our eyes by hiding the profits in separate
accounts, but we were quick to catch onto his scheme.
8. smoke and mirrors: something is intended to make you believe that

something is being done or is true, when it is not
● The new budget isn't smoke and mirrors; it's an honest attempt to
reduce the deficit.
9. stretch the truth (=bend the truth): to say something that is not exactly
true, to describe something as larger or greater than it really is ~ xuyên tạc,
làm méo mó sự thật, bóp méo sự thật
- SYN: to embellish (v)
● He was stretching the truth to make the story more interesting
91
10. pull someone’s leg: to try as a joke to make someone believe something
which is not true ~ giễu cợt ai
● You haven’t really got a black mark on your face – he’s only pulling your
leg.
11. lie like a rug (=lie like a tombstone): to tell lies shamelessly ~ nói dối
không biết ngượng mồm
● My brother always lies like a rug to get out of trouble with our parents.
● My sister lies like a tombstone about her performance at school.

Danh từ: barefaced liar ~ người nói dối không biết xấu hổ
12. take sb for a ride: to deceive or cheat someone

● That get-rich-quick company took tens of thousands of people for a
ride, lining his own pockets with their investments.

13. sharp practice: a way of behaving, in business, that is dishonest but not
illegal ~ thủ đoạn bất lương
● The building industry brought in rules to protect customers from sharp
practice.
92
14. pull a fast one on sb: to successfully deceive someone

● You paid too much - I think he pulled a fast one on you.
15. a fish tale: a big lie

● I'm sure Grandpa is just telling you a fish tale—there's no way all of
that's true!
16. rip sb off: to cheat someone by making them pay too much money for
something
● Bob's tickets cost much less than ours - I think we've been ripped off.
17. pull (one's) chain: to deceive someone in a friendly or playful way ~ lừa
ai, nhưng với mục đích đùa cợt, vui vẻ
● I thought he really won the lottery but he was only pulling my chain. 
93
18. throw dust in (one's) eyes: to mislead or deceive someone

● She threw dust in the eyes of the jeweller by pretending to be a
well-to-do lady, and then stole the necklace.
19. cry wolf: to raise a false alarm, to ask for assistance when you don't need
it ~ giả vờ kêu cứu
● If you cry wolf too often, people will stop believing you.
20. blow smoke: to speak in a way that is intended to make someone confused
or prevent them from getting an accurate idea of a situation ~ tung hoả mù
● I think they're blowing smoke about giving regular raises to their
employees—I couldn't find any evidence to support that claim.
94
21. full of hot air: full of lies, exaggerations, or nonsense

● Oh, you can't believe a word that guy says—he's full of hot air.
22. take something with a grain/pinch of salt: to understand that something

is likely to be untrue or incorrect ~ xem xét cái gì với một sự hoài nghi,
không đặt lòng tin tuyệt đối
● I’ve seen the article, which I take with a grain of salt.
23. monkey business: behaviour that is not acceptable or is dishonest ~ hành

động xấu
● The teacher suspected that there had been some monkey business going
on while she was out of the room.
95
24. be in cahoots (with somebody) (/kəˈhuːts/): to work closely with

someone usually to do something deceitful or dishonest ~ đồng lõa với ai
● After the investigation, it was clear the mayor was in cahoots with the
thieves.
25. live a lie: to live in a way that is dishonest because you are pretending to
be something that you are not ~ sống giả trân
● She doesn't know you're married? You have to stop living a lie and tell
her.
26. nothing could be further from the truth: used to say that what has been
suggested is completely untrue ~ hoàn toàn không đúng
● People say we're splitting up, but nothing could be further from the
truth.
96
27. economical with the truth (humorous): avoiding stating the true facts
about a situation ~ tiết kiệm sự thật (mang tính hài hước)
● When I walked into a house full of teenagers, I knew that my kids had
been economical with the truth when they said they'd only invite a few
friends over.
28. lead sb on: to persuade someone to believe something that is untrue ~

dắt mũi ai
● All that time she'd been leading him on (= pretending she liked him), but
she was only interested in his money.
29. fib (v,n): to tell a small lie that does not cause any harm (v); a small lie
that does not cause any harm (n) ~ lời nói dối vô hại
● I can tell he's fibbing because he's smiling!
● Don't believe him - he's telling fibs again.
30. string sb along: to deceive someone for a long time about what you are
really intending to do ~ lừa phỉnh ai
● She's been promising to pay back the money for six months, but I think
she's just stringing me along.
97
31. snake in the grass: a deceitful or treacherous person ~ con người nham
hiểm
● Did you hear that Daria's best friend stole money from her bank
account? What a snake in the grass.
Các thuật ngữ khác:
32. as far as in me lies: as well or as much as I can ~ trong khả năng của ai
đó
● My boss appreciates that I always do my job as far as in me lies.
33. give the lie to something: to show that something is not at all true
● These figures give the lie to the notion that people are spending less.
98
  BÀI TẬP
Question 1: Stop lying through your ______ —we have evidence that you were
here the night of the crime.
A. face B. skin C. teeth D. hair
Question 2: The whole report was nothing but a ______ of lies.
A. flesh B. nerve C. tissue D. muscle
Question 3: Stop trying to pull the ______ over my eyes! What were you two
fighting about just now ?
A. wool B. weight C. fur D. veil
Question 4: Everyone ______ the truth about their skills and experiences
when they apply for new jobs.
A. sweeps B. bounces C. leans D. stretches
Question 5: It turns out that the supposed alien visitors people had been
seeing were just a bunch of teenagers pulling a ______ one on the town.
A. quick B. fast C. speedy D. steady
Question 6: I love pulling my sister's ______ —it's almost too easy to fool
her.
A. weight B. jewel C. chain D. necklace
Question 7: My little brother has no aspirations of going to college—he'd
much rather ______ smoke with his friends all day.
A. gust B. throw C. gale D. blow
Question 8: If you keep up this ______ business, you're going to have
detention next week, too!
A. monkey B. mouse C. cat D. sharp
Question 9: I discovered that my boss had been ______ with the truth when
she said that the company was making money.
A. frugal B. thrifty C. sparing D. economical
Question 10: You have to take what he says with __________.
A. a pinch of salt B. a crumb of bread
C. a handful of rice D. a slice of cheese
ĐÁP ÁN:
1.C 2.C 3.A 4.D 5.B 6.C 7.D 8.A 9.D 10.A
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CHÌA KHÓA SỐ 12: TÔI LÀ NGƯỜI THÀNH THẬT

1. have a/the ring of truth: to seem to be true
● This story has the ring of truth. 
2. spill the beans: to tell people secret information

● So who spilled the beans about her affair with David?
100
3. honesty is the best policy: said to advise someone that it is better to tell
the truth than to lie ~ trung thực là thượng sách
● Honesty is the best policy. Just tell them what you really think.
4. come clean about sth: to tell the truth about something that you have
been keeping secret~ thú thực điều gì
● I thought it was time to come clean (with everybody) about what I'd
been doing.
5. in all honesty/seriousness/truthfulness: said when expressing your opinion

honestly, seriously, or truthfully
● In all honesty, I do have some criticisms to make.
6. in (all) fairness: used for making your criticism of someone or something

seem less strong ~ nói công bằng ra thì …
● I should say in fairness to him that he’s quite a shrewd politician.
7. above board: if a plan or business agreement is above board, it is honest

and not trying to deceive anyone ~ trung thực
● The deal was completely open and above board.
101
8. if truth be known/told: to be honest ~ nói thật thì ...

● If truth be told, I’ve never really liked David’s wife.
9. the naked truth: the complete truth ~ sự thật trần trụi, toàn bộ sự
thật về cái gì
● Tell me everything. I want the naked truth.
10. kernel/grain of truth (/ˈkɝː.nəl/): a very small part of something that is

true
● There is often a kernel of truth in what they say.
11. unvarnished truth (/ʌnˈvɑːr.nɪʃt/): sự thật thẳng thắn, không tô vẽ

● You don't expect a politician to tell you the unvarnished truth.
12. truth will out (also the truth will out): cây kim trong bọc có ngày cũng
lòi ra
● It's just not worth circumventing the law to save a little bit of money on
your taxes, because the truth will out in the end.
13. home truth: a true but unpleasant fact about yourself that another
person tells you ~ sự thật mất lòng
● He decided it was time to tell her a few home truths.
14. make no secret of something: to make no attempt to hide your feelings

about something ~ thoải mái bộc lộ cảm xúc
● He’s made no secret of the fact that he’d like to manage the club.
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15. truth is stranger than fiction: real events or things are sometimes
stranger than imaginary ones ~ sự thật nhiều khi còn lạ lùng hơn tiểu thuyết
hư cấu, thật như đùa
● A piece of metal that had embedded itself in the patient's abdomen
from the accident actually deflected the bullet away from any vital
organs. I tell you, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.
16. wear your heart on your sleeve: to make your feelings and emotions
obvious rather than hiding them ~ thổ lộ cảm xúc thay vì giấu diếm nó
● My father was raised to be a tough guy so he could never wear his heart
on his sleeve.
17. be an open book: if someone is an open book, it is easy to know what they
are thinking and feeling ~ người dễ đoán, dễ hiểu
● Maya Angelou is a well-known African American writer. Her life has been
an open book.
103
18. there is truth in wine: one who is intoxicated is more apt to speak
honestly ~ người say rượu dễ để lộ sự thật
● Make sure that Mark's cup is never empty tonight—I need to find out
why he's getting divorced, and there is truth in wine.
19. there's a grain of truth in every joke: something that one jokes about
may come from something that they truly believe ~ cũng có sự thật ẩn trong
lời đùa
● I know she said she was joking about being depressed, but I'm
concerned—there's a grain of truth in every joke.
20. put/lay your cards on the table: to be honest about your feelings and
intentions ~ thành thật với cảm xúc của mình
● I thought it was time I laid my cards on the table, so I told him that I
had no intention of marrying him.

21. the moment of truth: the moment or point at which some critical and
decisive event, action, or test will occur ~ thời khắc quyết định, thời khắc
của sự thật
● It's the moment of truth—this letter will tell me whether I got into my
dream school or not.
22. tell the truth and shame the devil: tell the truth, even when it would be
to our benefit or advantage to tell a lie ~ cần nói thật, mặc dù sẽ có ích hơn
nếu nói dối
● A: "But you could go to jail if you tell the police what happened!"
B: "Maybe. But I was raised to tell the truth and shame the devil."
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BÀI TẬP
Question 1: Everything he says has the ______ of truth, so it's hard to tell
when he's lying.
A. circle B. round C. band D. ring
Question 2: The class managed to keep the party a secret until Lorraine,
unable to control herself any longer, spilled the ______.
A. grains B. kernels C. beans D. seeds
Question 3: He realized honesty is the best ______ and told them what really
happened to their car.
A. scheme B. theory C. policy D. protocol
Question 4: I know I said I wanted to go out to the bars tonight, but if truth
______ told, I'd rather just stay home and watch a movie.
A. be B. to be C. has been D. had been
Question 5: The book reveals the ______ truth about their marriage.
A. bare B. naked C. raw D. unclothed
Question 6: There wasn't a ______ of truth in what he said.
A. ray B. lump C. grain D.pinch
Question 7: I expected that big company to try to take advantage of us, but
so far all of their dealings with us have been ______ board.
A. above B. over C. beyond D. past
Question 8: You'll never be a good card player if you wear your heart on your
______. Other players can tell if your cards are good or not by watching your
reactions when you get them.
A. table B. collar C. face D. sleeve
Question 9: Did you see that story about the gorilla making a pet of a mouse?
Truth really is stranger than ______.
A. novel B. fiction C. narrative D. tale
Question 10: When training a new employee, I __________ my expectations,
so that they're not surprised by anything down the road.
A. make a clean sweep of B. make a splash with
C. make no bones about D. make a fuss over
ĐÁP ÁN:
1.D 2.C 3.C 4.A 5.B 6.C 7.A 8.D 9.B 10.C
105
CHÌA KHÓA SỐ 13: BẠN BÈ LÀ NHỮNG MẢNH GHÉP KHÔNG THỂ THIẾU
1. hit it off: to find yourself immediately friendly with someone ~ tâm đầu ý
hợp với ai
● We had similar ideas about the show, and the two of us hit it off right
away.
2. have friends in high places: to know important people who can help you get
what you want ~ quen biết người có chức có quyền
● Ethan always brags about having friends in high places.
106
3. strike up a friendship/conversation: to start a relationship or

conversation with someone ~ kết bạn, bắt chuyện với ai
● He gets really jealous if his girlfriend strikes up a friendship with
another man.
4. bosom friend (/ˌbʊz.əm ˈfrend/): a friend that you like a lot and have a
very close relationship with ~ bạn bè chí cốt
● A bosom friend is someone you can be very close with and confide
everything in.
5. to be as thick as thieves: to be very close or friendly with each other ~

thân như trộm, luôn bên cạnh nhau, cùng nhau phá phách, nghịch ngợm
● I'm sure she tells Ruth everything we say - they're as thick as thieves,
those two.
6. through thick and thin: even if there are problems or difficulties ~ cho dù
khó khăn, thử thách như thế nào
● She has stuck with me through thick and thin.
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7. fair-weather friend: someone is a friend, but only when things are going
well for you ~ bạn bè vụ lợi, đểu
● I realized Priscilla is just a fair-weather friend. She’s not there for me
when I need her.
8. clear the air: to remove the bad feelings between people ~ giải quyết
hiểu lầm giữa ai với ai
● I had a massive argument with Sue, but at least it has cleared the air.
9. speak/talk the same language: to have similar ideas and similar ways of
expressing them ~ có chung suy nghĩ, ý tưởng, cách bộc lộ, thể hiện,...
● We come from similar backgrounds, so we speak the same language.
10. bury the hatchet /ˈber.i/: to stop an argument and become friends again
~ làm lành với ai
- SYN: make up with sb
● Can't you two just bury the hatchet ?
11. know (someone or something) inside out: to know something or somebody

thoroughly ~ hiểu rõ về ai, cái gì
● I just think you should know a person inside out before you decide to
marry them.
108
12. be on the same wavelength: (of two or more people) to think in a similar
way and to understand each other well ~ có suy nghĩ giống nhau
● On the subject of marriage, Judith and I are on the same wavelength.
13. get along/on famously/swimmingly: to have a very friendly relationship

with someone ~ rất thân với ai
● My mother and my mother-in-law are getting on famously.
● I was nervous introducing my boyfriend to my dad, but the two are
getting along swimmingly.
14. a friend in need is a friend indeed: a friend who helps you when you
really need help is a true friend ~ người giúp đỡ mình lúc khó khăn mới là
bạn thực sự
● As I always say, a friend in need is a friend indeed, and Paul is
certainly a true friend.
15. get on like a house on fire: to get on well with someone ~ có mối quan
hệ tốt với ai
● I was worried that they wouldn't like each other but in fact they're
getting on like a house on fire.
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16. build bridges: to improve relationships between people who are very
different or do not like each other ~ nối cầu, gắn kết ai với ai
● A local charity is working to build bridges between different ethnic
groups in the area.
17. a shoulder to cry on: someone who is willing to listen to your problems
and give you sympathy, emotional support, and encouragement ~ một cái vai để
tựa vào, để khóc nức nở
● I wish you'd been here when my mother died and I needed a shoulder to
cry on.
18. birds of a feather flock together: people who have the same interests,
outlook, tastes in things generally are found in each other's company ~ ngưu
tầm ngưu, mã tầm mã
● I knew you and John would get along well, seeing as you both enjoy
science fiction so much. Birds of a feather flock together.
110
 BÀI TẬP
Question 1: They ended up in the same case study group and _______
immediately.
A. make it off B. hit it off C. take it off D. carry it off
Question 2: It can be difficult to ______ up a conversation with a complete
stranger.
A. establish B. form C. develop D. strike
Question 3: She must have friends in high _______ because she is definitely
unqualified for that job.
A. places B. rooms C. spaces D. seats
Question 4: I thought Allison and I had a strong friendship, but I learned she
was just another _______ friend when she stopped talking to me after my
divorce.
A. fair-weather B. weather-beaten
C. weather-cast D. weathervane
Question 5: Our company has survived through ___________, and we'll be
able to get through this ordeal as well.
A. odds and ends B. high and dry
C. huff and puff D. thick and thin
Question 6: Anna and Beth are together all the time these days—they're as
thick as ______.
A. burglars B. thieves C. swindlers D. criminals
Question 7: Can you please bury the _______ and make up with your sister
already? I can't take the constant fighting.
A. dagger B. knife C. hatchet D. axe
Question 8: In an attempt to clear the ______, Mills has planned a meeting
with employees to discuss the issue.
A. dust B. ice C. room D. air
Question 9: My grandparents have been married for over 50 years and they
still get along ______!
A. runningly B. jumpingly C. walkingly D. swimmingly
Question 10: I'm glad you finally got to meet my brother—I knew you two
would get on like a house on ______.
A. ice B. mountain C. fire D. hill
ĐÁP ÁN: 1.B 2.D 3.A 4.A 5.D 6.B 7.C 8.D 9.D 10.C
111
CHÌA KHÓA SỐ 14: ĐÁM CƯỚI LÀ KẾT QUẢ CỦA MỐI TÌNH ĐẸP
1. pop the question: to ask someone to marry you ~ cầu hôn ai

● He put a ladder up to her office window to pop the question as she sat
at her desk.
112
2. ask for someone’s hand: to request permission to marry one, as from their
father or family ~ xin sự cho phép của phụ huynh để cưới ai
● Please tell me that you asked my father for my hand before you
proposed to me.
3. get down on one knee: quỳ gối xuống đất để cầu hôn ai
● “I would kill my boyfriend if he got down on one knee at a crowded
sporting event. That would be so embarrassing!”
4. get hitched: to get married ~ cưới

● “It’s been about six months since we’ve gotten hitched, and I can
honestly say I have no regrets.”
5. take the plunge: to make a decision to do something, especially after

thinking about it for a long time (oftentimes, this is marriage) ~ quyết định
một điều gì đó (thường là đám cưới)
● Getting married isn’t a decision to be taken lightly. You shouldn’t take
the plunge unless you’re absolutely certain this is what you want.
6. go/walk down the aisle: to get married ~ đi trên thảm hoa ~ cưới
● “At 25, I couldn’t imagine ever walking down the aisle, but at age 35 I
was married with three kids. Life’s funny like that.”
113
7. tie the knot: to get married ~ buộc chặt nút thắt, cưới
● “Call me old-fashioned, but I believe you shouldn’t live with your partner
until you’ve tied the knot.”
8. settle down: begin to live a quiet and steady life by getting a regular job,
getting married, etc. ~ ổn định cuộc sống
● I’m not ready to settle down. I’m comfortable waiting until my forties to
get married, or at least my late thirties.
9. get cold feet: to suddenly become too frightened to do something you had
planned to do, especially something important such as getting married ~ cảm
thấy có chút chột dạ, có ý định thôi làm việc gì (cưới xin,...)
● Neither of us had cold feet on our wedding day. It was such a happy
celebration of our love, and surprisingly stress free.
10. leave someone at the altar: decide not to get married at the last minute,
usually on the same day as the wedding ~ bỏ mặc ai lại ở lễ đường
● I'm very hesitant to even consider marriage again after having been left
at the altar.
114
11. sham marriage: a fake marriage that exists only so that one or both
people can gain some (often legal) benefit ~ đám cưới giả tạo
● If your parents find out your marriage is a sham, you’ll be in big trouble.
12. marriage of convenience: a marriage that is arranged for practical,

financial, or political reasons ~ hôn nhân sắp đặt, giả dối
● It was a marriage of convenience, to get the woman into England.
13. a shotgun wedding: a marriage that is arranged very quickly and suddenly
because the woman is pregnant ~ đám cưới chạy bầu, bác sĩ bảo cưới
● Just because my wife was pregnant when we said our vows doesn’t mean
that it was a shotgun wedding. We had planned on tying the knot anyway.
14. Mrs./Mr. Right: the ideal husband or wife for someone ~ ý trung nhân,
người tâm đầu ý hợp
● If you spend your entire life looking for Mrs. Right, you’ll probably never
get married. The perfect partner doesn’t exist.
15. (one's) better half: one's spouse or romantic partner ~ nửa kia
● Will your better half be joining us for dinner, or should I just arrange an
extra place at the table?
- SYN: other half: nửa kia (chồng, vợ)
115
16. marry sb off: to find a husband or wife for someone, often with the goal
of no longer having to provide for that child financially ~ gả cưới, đính ước
con cho ai
● She was married off to the local doctor by the age of 16.
17. give sb away: to walk a bride down the aisle on her wedding day and
ceremonially hand her over to the groom ~ dẫn (cô dâu) tới lễ đường đến
trước mặt chú rể
● Giving your daughter away will be a very emotional moment.
18. silver (wedding) anniversary: the date exactly 25 years after the date of
a marriage ~ kỷ niệm 25 năm ngày cưới
● My sister rented out a banquet hall for my parents’ silver anniversary.
We’re going to have a huge celebration.
19. golden (wedding) anniversary: the day exactly 50 years after a marriage,
often celebrated with a party ~ kỷ niệm 50 năm ngày cưới
● Since we married so young, my husband and I celebrated our golden
anniversary before we turned 70.
20. settle down: to start living in a place where you intend to stay for a long
time, usually with your partner ~ ổn định cuộc sống
● Eventually I'd like to settle down and have a family, but not yet.
116
Short stories about marriage
1. I was doing my morning stretches and bent to touch my toes. My husband

walked in and said, "Don't bend to me. Just say, 'Good morning, my
King!'"
2. I picked up my husband at a friend's on my way home. He'd just come

back from a 3-day fishing trip, unshaved and in dirty clothes. At the gas
station, he went to get a coffee. Several men said to him that he was too
young to be homeless. I approached them, looked at my husband from top
to bottom, and said, "You're a nice guy. Drive?" He nodded. "Wanna live
with me?" He nodded again, trying not to laugh. "Let's go then. Here are
the keys!"
3. My husband has a special notebook where he writes down some phrases I

say. He even makes me sign them so that the next time I claim I never
said it, he can show me my own signed words. :-)
4. Two families lived nearby. One family had constant quarrels and the
other one lived quietly and friendly. One day, feeling jealous about nice
atmosphere flourished in the neighbouring family, wife told her husband:
– Go to the neighbours and look what they are doing for such well-being.
The husband came, hid and started watching. He saw a woman who was
wiping the floor in the room. Suddenly something distracted her, and she
ran to the kitchen. At that time her husband rushed into the room. He
did not notice the bucket of water, occasionally kicked it, so the water
overflowed. Then his wife came back from the kitchen and said him:
– I’m sorry, honey, it’s my fault because I did not remove the bucket
from the pass.
– No, I ‘m sorry, honey, it’s my fault, because I did not notice it.
The man returned home, where the wife asked him:
– Did you understand the reason for their well-being?
– I guess that I did. You see, we always seek to be right, while each of
them takes the blame on himself.
117
CHÌA KHÓA SỐ 15: TÔI LÀ CHUYÊN GIA SỨC KHỎE
1. alive and well/kicking (= safe and sound): to continue to live or exist and
be full of energy ~ còn sống an toàn, bình an vô sự
● She said she'd seen him last week and he was alive and kicking.
● Three days later, the hikers were found safe and sound.
Ngoài ra, "alive and well/kicking" có nghĩa là "to continue to be popular or

successful” ~ "vẫn tiếp tục thành công, phổ biến"
● Despite rumours to the contrary, feminism is alive and well.
2. be (as) right as rain: to feel healthy or well again ~ khỏe mạnh trở lại
● You just need a good night's sleep, and then you'll be right as rain again.
118
3. an apple a day keeps the doctor away: eating healthy foods will keep one
from getting sick ~ ăn uống điều độ thì giúp sức khỏe ổn định
● Have an apple for a snack, instead of those chips. An apple a day keeps
the doctor away, after all.
4. be back on your feet: to be healthy again after a period of illness ~ hồi

phục sức khỏe trở lại
● My mother is back on her feet after being sick for two weeks.
5. be on the mend: to be getting better after an illness or injury ~ hồi phục

trở lại
● She's been ill with the flu but she's on the mend now.
6. catch one’s death (of cold): to get a very bad cold ~ bị cảm lạnh nặng
● If you go out in that rain without a coat, you’ll catch your death (of
cold).
7. go viral: begin to spread rapidly on the Internet ~ trở thành hiện tượng
lan rộng
● My friend’s satirical song about the Supreme Court decision has started
to go viral.
119
8. be at death's door: to be very sick, very near death ~ ở ngưỡng cửa tử

thần, sắp chết
● The sales manager was at death’s door after his heart attack.
9. black and blue: bruised, showing signs of having been physically harmed ~
thâm tím, bầm dập
● My arm was black-and-blue after falling down the stairs.
10. a bitter pill (to swallow): something that is very unpleasant but must be
accepted ~ thuốc đắng, nhưng bắt buộc phải uống
● Losing to a younger player was a bitter pill to swallow.
11. charley horse /ˈtʃɑːr.li ˌhɔːrs/: a cramp (= a sudden painful tightening of

a muscle) in your arm or leg ~ chuột rút
● The swimmer got a charley horse while he was swimming.
12. a clean bill of health: a decision by a doctor that someone is healthy ~ không có
vấn đề gì về sức khỏe
● He's been given a clean bill of health by the doctor.
120
13. as pale as a ghost (= as pale as death): exceptionally pale, as due to

nausea or fear ~ xanh như tàu lá chuối, mặt bệch như gặp ma
● My grandfather was as pale as a ghost when he entered the hospital.
14. go under the knife: to have a medical operation ~ có cuộc phẫu thuật
● More and more women are choosing to go under the knife to improve
their appearance.
15. just what the doctor ordered: exactly what is wanted or needed ~ chuẩn
cơm mẹ nấu, đúng thứ cần thiết
● Thanks, a strong cup of coffee in the morning is just what the doctor
ordered.
16. sick (and tired) of someone/something: extremely annoyed by something

that occurs repeatedly ~ chán ngấy cái gì đến tận cổ
● I’m sick and tired of the way Neil always tries to get other people to do
his work.
17. work/do wonders for (health,etc.): to have a very good effect on sth
● Doctors have discovered that keeping a pet can do wonders for your
health.
121
18. laughter is the best medicine: laughing a lot is a very effective means of
recovering from physical or mental injury ~ một nụ cười bằng mười thang
thuốc bổ
● I think the best thing for you right now would be to spend some time
with people you can joke around with. Laughter is the best medicine,
after all.
19. take your medicine: to accept or deal with an unpleasant situation without
complaining ~ tự bản thân giải quyết vấn đề khó khăn mà không than phiền
● Though he didn't agree with the two-game suspension, he took his
medicine and didn't gripe about it to the media.
20. sick as a dog: vomiting a lot, extremely ill ~ nôn thốc nôn tháo, ốm yếu
● I was sick as a dog after last night's meal.
21. foot-in-mouth disease: habit of unintentionally saying foolish, tactless,

or offensive things ~ nói không suy nghĩ kỹ
● Oh man, do I have foot-in-mouth-disease—I just congratulated Sarah's
sister on being pregnant. She isn't.
122
22. as fit as a fiddle: to be very healthy and strong ~ khỏe như vâm
● My grandfather is ninety years old but he is as fit as a fiddle.
23. give sb a dose/taste of their own medicine: to treat someone as badly

as they have treated you ~ cho ai nếm mùi những điều họ đã gây ra
● This team likes to play rough, so let’s go out there and give them a taste
of their own medicine!
24. be as fresh as a daisy: to be full of energy and enthusiasm

● After a good night's sleep I'll be as fresh as a daisy.
25. a pain (in the neck): someone or something that is very annoying ~ thứ
khó chịu
● That child is a real pain in the neck.
26. be the picture of health, innocence, etc.: to look very healthy, innocent, etc.
● I can't believe there's anything seriously wrong with him - he's the picture of
health.
123
27. you are what you eat: used to say that you will be healthy if the food
you eat is healthy ~ bạn ăn sao thì bạn sẽ trông như vậy
● Thịnh: I'm feeling more energetic now that I've started eating more
salad.”
Suy: “You are what you eat!”
28. do sb a/the world of good: to make someone feel much healthier or

happier
● We had a week away in the sun and it's done us both the world of good.
29. a shot in the arm: something that gives a person or an organisation

renewed energy or enthusiasm ~ một liều thuốc bổ
● After a long week like this, I need a shot in the arm—want to meet me
at the bar?
30. a new lease of/on life: an occasion when you become more energetic and
active than before ~ một cơ hội mới để sống khỏe mạnh, năng động
● His grandchildren have given him a new lease on life.
124
31. stand/stick out like a sore thumb: be noticeable because they are
different from everyone or everything else ~ quá nổi bật do khác với đa số
● Everyone else was in jeans and T-shirts and I had my office clothes on -
I stuck out like a sore thumb.
32. teething problems: problems during the early stages of something ~ vấn
đề ngay từ khi mới sản xuất, tạo ra
● Teething problems with a new operations system adversely affected the
retailer's performance.
33. weak at the knees: so nervous or powerfully affected that it is difficult

to stand ~ bủn rủn chân tay vì sợ hoặc lo lắng, xúc động
● The thought of kissing him made me go weak at the knees.
34. verbal diarrhoea /ˌvɝː.bəl daɪ.əˈriː.ə/ (humorous): if someone has verbal

diarrhoea, they can't stop talking ~ nói không ngừng
● I think she’s got verbal diarrhoea because she's afraid of silence and
has to keep talking to block it out.
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BÀI TẬP
Question 1: I did have surgery a few months ago, but I'm as fit as a ______
now.
A. monkey B. fiddle C. daisy D. tool
Question 2: After getting some sleep, I was as fresh as a ______.
A. broccoli B. cucumber C. daisy D. cabbage
Question 3: Getting a poor performance review was a bitter ______ to
swallow, but it made me a better worker.
A. pill B. tablet C. capsule D. dose
Question 4: My dad is ______ under the knife on Thursday to try and clear
the blockage in his heart.
A. coming B. going C. lying D. resting
Question 5: Their amazing video of the project has now gone ______ with
millions of views
A. viral B. virus C. virent D. virulent
Question 6: A short nap is just what the ______ ordered. You'll feel
refreshed in no time.
A. engineer B. doctor C. professor D. dentist
Question 7: Despite a few ______ problems, the car has been a great
success.
A. legging B. teething C. mouthing D. hearting
Question 8: Unfortunately the cover will need to be redesigned. The error in
the image sticks out like a sore ______.
A. finger B. foot C. thumb D. toe
Question 9: Bill is always excluding me from things, so I'm going to
__________ and not invite him to my party.
A. give him a dose of his own medicine B. set him straight
C. take the wind out of his sails D. put him in the shade
Question 10: The chief's unexpected praise really gave my floundering
project __________.
A. a shot in the neck B. a pain in the arm
C. a shot in the arm D. a pain in the neck
ĐÁP ÁN:
1.B 2.C 3.A 4.B 5.A 6.B 7.B 8.C 9.A 10.C
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CHÌA KHÓA SỐ 16: TÔI LÀ NGƯỜI THÍCH ĐI DU LỊCH
1. float one's boat: to be what someone likes ~ là thứ ai đó thích

● I don’t really want to go to Europe, but whatever floats your boat.
2. right up one's street/alley /ˈæl.i/: be ideally suited to one's interests ~

là thứ ai đó rất thích thú
● Anna loves watching movies, so I'm sure she'll go to the film festival
with you—that's right up her alley.
3. just the ticket: exactly what is needed or wanted ~ đúng thứ đang cần
● That ham and cheese sandwich was just the ticket for lunch.
- SYN: just what the doctor ordered (đã học ở chìa khóa trước)
127
4. jump ship: to leave an organization that you are working for, especially in
order to join another ~ rời bỏ tổ chức hiện tại (có thể là để tham gia tổ
chức khác)
● I can't believe he resigned and jumped ship before bringing about the
big changes he promised.
5. train of thought: a series of thoughts or ideas that someone is having ~

trường suy nghĩ, mạch suy nghĩ
● I was making great progress until Mary came into my room and then I
lost my train of thought.
6. step/move up a gear: to work on something more effectively or with more

energy than previously ~ làm việc hiệu quả hơn
● After a disappointing first half, United moved up a gear and took
control of the game.
7. be running on fumes: to continue to do something even though one is

extremely tired or lacking energy/enthusiasm ~ tiếp tục làm gì cho dù đã
mệt mỏi, không còn sức nữa
● I've been painting the house for four hours every night after work, and I
am seriously running on fumes at this point.
8. a mile a minute: very fast

● I can't keep up with Keith. He walks a mile a minute.
128
9. bad news travels fast: bad news travels fast because people like to talk
about these sorts of things
● "How does everyone know that I got in trouble at school?"
"Bad news travels fast, I guess"
10. travel light: to travel with very little luggage or baggage

● I always try to travel light because I hate having to check in my luggage
at the airport.
11. cover one’s tracks: to hide or destroy the things that show where you
have been or what you have been doing ~ xóa bỏ dấu vết
● We need to be careful to cover our tracks because I don’t want mom
finding out that we came up here.
12. lose track of someone/something: to no longer know what is happening, or

not to remember something
● I've lost track of the number of times he's asked me to lend him money.
13. on track: making progress and likely to succeed ~ đang trên đà

● They're on track to make record profits.
129
14. have a one-track mind: to think about one particular thing and nothing
else ~ đầu óc chỉ nghĩ đến 1 vấn đề duy nhất
● Fred has a one-track mind. All he ever talks about is sports.
15. red-eye flight: a plane journey during the night, usually one that is over a
long distance
● George caught a red-eye flight from California to New York.
16. fly under the radar: to do something without being noticed

● Mark is a quiet person. He likes to fly under the radar and hope that
nobody notices him.
17. be in the driver's seat: to be in control of a situation

● The company seems to be doing better ever since Jeff has been in the
driver’s seat.
18. hit the road/trail: to start your trip, journey

● Well, I guess we should hit the road if we want to get there before
noon.
19. put the brakes on something/someone: to slow down or to stop some

progress ~ kìm hãm sự phát triển của cái gì
● Raising taxes now would put the brakes on economic recovery.
20. rocky road: a difficult period of time

● Jack has been going down a rocky road ever since his move to LA.
130
21. go off the rails: to start behaving in a way that is not generally
acceptable ~ bắt đầu đi vào vết xe đổ
● I don’t know what happened to him. He went off the rails in his first
year at university.
22. jump/climb/get on the bandwagon: to start to follow something after it

has become popular ~ bắt đầu a dua theo
● A few years ago, no one liked the Patriots. Now that they are winning, it
seems like everyone is jumping on the bandwagon.
23. a country mile (humorous): a long distance

● After the car ran out of gas, we had to walk a country mile to the
nearest gas station.
24. cool your jets: to calm oneself down

● You need to take a moment and cool your jets. You aren’t thinking
rationally right now.
25. full steam ahead: with all your energy and enthusiasm ~ hết công suất
● Now that problem is out of the way, it's full steam ahead to get the job
finished.
131
26. backseat driver: a passenger who tries to tell the driver how to drive. (it
can also refer to someone who always likes to take control of a situation) ~
người ngồi ghế sau
● Don’t be a backseat driver. I know how to drive.
27. the jet set: rich, fashionable people who travel around the world enjoying
themselves
● His dream to join the jet-set came true after he was able to retire
early.
28. fall off the wagon: to start drinking alcohol, after a period when you
have drunk none ~ quay lại thói rượu chè, sau 1 khoảng thời gian bỏ
● When her husband died, she fell off the wagon.
29. miss the boat/bus: to miss out on something ~ bỏ lỡ cái gì

● You need to act fast or else you will miss the boat.
30. have itchy feet: used to describe a person who has the desire to travel
● Every time I go to the airport it gives me itchy feet to go somewhere
new.
132
31. be smooth sailing (= be plain sailing): to be easy and without problems

● Once we got out of rush-hour traffic, it was smooth sailing the rest of
the way home.
32. Sunday driver: an extremely slow driver who is driving slow to enjoy the
view
● Sorry I am late. I got stuck behind some Sunday driver who didn’t want
to let anyone pass.
33. throw sb under the bus: to do something harmful to someone else in

order to gain an advantage for yourself
● I'm not going to throw my friend under the bus for something he did
25 years ago.
133
34. rock the boat: to do something that will cause problems for others.
● I don’t want to be difficult and rock the boat, but I can’t come into work
tomorrow.

35. highways and byways: all the roads and streets in area ~ khắp mọi nẻo
đường
● Mary spent the summer traveling all the highways and byways out
West.
36. on the home stretch: the last part of a long journey

● We are on the home stretch. We have about 30 minutes before we get
to our destination.
37. make (one's) way back to something: to slowly work one’s way back to
something ~ đi, quay trở lại dần
● It's getting dark out, so we should probably start making our way back
to camp.
134
38. road rage: angry or violent behavior caused by stress from driving.
● A driver who hit two people in a road rage attack has been arrested.
39. get the/this show on the road: to begin an activity that has been
planned
● Well, I guess we better get the show on the road if we want to be
there before noon.
40. live out of a suitcase: to briefly stay in several locations (never staying in
the same place long enough to unpack your bags) ~ hay chuyển chỗ ở
● I am tired of living out of a suitcase. I miss being at home.
41. road hog: a driver who takes up too much space making it difficult for
others to pass
● This guy is a road hog. I can’t pass him.
Verb: hog the road: to drive so that other vehicles cannot go past
42. send flying: cause something or someone to fall or move through the air
● I quickly turned the corner and bumped into Mrs. Smith and sent all her
books flying.
135
43. hitch (one's) wagon to a star: to set high goals

● My parents always encouraged me to hitch my wagon to a star and aim
high in life. That is the reason I am where I am today.
44. all hands on deck: everyone needs to help with a certain task ~ chung
sức, đồng lòng
● We only had half an hour before Mom and Dad were going to be here, it
is all hands on deck. We need everybody’s help.
45. cross the bridge when you come/get to it: to address the problem
when/if it happens, not before ~ nước đến chân mới nhảy
● I am nervous that if Jack gets sick we will have to cancel our vacation.
Well, we will cross that bridge when we get to it, but let’s not worry
about it right now.
46. go the extra mile: to make more effort than is expected of you
● Joe went the extra mile to make everything perfect so that his wife
would enjoy the trip.
136
47. a bump in the road: a problem that arises and slows down progress
● We hit a bump in the road when the materials were delayed 4 days, but
in the end, we finished the project on time.
48. be off one’s trolley: be crazy or insane

● Have you gone completely off your trolley? You'll never get away with
it!
49. take the high road: to behave in a moral way when other people are not
behaving morally ~ cư xử 1 cách có đạo đức (đặc biệt khi những người khác
sẽ không cư xử được như vậy)
● Even though Megan treated Paul badly at work. Paul decided to take the
high road and not return the same treatment to her.
50. in full flight: to flee as quickly as possible

● The thieves left the scene in full flight, but eventually, the police caught
them.
51. turn the corner: if a situation turns the corner, it starts to improve after
a difficult period ~ chuyển biến tốt
● After two days in the hospital, the doctor said that Jane has finally
begun to turn the corner. He thinks she will be able to leave the hospital
tomorrow.
137
52. take the wind out of someone’s sails: to discourage someone

● Brian was making great progress on the project until Mark came by and
started to pick at the imperfections. He really took the wind out of
Brian’s sails.
53. train wreck: a major failure or complete disaster

● The trip to the West coasts turned out to be a train wreck. Nothing
went as planned.
54. stomping ground: a place where someone regularly spends time

● After talking for a little bit, we all went back to our old stomping
grounds, our favorite restaurant where we used to hang out every
Friday.
55. spin one’s wheels: to waste one’s time on something without seeing much
progress
● If we're just spinning our wheels, let us know and we'll quit.
138
56. leave/desert/abandon a sinking ship: stop being involved in something

unsuccessful ~ rời khỏi con thuyền bị chìm
● I hate to be the one who deserts a sinking ship, but I need to think
about my future.
57. pit stop: a short break during a road trip to get food, refuel or rest up a
bit before continuing ~ trạm dừng chân
● Do you think we could take a pit stop? I really need to use the
bathroom.
58. part ways: to leave each other, go in different directions ~ đi 2 con

đường khác nhau, có quyết định, mục đichs khác nhau
● After working together for 15 years we decided to part ways and start
our own separate companies.
59. clear sailing: progress that is not blocked by anything

● Now that we have the new part, it is clear sailing from here on out.
139
60. hitch a lift/ride: to get a free ride in someone else’s car ~ đi nhờ xe,
quá giang
● Instead of taking the bus, I am just going to hitch a ride with Steve.
61. pull up stakes: to take all the things that you own and go and live in a
different place ~ đóng gói hành lý và rời đi nơi khác sống
● This is the fourth time in five years that we've had to pull up stakes.
62. tire kicker: someone who appears to be interested in buying something

and asks a lot of questions but does not buy anything ~ (khách hàng) hỏi thì
nhiều mà chẳng mua cái gì
● If you want to sell it on the internet, you'll have to deal with hundreds of
tire kickers.
140
BÀI TẬP
Question 1: None of the editors liked the new policies, so they all jumped
______ as soon as other jobs opened up.
A. ship B. train C. car D. plane
Question 2: I lost my ______ of thought when you interrupted me.
A. boat B. train C. submarine D. track
Question 3: If you like casual yet elegant clothes, then this collection should
be right up your ______.
A. way B. road C. street D. lane
Question 4: The new opening act turned out to be just the ______ for the
variety show—they were a hit!
A. paper B. record C. receipt D. ticket
Question 5: We need to _______ our tracks before someone traces the bank
robbery back to us.
A. hide B. bury C. fend D. cover
Question 6: I know you want to get this project over and done with, but
______ your jets and do the work carefully.
A. calm B. warm C. cool D. cold
Question 7: Organizing the event was really stressful, but it was pretty
______ sailing on the day.
A. smooth B. even C. flat D. plane
Question 8: Our manager never hesitates to throw an underling under the
______ when something goes wrong in the office.
A. bus B. car C. train D. boat
Question 9: She was very frustrated, but didn't say anything because she
didn’t want to ______ the boat.
A. shake  B. rattle C. rock D. roll
Question 10: Every so often, Claire has ______ feet and sets off for a
foreign destination.
A. ticklish B. itchy C. prickly D. scratchy
Question 11: Sorry for the delay, folks. I think we're ready to get the show
on the ______.
A. way B. road C. trip D. street
Question 12: When I was trying to become a screenwriter, I hitched my
______ to a star by befriending some popular actresses.
A. wagon B. bandwagon C. flight D. UFO
141
Question 13: The job interview is a week away, so I'm not worried about it
yet—I'll ______ that bridge when I come to it.
A. go B. cross C. get D. move
Question 14: The project hit a ______ in the road when Tom suddenly
resigned, but I know we'll be fine—we just need to redistribute his assignment
and keep going.
A. crash B. collision C. smash D. bump
Question 15: We haven't been able to do anything new until more funding
comes in, so the project is just __________ for the moment.
A. spinning its wheel B. turning its corner
C. in full flight D. on the home stretch
Question 16: Strive to always take the high _____ when dealing with others,
even if they've treated you unfairly in the past. Life has a habit of rewarding
those who learn to turn the other cheek.
A. horse B. path C. way D. road
Question 17: After the reunion, everyone from the old gang of friends went
to our old ______ grounds with some cans of beer, just like we used to do
back in high school.
A. stamping B. trudging C. stomping D. plodding
Question 18: We didn't have any money for a taxi, so we had to ______ a ride
home.
A. fasten B. hitch C. hook D. attach
Question 19: Though we'd all been close on the school trip, we ______ ways
with one another once we were back home.
A. shared B. divided C. parted D. split
Question 20: We need serious candidates for this position, so make sure to
eliminate any tire ______.
A. kickers B. puncturers C. piercers D. strikers
ĐÁP ÁN:
1.A 2.B 3.C 4.D 5.D 6.C 7.A 8.A 9.C 10.B 11.B 12.A 13.B 14.D 15.A 16.D 17.C 18.B
19.C 20.A
142
CHÌA KHÓA SỐ 17: TÔI LÀ NGƯỜI HAY NÓI NHIỀU
1. be like talking to a brick wall: if talking to someone is like talking to a

brick wall, the person you are speaking to does not listen ~ như nói chuyện với
cái đầu gối
● I've tried to discuss my feelings with her, but it's like talking to a brick
wall.
143
2. be all mouth: to talk a lot about doing something but never do it ~ chỉ
được cái mồm to
● He says he's going to complain to the manager, but he's all mouth.
3. an armchair critic: someone who speaks critically on topics they actually

knows little to nothing about. ~ người chỉ giỏi phán, mặc dù không biết cái
gì về lĩnh vực đó, nhà phê bình suông
● Stop being an armchair critic and let me fix my car, since I actually
know what I'm doing here!
4. the gift of (the) gab: the gift of being able to speak with eloquence ~ khả
năng nói trôi chảy, diễn cảm, thu hút người nghe
● She's got the gift of the gab - she should work in sales and marketing.
5. cut to the chase: to directly address the most important matter ~ đi

thẳng vào vấn đề chính
● I didn't have long to talk so I cut to the chase and asked whether he
was still married.
6. speak/talk out of turn: to say something that you should not have said ~
nói những thứ không nên nói
● I'm sorry if I spoke out of turn, but I thought you already knew.
7. talk/speak in riddles: to say things in a confusing way ~ nói theo cách khó
hiểu
● Stop talking in riddles and explain what’s going on!
144
8. beat around/about the bush: to avoid talking about what is important:

vòng vo tam quốc
● Don't beat around the bush - get to the point!
9. chew the fat: to talk with someone in an informal and friendly way ~ nói
chuyện suồng sã với ai
● We sat in a bar most of the evening just chewing the fat.
10. shoot the breeze: to spend time talking about things that are not
important ~ chém gió
● We sat out on the porch, just shooting the breeze.
145
11. a little bird told me: used to say that you have heard a piece of
information about someone from someone else
● "How did you know it was my birthday?" "Α little bird told me."
12. talk shop: to talk about your job with those you work with when not at
work ~ nói về công việc (trong khi không đang làm việc)
● Even at a party they have to talk shop!
13. spill the beans: to tell people secret information

● So who spilled the beans about her affair with David?

14. talk sb through sth: to explain an idea, a plan, etc. to someone so that
they understand it
● Can you talk me through the proposal?
15. talk sth up: to promote or advertise something by saying good things
about it to as many people as possible ~ quảng cáo thứ gì đó
● Let's talk the play up around campus so we can get a good audience.
146
16. talk in circles: to talk in an indirect manner ~ nói lòng vòng

● I couldn't understand a thing he said. All he did was talk in circles.
17. talk a good game: to say things that make people think you do or can do
something, even though it is not true ~ huênh hoang, không làm được những
điều như đã nói, nói thì hay lắm
● The authorities talk a good game but do little to support their words.
18. talk some sense into someone: to help someone to think about a situation
in a reasonable way ~ giúp ai nhìn nhận vấn đề 1 cách hợp lý hơn
● She won't listen to me - can you try to talk some sense into her?
19. talk sb's ear off: to talk to someone for a long time, usually loudly ~ nói
nhiều, thủng màng nhĩ
● Stay away from Mr. Jones. He will talk your ear off if he gets a chance.
20. talk the talk ... walk the walk: if someone talks the talk but does not
walk the walk, they do not act in a way that agrees with the things they say ~
nói thì hay nhưng làm thì dở
● When it comes to recycling he talks the talk but he doesn't walk the
walk.
147
21. you should talk: you are guilty of the same thing you have just criticized
~ mày mà dám nói thế á, mày cũng thế còn gì
● Thịnh: "Kathy never pays attention in class."
Suy: "You should talk! Just today I saw you reading a magazine during
the lecture."
22. talk through your hat: to talk about something without understanding
what you are talking about ~ nói luyên thuyên, dông dài
● Nothing of what he said made sense - he was talking through his hat.
23. talk someone/yourself into something: to persuade someone to do

something, or to decide to do something
● I tried to talk her into ordering ice cream.
24. talk your way into/out of sth: to persuade people that you should do
something/not do something by the reasons you give ~ đưa ra lý do để mình
được làm/không làm việc gì
● You might be able to talk your way out of most things but you still have
to wash the dishes!
25. no something to speak of (also nothing/not anything to speak of): not

enough of something to make it worth talking about ~ quá ít cái gì
● There was no snow to speak of this winter.
26. speak well/highly of sb/sth: to say good things about someone or

something
● Both spoke highly of the Russian president.
- ANT: speak ill of sb/sth: to say bad things about someone or
something
● She really believes you should never speak ill of the dead.
148
27. until you are blue in the face: if you say or shout something until you are
blue in the face, you are wasting your efforts because you will get no results ~
nói đến đỏ cả mặt, bở hơi tai cũng không thuyết phục được ai
● You can tell her to clean her room until you are blue in the face, but
she won't do it.
28. talk nineteen to the dozen: talk fast ~ nói như bắn rap
● She was so excited that she was talking nineteen to the dozen.
29. waffe (on) (about) sth: talk or writing that uses a lot of words but does
not give any useful information ~ nói chuyện, viết lách dông dài
● The principal waffled on about exam results but no one was listening.
- ANT: touch on sth: nói ngắn gọn về việc gì
29. talk at cross purposes: misunderstand what the other is referring to ~

hiểu sai ý nhau
● I think we've been talking at cross purposes - I meant next year, not
this year.
- SYN: get your wires crossed: have a different understanding of the

same situation:
● Somehow we got our wires crossed because I'd written the 23rd in my
diary and Jen had the 16th.
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BÀI TẬP
Question 1: Trying to give my grandfather advice is like talking to a brick
_____—he's just so set in his ways!
A. wall B. stone C. dam D. fence
Question 2: He talks a big game, but when it actually comes to asking out a
woman, he's all ______.
A. ears B. mouth C. eyes D. feet
Question 3: Stop being an _____ critic and let me choose the route, as I
actually know this town like the back of my hand.
A. bench B. chair C. armchair D. desk
Question 4: He had the ______ of the gab, which one training officer
described as the main prerequisite.
A. present B. gift C. reward D. award
Question 5: A little ______ told me that you’ve got engaged.
A. worm B. fish C. cat D. bird
Question 6: The people in that company always talk ______, even on the
weekends.
A. dirty B. shop C. turkey D. money
Question 7: Your former manager has been ______ quite a bit, so we have
high hopes for you here.
A. sounding you out B. talking you up
C. drumming you up D. creasing you up
Question 8: It seemed like the candidate was talking through his ______ for
a while when the debate turned to the topic of tax policy.
A. chain B. helmet C. collar D. hat
Question 9: Marry: You're such a night owl, Tom
Tom: You should ______ ! You never get to sleep until 12 A.M, as you always
send messages to our class group at that time.
A. say B. talk C. speak D. tell
Question 10: She __________ about protecting the environment, but she
doesn't even recycle.
A. goes back on her word B. follows the herd
C. falls on her sword D. talks a good game
ĐÁP ÁN:
1.A 2.B 3.C 4.B 5.D 6.B 7.B 8.D 9.B 10.D
150
CHÌA KHÓA SỐ 18: TỘI PHẠM VÀ CÔNG LÝ
1. catch sb red-handed: to discover someone while they are doing something

bad ~ bắt quả tang
● When I was 13, I got caught red handed spraying painting graffiti on
the local elementary school.
- SYN: catch sb doing = catch sb in the act of doing sth

● He denies all guilt, even though he was caught in the act.
151
2. white-collar crime: crime that is committed by high-ranking members of

government or business ~ tội phạm cổ cồn trắng
● Our CEO was accused of a variety of white-collar crimes. He was
eventually arrested on embezzlement charges.
- embezzlement /ɪmˈbez.əl.mənt/: tham ô
3. have a run-in with (the law/the police): to have a serious argument or get
into trouble with someone or something
● I had a run-in with the boss/the law/the police yesterday.
4. throw the book at someone: to punish someone as severely as possible

● The judge was not lenient – he threw the book at him.
- lenient /ˈliː.ni.ənt/: nhân nhượng
5. keep your nose clean: to stay out of trouble (often with the law)
● Jason’s on parole, so he absolutely has to keep his nose clean.
- parole /pəˈroʊl/: ân xá, khoan hồng
6. make off with something: to steal something ~ cuỗm mất thứ gì

● In the movie, the protagonist makes off with several expensive paintings
from a European museum.
- protagonist /prəˈtæɡ.ən.ɪst/: nhân vật chính
7. on the beat: a police officer on the beat is on duty ~ đang trong ca trực
(cảnh sát)
● The police have put more cops on the beat in an effort to combat violent
street crime.
152
8. do sth by the book: to do something exactly as the rules tell you

● Our detectives do everything by the book. They don’t break the rules
to get convictions.
9. the long arm of the law: the police ~ lưới trời lồng lộng
● They managed to avoid the long arm of the law for several years but
were eventually caught in Mexico.
10. come clean = fess up: to reveal the truth about something that has been
kept secret ~ thú nhận
● If Brent comes clean about the robbery, he might get a reduced
sentence.
● If you want to fix your marriage, you’re going to have to fess up to your
infidelities and be honest with your wife.
- infidelity /ˌɪn.fəˈdel.ə.ti/:
 ngoại tình = love affair
11. turn oneself in: to surrender to authorities ~ tự thú

● I think I’d rather turn myself in and serve my prison sentence. It’s
better than running from the police for the rest of my life.
12. take the rap (for something): to be blamed or punished, especially for
something that you did not do ~ chịu mang tiếng xấu vì điều gì
● A good coach takes the rap for his team’s struggles.
13. rat on sb = rat sb out: to not be loyal to someone, inform on someone

(often to police) ~ bán đứng, tố giác ai đó
● Maria ratted out her brother for throwing a party when her parents
were out of town.
153
14. lawyer up: to employ a lawyer to help you when you are in a situation that
may involve you being charged with a crime ~ mời luật sư
● I wouldn’t answer the officers’ questions if I were you. Lawyer up and
don’t say a word.
15. get away with murder: to do whatever one wants without being punished
● Students get away with murder when they have a substitute teacher.
● substitute teacher: giáo viên dạy thay
16. open-and-shut case: a case in which the facts are clear and obvious ~
trường hợp quá rõ ràng
● The suspect had a motive, and the murder weapon was found in his
apartment. It’s an open and shut case.
17. scot-free (adj): without receiving the deserved punishment

● She agreed to testify against her boyfriend and got off scot-free.
18. hand in glove: working together, often to do something dishonest

● It was rumoured at the time that some of the gangs were working hand
in glove with the police.
- SYN: be in cahoots with sb = connive (with sb) (at/in sth)
154
19. beat the rap: to escape or avoid blame or punishment

● There’s probably not enough evidence for a conviction. We think she’ll
beat the rap.
20. a slap on the wrist /rɪst/: to receive a minor, insignificant punishment

for something ~ hình phạt nhẹ
● wrist: cổ tay
● The fine they gave her is just more or less a slap on the wrist.
21. point the finger at someone: to say that someone should be blamed
● I just tried to do what was right, and now everyone's pointing the finger
at me.
22. take the law into your own hands: to punish someone instead of allowing
the criminal justice system to determine someone’s punishment ~ thay mặt
pháp luật trừng trị ai
● One day, after years of violent abuse from her husband, she took the
law into her own hands.
23. squeal (on sb): (từ lóng) tố giác ai với cảnh sát
● When he finds out who squealed on him, he's going to make them very
sorry.
155
24. blow the whistle on sb/sth: to bring something to the attention of other
people in order to stop something bad from happening ~ tố giác ai, cái gì
● The company stopped using certain chemicals only after some workers
blew the whistle on it.
25. be above the law: someone who is above the law does not have to obey
the law ~ ngoài vòng pháp luật
● Many ministers seem to regard themselves as being above the law.
26. do time = serve time: to spend a certain period in prison

● Both her parents were doing time, so she was raised by her aunt.
27. behind bars: in prison ~ đằng sau song sắt

● He's spent most of his life behind bars.
28. do a runner: to leave a place in order to avoid a difficult or unpleasant

situation or to avoid paying for something ~ bỏ trốn khỏi tình huống khó
khăn, hoặc trốn không trả tiền
● Her dad did a runner soon after she was born.
● They were arrested after doing a runner from an expensive restaurant.
156
29. cook the books: to change numbers dishonestly in the accounts, especially
in order to steal money from it ~ xào nấu sổ sách, làm giả sổ sách để lấy
trộm tiền
● My partner had been cooking the books for years, but because I was the
CEO, I got the blame for our company's collapse.
30. sharp practice: a way of behaving, in business, that is dishonest but not
illegal ~ chiêu trò bẩn thỉu, thủ đoạn bất lương
● Any kind of sharp practice or dishonest dealing will infallibly ruin his
career.
● infallibly /ɪnˈfæl.ə.bli/: luôn luôn
31. inside job: a crime, especially stealing, committed by someone in the place
where they work ~ việc xấu từ trong nội bộ
● The robbery must have been an inside job—only three people have
access to the safe.
32. on the loose: (of animal or person) be free to move around a place and
harm people ~ xổng chuồng/trốn thoát
● Brewer escaped from prison last year and has been on the loose ever
since.
33. crime doesn't pay: criminals are always punished for their crimes ~ kẻ
xấu luôn bị trừng trị
● No matter how tempting it may appear, crime doesn't pay.
157
BÀI TẬP
Question 1: John, if you don't learn how to keep your ______ clean, you're
going to end up in jail.
A. hands B. eyes C. nose D. feet
Question 2: I always see police officers on the ______ in our neighborhood.
A. beat B. duty C. melody D. rhythm
Question 3: I'm always taking the ______ for your mistakes—I'm sick of
covering for you!
A. jazz B. folk C. pop D. rap
Question 4: You will spoil your son if you let him get away with ______. You
should punish him for his back-talk.
A. crime B. thievery C. murder D. kidnapping
Question 5: They rob someone on the street and they get __________ –
thirty days in jail.
A. a pain in the neck B. a shot in the arm
C. a leap in the dark D. a slap on the wrist
Question 6: The judge threatened to throw the ______ at me if I didn't stop
insulting the police officer.
A. stone B. pen C. book D. stick
Question 7: If you keep stealing things, you might end up ______ time one
day.
A. making B. spending C. doing D. forming
Question 8: The teenagers did a ______ as soon as the cab stopped, leaving
the driver to foot the bill.
A. racer B. sprinter C. runner D. jogger
Question 9: We all have to follow the rules, and none of us is ______ the law.
A. beyond B. over C. above D. onto
Question 10: They ______ the books to drive up the company's stock prices.
A. fried B. roasted C. grilled D. cooked
ĐÁP ÁN:
1.C 2.A 3.D 4.C 5.D 6.C 7.C 8.C 9.C 10.D
158
CHÌA KHÓA SỐ 19: GIA ĐÌNH LÀ NƠI LUÔN CHÀO ĐÓN CON TRỞ VỀ

1. take after someone: to be very similar to an older family member ~ giống

ai
● I take after my father. We’re both architects, and we both love soccer.
2. run in the family: if something runs in the family, many members of the
family have that quality, skill, interest, problem, disease, etc ~ đặc tính lưu
truyền trong gia đình
● Heart disease runs in my family. I try to have a healthy diet and get
plenty of exercise.
159
3. the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree: a child usually has similar
qualities to their parents ~ con nhà tông, không giống lông cũng giống cánh
● It’s not unusual that you have the same interests as your mother. The
apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
4. like father, like son: sons tend to be similar to their fathers ~ cha nào con
nấy
● Jimmy is tall just like his father, and they have the same smile. Like
father, like son.
5. in the/sb’s blood: if an ability or skill is in someone's blood, they have it

naturally, usually because it already exists in their family ~ trong máu ai, di
truyền trong người
● Music is in my blood. Almost everyone in my family can sing, compose, or
play an instrument.
6. bear a (striking/close/strong) resemblance to sb/sth: to be similar to

someone or something else ~ rất giống ai, cái gì
● The child bore a striking resemblance to his father.
160
7. to follow in someone’s footsteps: to try to achieve the same things that

someone else has already done ~ tiếp bước cha anh
● Michael followed in his father’s footsteps and became an actor. His
father was also a Hollywood actor.
8. spitting image: if someone is a spitting image of another family member, it

means that those two people look almost identical ~ giống nhau y như đúc
● Kate’s the spitting image of her mother. They both have blue eyes and
dimples.
- dimple: lúm đồng tiền
9. a chip off the old block: someone who is very similar in character to their
father or mother ~ rất giống bố/mẹ
● Sam is an accomplished pianist just like her mother. She’s a chip off the
old block.
10. pride and joy: someone who makes that person extremely proud and
happy ~ niềm tự hào, kiêu hãnh của ai
● This garden is her pride and joy. Nothing makes her happier than
spending her weekends making it look beautiful.
161
11. the apple of one’s eye: the person who someone loves most and is very
proud of ~ cục cưng của ai
● His youngest daughter was the apple of his eye.
12. be sb's own flesh and blood: to be someone's relation ~ ruột thịt, máu
mủ
● I would never cut my son out of my will for any reason. He’s my flesh and
blood.
13. blood is thicker than water: relationships with family members are more
important than relationships with people outside of the family ~ 1 giọt máu
đào hơn ao nước lã
● Of course Karen is going to side with her sister in this argument. Blood
is thicker than water.
14. have a falling out (with someone): to have a disagreement which ruins a
relationship with that person ~ cãi vã với ai
● There were some disagreements about my mom’s inheritance, and two of
my brothers had a falling out over it.
- SYN: be in conflict with sb = be at odds with sb = at loggerheads

with sb
162
15. blue blood: the fact of someone having been born into a family that
belongs to the highest social class ~ dòng máu quý tộc
● She often tells her friends that she has blue blood flowing through her
veins.
16. wear the pants/trousers: (especially of a woman) to be the person in a

relationship who is in control ~ người có tiếng nói trong mối quan hệ
● My father may seem domineering, but it's my mum that really wears the
pants in that relationship.
17. born with a silver spoon in your mouth: to have a high social position and
be rich from birth ~ sinh ra từ vạch đích
● I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I had to work two jobs
to put myself through college.
● ANT: be as poor as a church mouse: nghèo rớt mồng tơi
18. bad blood: feelings of hate between people because of arguments in the
past ~ không ưa gì nhau, vì đã từng cãi nhau
● Are you sure you want to invite all of your cousins to your party? Isn’t
there bad blood between two of them?
163
19. black sheep: someone who brings shame to their family ~ nỗi hổ thẹn
của gia đình
● Marvin is the black sheep of the family. He’s been in college for seven
years and still hasn’t graduated.
20. rule the roost: to be the person who makes all the decisions in a group
● When we were kids, my oldest sister ruled the roost. She made all the
decisions and always told us what to do.
21. call the shots/tune: to be in the position of being able to make the
decisions that will influence a situation ~ chỉ huy, điều khiển
● Mom calls the shots for Thanksgiving dinner, so you better get her
approval for any dish you want to bring.
22. breadwinner: the person who financially provides for the family ~ trụ cột
gia đình
● Most families don’t have just one breadwinner. Both parents often work
and provide financially for their children.
164
23. bring home the bacon: to earn money for a family to live on ~ mang thịt
lợn xông khói về cho cả nhà ăn = kiếm tiền để trang trải cuộc sống
● I can't sit around all day - someone's got to bring home the bacon.
24. family man: a man who has a wife and children, or who enjoys spending a
lot of time with them ~ người đàn ông của gia đình
● I won’t spend my bonus on myself. I’m a family man, so I’ll probably use
the money to buy something my wife and kids want.
25. quality time: time that you spend with someone, giving them your full
attention because you value the relationship ~ thời gian quý báu bên gia đình
và người thân
● He spends quality time with his children every day.
26. men make houses, women make homes: men are more likely to construct a
house as a functional dwelling place, while women tend to decorate a house ~
đàn ông xây nhà, đàn bà xây tổ ấm
● When William moved into his own apartment, his mother insisted on
choosing and arranging the furniture and decorations for him. "Men
make houses, women make homes", she said.

165
BÀI TẬP
Question 1: She takes ______ me with her fair hair and skin, but she has her
mother's eyes.
A. to B. over C. after D. up
Question 2: Her daughter soon showed her own musical talent, proving that
the ______ doesn't fall far from the tree.
A. banana B. apple C. mango D. lemon
Question 3: Mike's automotive repair skills really rival those of his father.
He's a real ______ off the old block!
A. chip B. crumb C. piece D. flake
Question 4: Cassie's drawing will probably win the contest—artistic ability
just ______ in her family.
A. runs B. follows C. flows D. trickles
Question 5: Father then and son later are ______ images of each other.
A. dribbling B. spitting C. rodding D. broaching
Question 6: I couldn't send him away - he's my own ______ and blood.
A. meat B. beef C. muscle D. flesh
Question 7: Of course Karen is going to side with her sister in this argument.
Blood is ______ than water.
A. thicker B. wider C. broader D. deeper
Question 8: Actually, in our relationship, we both wear the ______ —we make
decisions together.
A. slacks B. overalls C. pants D. jeans
Question 9: For all intents and purposes, it's the assistant manager who rules
the ______.
A. perch B. roost C. foothold D. parking
Question 10: My wife brings home the ______, while I watch the kids.
A. bacon B. pork C. beef D. steak
ĐÁP ÁN:
1.C 2.B 3.A 4.A 5.B 6.D 7.A 8.C 9.B 10.A
166
CHÌA KHÓA SỐ 20: TRƯỜNG HỌC LÀ NƠI LƯU GIỮ THANH XUÂN
1. put/get your thinking cap on sth: to think seriously about something

● We need to figure out how we’re going to solve this problem before mum
and dad get back, so let’s put our thinking caps on!
2. back to basics: returning to the simple and most important things ~ quay
trở lại điều căn bản nhất
● Class, you seem to have forgotten the simplest of facts, so let's get
back to basics for the first week of classes.
167
3. draw a blank: to fail to get an answer or a result ~ không lấy, không có

được câu trả lời
● He asked me for my phone number and I drew a blank - I just couldn't
remember it.
4. as easy as ABC: extremely easy ~ dễ như đọc bảng chữ cái

● That jigsaw puzzle is as easy as ABC, I don’t understand why you’ve
been struggling with it for so long.
- SYN: as easy as pie = as easy as falling off a log = like shooting

fish in a barrel
● Jane's a good mechanic. Changing a tire is like shooting fish in a barrel,
for her.
5. roll call: if someone does a roll call, they read aloud the names of all the
people on the list to make certain that they are present ~ đếm số người có
mặt
● We had to stand in the snow every morning for roll call.

6. count noses: to count the number of people around you (generally used on a
school trip, to check for missing students) ~ đếm số người (trong những
chuyến đi du lịch,...)
● My grandmother was constantly counting noses at the birthday party. I
think she felt responsible for all the children there!
168
7. cover a lot of ground (also have a lot of ground to cover): to review a

large amount of information or discuss many topics ~ bao quát rất nhiều
thông tin, chủ đề, kiến thức,...
● We need to cover a lot of ground in American History before the exam
date.
● We have to complete our research within the next month. We still have
a lot of ground to cover, and I fear we may not get everything done in
time. (còn quá nhiều thứ để tìm hiểu)
8. copycat: someone who copies another person’s work

● I don’t like talking to her about my method because she’s such a copycat!
I know she’ll steal my ideas and use them for her own one.
9. eager beaver: someone who works hard and is very enthusiastic

● Mary is such an eager beaver, she is always the first one to do whatever
the boss asks.
169
10. pull an all-nighter: to stay up all night studying or working ~ thức thâu
đêm làm việc, học bài
● I’d recommend that you not pull an all-nighter. It’s not good for your
health.
- SYN: not sleep a wink: to not sleep at all ~ không chợp mắt tí nào
● I didn't sleep a wink last night with all that noise.
Chú ý: để xem thêm các cụm từ liên quan sự chăm chỉ làm việc, học tập;
bạn đọc hãy giở mục chìa khoá số 2

11. the class clown: a student who tries to make other students laugh ~ chú
hề của lớp
● His classmates remember him as the class clown.
12. bookworm: a person who reads a lot ~ con mọt sách

● You won’t be able to convince her to come out with us since she’s a real
bookworm.
170
13. have your nose in a book: to be reading ~ chúi mũi vào sách
● He always has his nose in a book, I wish he’d be a bit more sociable
sometimes!
14. drop out of (school, college,...): to leave an activity or program without

finishing it
● I'm going back to school because I always regretted dropping out of
college.
15. play hooky = play truant = cut/skip/ditch class: to stay away from
school without permission ~ trốn học không xin phép, cúp học
● They played hooky and went fishing.
16. show of hands: raising hands to vote about something ~ biểu thị sự đồng
ý, ủng hộ bằng cách giơ tay
● With a show of hands, who would prefer to have longer working days but
a shorter working week?
17. learn sth (off) by heart: to learn something in such a way that you can
say it from memory ~ học thuộc cái gì
● She learnt all the compositions of Beethoven off by heart!
171
18. of/from the old school: traditional and old-fashioned

● She was a teacher of the old school and believed in strict discipline.
19. too cool for school: very fashionable and confident, in a way that
impresses other people ~ quá thời trang, điệu đà (có thể nhớ là quá thời
trang 'khi mặc đi học')
● The assistants look like they're too cool for school.
20. learn sth by rote: to learn something in order to be able to repeat it

from memory, rather than in order to understand it ~ học vẹt
● She learned the equations by rote.

21. school of hard knocks: if you learn something in the school of hard
knocks, you learn it as a result of difficult or unpleasant experiences ~ học
qua những trải nghiệm xương máu
● I wasn’t able to go to college, but I learnt a lot in the school of hard
knocks, it taught me a lot about life.
22. the school/university of life: the informal education one receives by

learning from one's experiences, both good and bad, rather than a formal
educational institution ~ trường đời
● My grandfather began to work on the family farm when he was fourteen
and learnt everything from the university of life.
23. school of thought: a particular philosophy, or a way of thinking about

something ~ trường phái suy nghĩ, tư tưởng
● One school of thought holds that cats cause allergic reactions.
172
24. A for effort: giving someone recognition for trying hard to do something
even though they may not be successful ~ điểm 10 cho sự cố gắng, nỗ lực
● You forgot to sand the wood before you painted it, but I'll give you an A
for effort since you tried to help.
25. tell tales out of school: to tell secrets or spread rumors

● If you tell tales out of school a lot, people won't know when to believe
you.
26. learn/know the ropes: to learn/know how to do a job or activity

● It took me a while to learn the ropes in this law firm, some of their
procedures are so complicated.
27. learn one's lesson: to suffer a bad experience and know not to do it again
~ rút ra bài học từ câu chuyện của chính mình
● I’ve definitely learnt my lesson to not make a joke at someone else’s
expense!
- at sb's expense: to one's detriment or disadvantage: gây ảnh hưởng,
bất lợi cho ai
28. teach sb a lesson: to do something to someone in order to punish them

for something they’ve done ~ dạy ai bài học, giáo huấn ai
● I sat in the sun all day at the beach and got a terrible sunburn – it really
taught me a lesson.
29. school sb in sth: to train, discipline or coach someone in something

● She schooled her brother in patience.
173
30. you can't teach an old dog new tricks: it is very difficult to teach
someone new skills or to change someone's habits or character
● Jeremy tries so hard to show me how the computer works, but he doesn’t
understand that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks!
31. schoolboy error: a basic mistake ~ lỗi cơ bản

● Sending the wrong message to the wrong group is a schoolboy error you
will avoid with the help of our app.
32. rack one's brain: to think long and hard about something ~ vắt óc suy
nghĩ
● I racked my brain, but I couldn’t think of a good topic for my research
paper.
33. make the grade: to perform well enough to succeed in something ~ thể
hiện tốt
● I didn’t make the grade for the final assignment, so I have to do it all
over again!
174
34. put sb through sth (school, college, university): to pay for someone to
study at school, college, or university
● It's costing them a lot of money to put their children through school.
35. kiss up to: to try to please a powerful person ~ nịnh nọt ai

● He's always kissing up to the teacher, so it isn't surprising that no one
else in the class likes him.
- SYN: curry favour/favor with sb: nịnh bợ
● She’s currying favour with the boss.
36. cheat sheet: a piece of paper with answers written on it that student use
to cheat on a test ~ phao thi
● We've created a cheat sheet of cool gadgets that can make campus life
more productive and fun.
37. swot up (on sth): to learn as much as you can about a subject, especially
before an examination ~ nhồi nhét kiến thức nhiều nhất có thể
● She's at home, swotting up on her maths.
38. in single file: a line of people with one person standing behind another ~
theo hàng một
● Everyone was eager to get an autograph from the band, but they waited
patiently in single file.
175
39. crack a book/the books: to read or study

● You’d better start cracking the books if you want to pass the test.
- SYN: hit the books: to study

● I can't go out tonight. I need to hit the books.
40. pass with flying colours: to easily accomplish something, often tests or
exams
● It was such a hard test. I have no idea how you managed to pass with
flying colors.
- SYN: breeze/sail through: to succeed very easily in something,

especially a test
● Rachel sailed through her finals and got A's in everything.
176
CHÌA KHÓA SỐ 21: TÔI LÀ NGƯỜI THÍCH ÂM NHẠC
1. it isn't over until the fat lady sings: it is still possible for a situation to
change ~ nó vẫn chưa kết thúc cho đến khi người phụ nữ béo hát; tình thế
vẫn có thể thay đổi
● The team is behind 4-1, but it’s not over till the fat lady sings.
177
2. and all that jazz: and other similar things ~ và những thứ tương tự như
thế
● They sell televisions and radios and all that jazz.
- SYN: and the like: and other similar things
● There are courts for tennis and badminton and the like.
3. bang/beat the drum: to speak in favor of something to try to generate

support from other people
● Religious conservatives have been beating the drum for higher alcohol
taxes.
4. on song: to be performing very well, especially sports

● It only needs one or two players to play badly and we'll be in trouble. The
whole team must be on song.
5. blow your own trumpet: to tell everyone proudly about your achievements
~ khoe khoang thành tích
● Sometimes you have to blow your own trumpet to get proper credit for
your work.
6. chin music: idle talk ~ nói chuyện, tán gẫu = chin-wag (n)
● Can you guys please be quiet? Your chin music is distracting me from my
work.
178
7. call the tune: to make important decisions and control a situation ~ nắm
quyền điều khiển, cầm trịch
● My staff has to do what I say because I’m the boss, and I call the tune
here!
8. change sb's tune: to change your opinion completely ~ thay đổi thái độ
tức thì, quay ngoắt 180 độ
● He was against the idea to start with, but he soon changed his tune
when he realized how much money he'd get.
- SYN: sing a different tune: to change the way one talks about
something
9. dance to sb's tune: to do what someone wants

● The city council always dances to the tune of the large corporations in
the area.
10. face the music: to deal with consequences of one's actions ~ hứng chịu
hậu quả
● I told you not to try to sneak in, and now that you’ve been caught, you’re
just going to have to face the music.
179
11. jam session: an informal performance of jazz or rock music that the
musicians have not planned or practised ~ ngẫu hứng
● My band had a jam session last night and kept all the neighbors awake.

12. for a song: very cheaply
● She bought the bed for a song at an auction.
● Because the shop's closing down, most of the stock is going for a song (=
being sold very cheaply).
13. it takes two to tango: when something goes wrong involving two people,
it’s likely that they share the blame ~ cả 2 cùng phải chịu trách nhiệm
● She may want to argue, but it takes two to tango and I won't stoop to
her level.
- descend/stoop to sb's level: to behave as badly as someone ~ hạ thấp
bản thân, cư xử tồi tệ giống ai
14. music to my ears: something you are pleased to hear about ~ thứ rất
muốn nghe, làm bạn hạnh phúc
● When Michelle heard that her son and daughter-in-law were going to
have a baby, it was music to her ears.
180
15. play second fiddle: to be less important or in a weaker position than

someone else ~ yếu thế hơn ai
● I'm not prepared to play second fiddle to Christina any more - I'm
looking for another job!
16. strike a chord /kɔːrd/:

- to cause people to remember something else because it is similar to it ~
gợi nhớ ai nhớ về thứ khác
● The woman in the portrait struck a chord with me, and I realized that it
was my grandmother.
- to cause people to approve of it ~ đánh trúng tâm lý, khiến ai phải
đồng ý
● Her speech struck a sympathetic chord among business leaders.
17. set something to music: to write or provide music for a poem, story, or
other words so that it can be performed ~ tạo nhạc từ thơ, truyện, lời,...
● The poem was set to music in 1888.
18. ring a bell: to sound familiar

● No, I'm sorry, that description doesn't ring any bells with me.
181
19. -play something by ear: to play a piece of music without referencing

sheet music or a recording ~ chơi nhạc bằng tai, bằng cảm nhận, không cần
dùng đến bản nhạc,...
● Just because Tom can play the guitar by ear doesn’t mean he’s a great
songwriter.
-play it by ear: to decide how to deal with a situation as it develops
rather than by having a plan to follow ~ tùy cơ ứng biến
● I’m not sure how many people are expected - we’ll just have to play it by
ear.
20. tone-deaf /ˌtoʊnˈdef/:

- be unable to perceive differences of musical pitch accurately ~ không
biết gì về các nốt nhạc
● I'm not quite tone-deaf, but a singing career has never been something
I've considered.
- not understanding how people feel about something ~ không hiểu cảm
xúc ai đó
● Many politicians are tone-deaf to the anxieties of the average voter.
21. swan song: a person's last piece of work, achievement, or performance ~

tác phẩm, thành tựu cuối của ai
● We didn’t know that her performance last night was the singer’s swan
song.
182
22. make a song and dance about sth: to make something seem more
important than it really is so that everyone notices it ~ làm quá lên
● I only asked her to move her car but she made such a song and dance
about it.
Có thể bạn thích thú:
The benefit of listening to music: (Source: healthline)
In 2009, archaeologists excavating a cave in southern Germany uncovered a

flute carved from a vulture’s wing bone. The delicate artifact is the oldest
known musical instrument on earth — indicating that people have been making
music for over 40,000 years.
Music remains a powerful way of uniting people:

● national anthems connect crowds at sporting events.
● protest songs stir a sense of shared purpose during marches.
● hymns build group identity in houses of worship.
● love songs help prospective partners bond during courtship.
● lullabies enable parents and infants to develop secure attachments.
It can help treat mental illness

Music literally changes the brain. Neurological researchers have found that
listening to music triggers the release of several neurochemicals that play a
role in brain function and mental health: dopamine, a chemical associated with
pleasure.
183
 MUSIC’S EFFECTS ON MOOD
● It helps the symptoms of depression

A 2017 research review concluded that listening to music, particularly classical
combined with jazz, had a positive effect on depression symptoms, especially
when there were several listening sessions conducted by board certified music
therapists.
● It decreases fatigue
Anyone who has ever rolled down car windows and turned up the radio knows
that music can be energizing. There’s solid science behind that lived
experience.
In 2015, researchers at Shanghai University found that relaxing music helped
reduce fatigue and maintain muscle endurance when people were engaged in a
repetitive task.
● It boosts exercise performance

Exercise enthusiasts have long known that music enhances their physical
performance.
A 2020 research review confirms that working out with music improves your
mood, helps your body exercise more efficiently, and cuts down on your
awareness of exertion. Working out with music also leads to longer workouts.
In clinical settings, athletes who listened to high-intensity, fast music during
warmups were motivated to perform better competitively.
● It can help manage pain

Specially trained music therapists use music to help alleviate pain in inpatient
and outpatient settings. A 2016 meta-analysis of over 90
studies reported that music helps people manage both acute and chronic pain
better than medication alone.


184
BÀI TẬP
Question 1: My sister is involved in so many extracurricular
activities—student council, Model UN, the literary magazine, and all that
______.
A. disco B. rap C. pop D. jazz
Question 2: Quit _____ the drum for that applicant—he is simply not qualified
for the job.
A. tapping B. hitting C. pounding D. beating
Question 3: After that terrible rehearsal, it's a miracle that the band was on
______ during the concert.
A. music B. melody C. beat D. song
Question 4: He never used to support that political candidate, but he's singing
a different ______ all of a sudden.
A. tune B. beat C. chorus D. theme
Question 5: Supermarkets buy meat at the lowest price and farmers have
been forced to ______ to their tune.
A. leap B. skip C. dance D. jump
Question 6: After a session of warming their bones and discussing imaginary
breakfast cereals, the group went to perform an impromptu late ______
session.
A. bind B. fix C. mess D. jam
Question 7: Wow, I can't believe they let so many things at their yard sale go
for a ______. I would have marked up the prices a bit.
A. folk B. song C. record D. chant
Question 8: I'm really sick of playing second ______ to this ignoramus—I'm
the one who deserves to be the star of the show!
A. guitar B. violin C. piano D. fiddle
Question 9: Their latest album, the ______song of the legendary rock group,
is unfortunately not one of their best.
A. dragon B. swan C. squirrel D. canary
Question 10: They're unhappy about the extra hours they've been asked to
work and they're making __________ about it.
A. a song and dance B. an album and show
C. a record and ballet D. a track and tango
ĐÁP ÁN:1.D 2.D 3.D 4.A 5.C 6.D 7.B 8.D 9.B 10.A
185
CHÌA KHÓA SỐ 22: TÔI LÀ NGƯỜI THÍCH THỂ THAO
1. drop the ball: to make a mistake in a stupid or careless way ~ mắc lỗi ngớ
ngẩn
● For God's sake don't drop the ball on this - we're relying on you.
2. give sth your best shot: to do something as well as you can

● Give this audition your best shot – you won’t regret it!
186
3. someone/something is out of someone's league: someone or something is

too good or expensive for someone to have ~ vượt quá tầm với ai
● She was the most beautiful girl in school, and I knew she was out of my
league.
4. jump to conclusions: to guess the facts about a situation without having

enough information
● You’re accusing him of stealing your wallet, but you still don’t have
evidence that he did. Don’t jump to conclusions!
5. long shot: something you try although it is unlikely to be successful

● It’s a long shot, but I think we’ll be able to finish this project tonight.
6. not by a long shot/chalk: not in any way ~ không một chút nào, không
đời nào
● It wasn't as good as his first book - not by a long shot.
7. hot shot (also hotshot): someone who is very successful in their job,
especially someone young ~ tài không đợi tuổi
● She's quite a hotshot at chess.
- Cụm liên quan: wait in the wings: hiện tại chưa quan trọng, nhưng trong
tương lai sẽ phát triển ~ hạt giống trẻ
● The team has several talented young players waiting in the wings.
8. meet one's match: to be opposed by someone as good as one is and who

could defeat one ~ gặp đối thủ nặng kí, đáng gờm
● She knew after the first game that she had met her match.
187
9. no sweat: not be difficult or cause problems ~ không thành vấn đề

● "Can you fix my car for me?" "No sweat!"
10. don't sweat it: don't worry or stress about it

● A: "I promise I'll pay you back the next time I see you."
B: "Oh, it's just a few bucks, don't sweat it!"
11. hit sb below the belt: to hit in an unfair way ~ chơi xấu
● You hit her below the belt when you said she was ugly. You know she is
very insecure!
- insecure: (of people) lacking confidence and doubting their own abilities
~ thiếu tự tin về khả năng của mình
12. keep the ball rolling: to cause an activity or process to continue

● I've started the preparations for the party, but it's up to you to keep
the ball rolling.
13. start/set/get the ball rolling: to start doing something to encourage

other people to do the same ~ khởi xướng, mở đầu
● I decided to set the ball rolling and got up to dance.
14. set the pace: do something which becomes the standard or level that
other people must achieve ~ đặt ra tiêu chuẩn
● The company's advanced equipment sets the pace for the recording
industry.
188
15. get/gain/have the upper hand: to get into a stronger position than
someone else ~ nắm thế thượng phong
● Government troops are gradually gaining the upper hand over the
rebels.
- SYN: have/ hold all the aces
16. be/stay ahead of the game: to gain an advantage in a situation, often by

completing a task before its given deadline ~ luôn đi trước, dẫn đầu
● A very extensive research and development programme ensures that
we're ahead of the game.
- SYN: be/stay/keep one jump ahead: to do something before other
people do it ~ đi trước 1 bước
● The way to be successful in business is always to stay one jump ahead
of your competitors.
- SYN: be ahead of the curve: có những ý tưởng đột phá, sẽ phổ biến
sau này; đi trước thời đại
● In equipping its vehicles with mobile WiFi, the company was ahead of the
curve.
Và liên quan đến các ý tưởng độc đáo, dám phá cách, ta mở rộng:
- break with tradition = break the mold = think outside the box
= take the initiative (chủ động, là người đầu tiên làm việc gì)
● We decided to break with tradition and have fish for Thanksgiving
dinner.
17. the ball's in someone's court: it is time for someone to deal with a
problem or make a decision ~ giờ là sân chơi, đất diễn của ai đó
● I've helped him in every way I can – the ball's in his court now.
189
18. take time out (to do something): to rest or do something different from
your usual job or activities ~ nghỉ ngơi để làm những việc gì đó, khác với
bình thường
● In between jobs, Liz always took time out to return to her first love –
travelling.
19. take the bull by the horns: to do something difficult in a brave and
determined way ~ cầm chặt sừng con bò tót, can đảm làm việc gì khó
● It’s about time you stopped hiding. Take the bull by the horns and tell
her how you really feel!
20. go the distance: to manage to continue until the end of a competition

● I think this team is good enough to go the distance and win the
championship, don't you?
Sát nghĩa: stay the course: to continue doing something until it is finished
● She interviewed dieters who had failed to stay the course to find out
why they had given up.
21. be on target: to be making good progress and are likely to achieve the
result that is wanted ~ đang làm tốt, trên đà đạt mục tiêu
● We were still right on target for our deadline.
22. get one’s second wind: to recover one’s natural breathing after
breathlessness ~ lấy lại hơi
● I planned to stop working at 9, but then I got my second wind and just
kept going.
190
23. across-the-board (adj): affecting everyone or everything within an

organization or society ~ ảnh hưởng diện rộng
● Ten percent raises were given across the board.
24. get/let sb off the hook: to allow someone or help someone to get out of
a difficult situation ~ gỡ ai ra khỏi móc câu; không trừng phạt, trách mắng
ai
● The child got off the hook for stealing because the security camera was
broken.
25. go by the board: to be forgotten or not used

● Does this mean our holiday plans will have to go by the board?
26. take sth on board: to understand or accept an idea or a piece of

information ~ lắng nghe, xem xét các ý kiến, thông tin
● Banks need to take on board the views of their customers.
27. the home stretch: the last part of something that is being done ~ chặng
đường cuối cùng
● It's taken three months, but we're on the home stretch now.
191
28. a level playing field: a situation in which everyone has the same chance of
succeeding ~ sân chơi bình đẳng
● The spelling bee is a level playing field because all of the kids are in
grade nine.
29. be on the ball: to be quick to understand and react to things ~ phản ứng
nhanh chóng
● I didn't sleep well last night and I'm not really on the ball today.
30. be up to par: to be of the usual or expected standard ~ đạt tiêu chuẩn

● Her work hasn't been up to par lately.
31. be par for the course: not a good circumstance but it is normal or as you
would expect ~ tình huống khó chịu xảy ra như lẽ tất yếu, dĩ nhiên
● Waiting in line is par for the course at Christmas time.
32. par excellence [adjective (after noun)]: of the best quality of its type ~
đỉnh của chóp (dùng sau danh từ)
● He praised her as the teacher par excellence.
33. throw in the towel: to stop trying to do something because you have
realized that you cannot succeed ~ từ bỏ, chịu thua cuộc
● Jim beat me for the fourth time, so I threw in the towel.
192
34. settle a/the score with someone: to punish someone for something wrong
that they did to you in the past ~ trả đũa ai
● My brother wants to settle the score with that guy who stole my wallet.

35. go to bat for someone: to support someone when the person needs help ~
đấu tranh, hỗ trợ cho ai
● Andy is asking for a salary increase, and I'm going to go to bat for him
if the boss says no.
36. be off base: to be wrong

● Your arguments would be compelling if your entire premise wasn't
completely off base.
37. win hands down: to win very easily ~ dễ dàng hạ gục đối phương
● The other team was missing half of its players, so we won hands down.
38. step up to the plate: to take responsibility for doing something difficult
~ bước lên vị trí đánh bóng (chày), xung phong nhận trách nhiệm giải quyết
công việc khó
● He took over the team when it became obvious no one else was going to
step up to the plate.
193
Có thể bạn thích thú:
BENEFITS OF SPORTS FOR ADOLESCENTS
● Many athletes do better academically

Playing a sport requires a lot of time and energy. Some people may think this
would distract student-athletes from schoolwork. However, the opposite is
true. Sports require memorization, repetition and learning — skillsets that are
directly relevant to class work. Also, the determination and goal-setting skills a
sport requires can be transferred to the classroom.
● Sports teach teamwork and problem-solving skills

Fighting for a common goal with a group of players and coaches teaches you
how to build teamwork and effectively communicate to solve problems. This
experience is helpful when encountering problems at work or at home.
● Physical health benefits of sports

Clearly, sports can help you reach your fitness goals and maintain a healthy
weight. However, they also encourage healthy decision-making such as not
smoking and not drinking. Sports also have hidden health benefits such as
lowering the chance of osteoporosis or breast cancer later in life.
● Sports boost self-esteem

Watching your hard work pay off and achieving your goals develops
self-confidence. Achieving a sport or fitness goal encourages you to achieve
other goals you set. This is a rewarding and exciting learning process.
● Reduce pressure and stress with sports

Exercising is a natural way to loosen up and let go of stress. You can also make
new friends who can be there for you as a support system. When you feel
under pressure or stressed, call up a teammate, head to the gym to talk and
play it out.
194
BÀI TẬP
Question 1: I think she really dropped the ______ when she decided to quit
that promising internship.
A. ball B. vase C. tennis D. marble
Question 2: I can't believe that average-looking guy is dating a
supermodel—she is totally out of his ______!
A. club B. league C. union D. group
Question 3: At first, Sam was suspected of stealing money from the safe, but
he was let off the ______ after security camera footage showed it was
someone else.
A. peg B. nail C. hook D. curve
Question 4: After midnight the dancers seemed to get their second ______
and went on till dawn.
A. win B. wind C. breeze D. gust
Question 5: Thank you for coming forward, we'll take your testimony on
______ before we make our final judgment on the matter.
A. board B. deck C. ship D. panel
Question 6: He wants the government to revise the tax code to provide a level
playing ______ for all companies.
A. meadow B. pasture C. field D. terrain
Question 7: Of course we're not getting raises again this year—that's just
______ for the course at this point.
A. average B. norm C. par D. standard
Question 8: Since you know the recruiter, do you think you can go to ______
for me? I really need this job.
A. racket B. club C. sock D. bat
Question 9: We were really unprepared for our last game, and the other team
won ______ down.
A. eyes B. feet C. hands D. heads
Question 10: Someone will need to step up to the ______ and lead this
project now that Dylan has resigned.
A. dish B. platter C. bowl D. plate
ĐÁP ÁN:
1.A 2.B 3.C 5.A 6.C 7.C 8.D 9.C 10.D
195
BÀI TẬP TĂNG CƯỜNG 1

(Nguồn: Sưu tầm, Olympic 30/4, Duyên Hải, Học Sinh Giỏi, Chuyên,...)
Question 1: I know it’s difficult but you’ll just have to ________ and bear it.
A. laugh B. smile C. grin D. chuckle
Question 2: I didn’t want to make a decision ________, so I said I’d like to

think about it.
A. in one go B. there and then C. at a stroke D. on and off
Question 3: We are not in a ________ hurry so let’s have another coffee.

A. dashing B. racing C. rushing D. tearing
Question 4: She’s a bit down in the________ at the moment – her husband

has just lost his job.
A. world B. dumps C. heart D. bottom
Question 5: “How did you know that he was lying?” – “It was just a ________
feeling.”
A. faint B. gut C. slight D. vain
Question 6: As a poet, I think she ________ comparison with the greatest

this century. .
A. stands B. makes C. leads D. matches
Question 7: The number of people traveling by air has been growing _______.
A. by leaps and bounds B. from time to time
C. slow but sure D. by hook and crook
Question 8: I was scared ____________ when I looked down from the top of
the cliff.
A. tight B. stiff C. hard D. solid
Question 9: Jack never cheats or tricks anybody when he plays. He always

goes by the_________
A. book B. instructions C. principles D. method
197
Question 10: We were under no _________ about how difficult it would be

to achieve our aims.
A. fantasies B. daydreams C. illusions D. deceptions
Question 11: You’ll just have to _________ yourself to the fact that you
can’t always have what you want.
A. acknowledge B. reconcile C. concede D. allow
Question 12: Money was short and people survived by _________and saving.
A. scrimping B. scavenging C. scouring D. scrounging
Question 13: Few people can do creative work unless they are in the right
_________ of mind.
A. trend B. frame C. attitude D. tendency
Question 14: 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
Question 15: He let it __________ that the Prime Minister was a close
friend of his.
A. announce B. talk C. drop D. infer
Question 16: After hours and hours trying to solve the problem, I was at my
_________ end.
A. nerves' B. wits' C. humours' D. tethers'
Question 17: Her punky hairstyle showed she was not one for following the
_________.
A. flock B. herd C. swarm D. group
Question 18: I know you’re upset about breaking up with Tom, but there are
plenty more ______.
A. horses in the stable B. cows in the shed
C. tigers in the jungle D. fish in the sea.
198
Question 19: It must be true. I hear it straight from the _________ mouth.
A. dog’s B. horse’s C. camel’s D. cat’s
Question 20: I’ve only met Stephen in a social context - he’s an unknown
_________ where work’s concerned.
A. option B. type C. category D. quantity
Question 21: Windows go __________ towards defining the character of a

house.
A. a long way B. far out C. all the way D. far away
Question 22: I am not sure I can answer that. I have only thought about it in
the _______ before.
A. general B. hypothetical C. indefinite D. abstract
Question 23: The opposition protests against the government now threaten to
get out of _______ and the security forces are likely to make arrests around
the country today.
A. reach B. kilter C. hand D. ordinary
Question 24: At the time, Mexico was in the _____of its worst economic
recession on record.
A. grip B. tug C. hug D. grab
Question 25: Harry was offered a scholarship to study in Japan and he _____
the opportunity with both hands.
A. grasped B. grabbed C. held D. passed
Question 26: A full scholarship to Harvard and you are worried about leaving
your job? You’d be a fool to _____ up a chance like that.
A. turn B. brush C. pass D. cast
Question 27: Simon's business has been on the _______ for some time and I
understand he's going into liquidation.
A. fire B. rocks C. wave D. clouds
199
Question 28: We've made some great improvements over the past three
months, but we're still not out of the _______ .
A. jungle B. bush C. dark D. woods
Question 29: If you had never seen a telly ad, you would be all at ______ with
popular culture.
A. crossroads B. distance C. sea D. length
Question 30: I'd been living in this country for a few years, but it wasn't until
I had kids that I felt like I had really put down ______ here.
A. roots B. seeds C. nuts D. fruits
Question 31: The party was already ______ by the time we arrived. Everyone
was singing and dancing.
A. in full swing B. up in the air
C. over the moon D. under a cloud
Question 32: I know you have a good voice and have ambitions to be an opera
singer but do not give up your day ______ yet.
A. situation B. work C. job D. place
Question 33: Various ecological issues have come to the ______ since the
discovery of the hole in the earth's ozone layer.
A. front B. back C. side D. fore
Question 34: The full horror of the war only hit ______ when we started
seeing the television pictures of it.
A. base B. down C. home D. back
Question 35: The most important parts of your job may seem difficult now but
they will become second ______ to you within a couple of weeks.
A. instinct B. thought C. nature D. mind
Question 36: From football to fashion, from TV to stage, we name the

______ stars whose careers are likely to rocket in the future.
A. out and about B. up and coming
C. down and out D. in and out
200
Question 37: The headmaster at my last school was a stern disciplinarian and
made sure we ______ the line.
A. drew B. faced C. touched D. toed
Question 38: John and Sarah lived in the back of _____ and it always took us
a whole day to drive there.
A. the country B. isolation C. nowhere D. beyond
Question 39: I don’t trust him and it really goes against the ________to give
him the money.
A. cloak B. grain C. rice D. grapevine
Question 40: It’s time we had a ________talk with each other in an effort to
clear the air.
A. heart to heart B. eye to eye
C. face to face D. cheek to cheek
Question 41: As she didn’t understand the teacher’s question, she merely gave
him a _______ look.
A. clear B. dim C. blank D. hopeless
Question 42: Sister Morrison might take _______ with me on that matter.
A. words B. discussion C. issue D. matter
Question 43: There were probably moments when you wondered if anyone
spoke the truth or was ______
A. spoilt for choice B. below par
C. off the beg D. on the level
Question 44: Many victims of the earthquake pay ______ to the ones who
took them out of rubble.
A. respects B. homage C. tributes D. deference
Question 45: Don’t believe Samuel. He just ______an act that he is the most
miserable person in the world.
A. puts on B. puts into C. settles up D. settles in
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Question 46: The sixth time he called me at night was the _________.
A. lost cause B. last straw C. touch and go D. hot air
Question 47: Searching for one man in this city is like looking for a
_________.
A. salt of the earth B. sand in the desert
C. needle in a haystack D. drop in the ocean
Question 48: The class went to see the performance of Macbeth because it
______ in well with the project they were doing on Scottish history.
A. crammed B. stood C. tied D. booked
Question 49: There’s nothing to ______ as it’s a general knowledge quiz.

A. come round to B. face up to C. swot up on D. come up with
Question 50: We’d been working hard for a month and so decided to go out
and ______.
A. paint the town red B. face the music
C. read between the lines D. steal the show
Question 51: The robbery was carried out in ______ daylight and with
hundreds of witnesses present.
A. open B. wide C. broad D. clear
Question 52: When I say I want you to be here at six o'clock, I mean six
o'clock ______.You cannot be late under any circumstances!
A. on the edge B. at the moment C. on the dot D. in detail
Question 53: Something's wrong with this room, but I can't quite
______what it is.
A. put my finger on B. know off-hand
C. give my right arm to D. lay eyes on
Question 54: There are ten prisoners on the ______.

A. loose B.run C. track D. go
202
Question 55: They dismissed him as "disrespectful, very arrogant and ______
rude”.
A. totally B. downright C. outright D. heavily
Question 56: I know how to use computers, but I don't really understand the
______of how they work.
A. ins and outs B. odds and ends
C. dribs and drabs D. waifs and strays
Question 57: The doctor says that it's ______whether Mary will be okay.
A. prim and proper B. spick and span
C. touch and go D. up and coming
Question 58: She had a ______ row with Eddie and stormed out of the house.
A. blazing B. heated C.firing D. smouldering
Question 59: The littlest thing tends to anger my mother, so I feel like I have
to walk on ______ whenever I'm at her house.
A. eggshells B. nutshells C. bombshells D. seashells
Question 60: Students can be expelled at the ______ of the principal.

A. disposition B. dispersal C. discretion D. disposal
Question 61: The passion of Argentinian football fans ______no bounds.

A. recognizes B. holds C. sees D. knows
Question 62: She already has a couple of good wins ______.

A. under her collar B. under her belt
C. up her sleeve D. in her shoes
Question 63: The long-standing dispute about working conditions finally came
______when the workforce voted for strike action
A. to a head B. to the point C. to a standstill D. out of its shell
Question 64: If you're caught stealing, you'll be ______.

A.in black books B. for the high jump
C. in a quandary D.in the doghouse
203
Question 65: I tried to ______myself from the situation but it was

impossible.
A. exude B. exclude C. expunge D. extricate
Question 66: Naylor was one of those men who ______ to the challenge of
danger.
A. raise B. rise C. ride D. arise
Question 67: Like more and more women, she believes marriage would
______her style.
A. restricts B. impedes C. obstructs D. cramps
Question 68: He's not nearly such a good writer as he's ______up to be.
A. creased B. cracked C. lined D. valued
Question 69: During the bad weather we experienced a few disasters and
events, but they were of little ______.
A. consequence B. result C. care D. circumstance
Question 70: ‘Will you stay for lunch?’ ‘No, but thanks ______’
A. all along B. all in all C. all the same D. all told
Question 71: I might be going on a training course next week, but it's still
______
A. in the air B. on the air C. off the air D. up in the air
Question 72: Some people let their under-fives ______ riot.
A. run B. go C. make D.take
Question 73: I need a new French dictionary. Can I pick your ______about
the best one to buy?
A. brains B. mind C. head D. intellect
Question 74: This is not to ______ questions of strategy and tactics, merely
to place them in an appropriate context.
A. evade B. shirk C. duck D. dodge
204
Question 75: Don't expect to have me at your beck and ______.

A. cry B. ring C. need D. call
Question 76: Kids today are ______on a constant diet of pop music and
television.
A. fostered B. raised C. nurtured D. grown
Question 77: This is by no means an ______list but it gives an indication of

the many projects taking place.
A. exhaustive B. exhaustible C. exhausted D. exalted
Question 78: She was the only woman to rise to such an ______position.
A. exhaustive B. exorbitant C. execrable D. exalted
Question 79: My sisters don't see ______with me about the arrangements.

A. face to face  B. at loggerheads C. eye to eye D. on tenterhooks
Question 80: His theory ran ______to the beliefs of his time.
A. counter B. against C. opposed D. opposite
Question 81: She must know the play ______by now.

A. forwards B. backwards C. sideways D. upside down
Question 82: The durable goods orders report should help to ______ fears
of a marked slowdown in factory activity.
A. avert B. restore C. allay D.hit
Question 83: Because he was an ______criminal, he was sentenced to life

imprisonment.
A. illegible B. impenetrable C. impermeable D. incorrigible
Question 84: The lecturer wanted to lay ______on the importance of

education.
A.mention B. point C. highlight D. stress
Question 85: Hopes of a peaceful settlement have been ______

A. torn B. tarnished C. dashed D. smashed
205
Question 86: His patience began to wear ______ during the long wait.
A. thin B. rusty C. empty D. perished

Question 87: Sandra will be at least 15 minutes late - that's a ______
A. must B. definite C.deal D. given
Question 88: A: ‘Oh, I’m exhausted! I’ve been doing homework all day.’
B: ‘Come and put your _______ up for 5 minutes and I’ll make you a cup of tea.’
A. hands B. hair C. heart D. feet
Question 89: If you want a flat in the centre of the city, you have to pay
through the _______ for it.
A. teeth B. head C. nose D. arm
Question 90: The entire staff was thrown off ______ when the news of the
takeover was announced.
A. composure B. disarray C. stable D. balance
Question 91: I found the information for the project in the encyclopedia but
I couldn’t give ____________and verse on it.
A. chapter B. unit C. poem D. extract
Question 92: She expects the political experience gained in this election will
stand her in good _______ in her future career, which, she suggests, could
include another campaign.
A. footing B. grounding C. precedent D. stead
Question 93: They spend so much time arguing that, when it comes to the
_______, decisions are often deferred.
A. crunch B. outcry C. panic stations D. uproar
Question 94: Working night shifts at the weekend is _______ of any job in
hospitality.
A. cut and thrust B. ebb and flow C. nuts and bolts D. part and parcel
206
Question 95: Mr Wellbred went to a school which______ good manners and

self-discipline.
A. blossomed B. planted C. harvested D. cultivated
Question 96: What are you going to do when all your money ________.
A. runs down B. runs deep C. runs dry D. runs short
Question 97: You've got a whole week to yourself and you can read to your
heart's ________.
A. happiness B. content C. contentment D. delight
Question 98: The only ________ feature of the job is the salary.
A. saving B. redeeming C. recovering D. acquitting
Question 99: I’ll keep you ________ on his progress.

A. noticed B. announced C. mailed D. posted
Question 100: Congratulations on your success! How does it feel to

be_______?
A. the man of the hour B. a word of honor
C. an egg on the face D. the top of the morning
207
ĐÁP ÁN:
1.C grin and bear it: chấp nhận cái gì, không phàn nàn
2.B there and then: ngay lập tức
3.D be in a tearing hurry: vội vội vàng vàng
4.B be down in the dumps: buồn thối ruột
5.B gut feeling: trực giác, linh cảm
6.A bear/stand comparison with: có thể sánh ngang với
7.A grow/increase, etc by leaps and bounds: tăng trưởng nhanh chóng
8.B scared stiff: sợ cứng người
9.A go by the book: tuân thủ luật lệ
10.C under no illusions about: không còn mộng tưởng nữa
11.B reconcile oneself to sth: phải tự bản thân chấp nhận rằng
12.A scrimp and save: tiết kiệm từng chút một
13.B in the right frame of mind: tâm trạng tốt, sẵn sàng
14.A exert oneself: nỗ lực hết mình
15.C let it drop/rest: không bàn luận việc gì hoặc vô tình để lộ bí mật
16.B at my wit’s end: rất bối rối, lo lắng, không biết nên làm gì
17.B follow the herd: theo số đông
18.D there are plenty more fish in the sea: còn nhiều sự lựa chọn khác
19.B hear something (straight) from the horse's mouth: nghe từ thông tin trực
tiếp
20.D unknown quantity: nhân tố bí ẩn
21.A go a long way toward(s) doing sth: rất có ích
22.D think about sth in the abstract: nghĩ chung chung
23.C get out of hand: mất kiểm soát
24.A in the grip of: trải quá giai đoạn khó khăn nào đó
25.B grab the opportunity: bắt lấy cơ hội
26.C pass up a chance: bỏ lỡ cơ hội
27.B on the rocks: gặp nguy hiểm
28.D out of the woods: không gặp nguy hiểm, khó khăn nữa
29.C be all at sea: bối rối
30.A put down roots: an cư lập nghiệp, ổn định cuộc sống lâu dài
31.A in full swing: đang cao trào
32.C dont give up your day job: đừng mơ mộng hão huyền
33.D come to the fore: trở nên quan trọng
34.C hit home: được hiểu hoàn toàn
208
35.C second nature: bản năng thứ 2 (thứ mà mình giỏi)

36.B up and coming: có triển vọng
37.D toe the line: tuân thủ quy tắc, luật lệ
38.D in the back of beyond: nơi xa xôi hẻo lánh
39.B go against the grain: trái ngược với những gì mình cho là đúng
40.A heart to heart talk: trò chuyện chân thành
41.C blank look: cái nhìn ngơ ngác
42.C take issue with sb: tranh cãi với ai
43.D on the level: có thể tin được
44.B pay homage to: bày tỏ lòng thành kính
45.A put on an act: giả vờ
46.B last straw: giọt nước tràn ly
47.C like looking for a needle in a haystack: như mò kim đáy bể
48.C tie in well: phù hợp, hài hòa
49.C swot up on: học bục mặt, cố nhồi nhét kiến thức
50.A paint the town red: nhậu nhẹt, chè chén
51.C in broad daylight: ban ngày ban mặt
52.C on the dot: chính xác (giờ giấc)
53.A put my finger on: chỉ ra
54.A on the loose: xổng/trốn thoát
55.B downright rude: hết sức thô lỗ
56.A the ins and outs: mọi chi tiết to nhỏ
57.C touch and go: không chắc chắn
58.A blazing row: tranh cãi nảy lửa
59.A walk on eggs/eggshells: hết sức cẩn thận không làm gì sai
60.C at the discretion of sb: thuộc quyền ai
61.D know no bounds: không có giới hạn
62.B have sth under one’s belt: có được cái gì
63.A come to a head: đến giai đoạn cao trào
64.B be for the high jump: sắp bị trừng phạt
65.D extricate oneself from sth: tách ai ra khỏi cái gì
66.B rise to the challenge/occasion: đối phó được với thử thách
67.D cramp one's style: cản trở ai
68.B be cracked up to be: theo lời đồn
69.A be of little consequence: không quan trọng lắm
70.C thanks all the same: dù sao cũng cảm ơn
209
71.D up in the air: chưa xác định, chưa chắc sẽ xảy ra

72.A run riot: (trí tưởng tượng) kì lạ, sáng tạo; (người) quậy phá
73.A pick yoủ brains: tham khảo ý kiến
74.A evade question: lẩn tránh câu hỏi
75.D at one’s beck and call: phục tùng ai
76.B be raised on: được nuôi dưỡng dựa trên cái gì
77.A exhaustive: thấu đáo, chi tiết
78.D exalted position: vị trí cao quý
79.C see eye to eye with sb about sth: đồng quan điểm với ai về cái gì
80.A run counter to sth: đi ngược lại với cái gì
81.B know sth backwards: biết tường tận cái gì
82.C allay fears: xua đuổi nỗi sợ hãi
83.D incorrigible criminal: tội phạm hết thuốc chữa
84.D lay stress on: nhấn mạnh, đặt tầm quan trọng lên cái gì
85.C dash one’s hope: làm tan biến hi vọng
86.A wear thin: (lòng kiên nhẫn) mất dần; (trò đùa): tẻ nhạt, không buồn cười
87.D that’s a given: đó là điều hiển nhiên
88.D put you feet up: thư giãn
89.C pay through the nose for sth: trả giá đắt cho cái gì
90.A throw sb off balance: làm ai bối rối, buồn bã, làm họ đứng không vững
91.A give chapter and verse on sth: đưa ra thông tin chính xác cho cái gì
92.D stand sb in good stead: có ích cho ai, giúp họ có chỗ đứng tốt
93.A when it comes to the crunch: khi tình huống nghiêm trọng và cần phải
hành động
94.D be part and parcel of sth: phần không thể thiếu của cái gì
95.D cultivate one’s good manner: nuôi dưỡng nhân cách, phẩm hạnh
96.C run dry: hết (tiền)
97.B to your heart’s content: bao lâu tùy thích
98.B redeeming feature: điểm bù trừ
99.D keep sb posted about/on sth: thông báo cho ai biết về cái gì
100.A the man of the hour: người được ngưỡng mộ, tôn trọng nhất
210
BÀI TẬP TĂNG CƯỜNG 2

(Tác giả phát triển các đáp án dựa trên 1 câu ví dụ mẫu)
Question 1: Sofia is a wonderful nurse. She'll always go the _______ mile for
her patients.
A. bonus B. further C. extra D. added
Question 2: Our team was doing well for a while, but they got tired and then
the _______ fell off.
A. spirits B. moods C. attitudes D. wheels
Question 3: The school refused to take any of the parents' criticisms on

________.
A. board B. top C. peak D. height
Question 4: This new project will take us into ________ territory.

A. unknown B. undiscovered C. untapped D. uncharted
Question 5: Does this mean our holiday plans will have to go by the _______?
A. storm B. board C. name D. air
Question 6: I had no idea how to do it - I was just flying by the _______ of

my pants.
A. side B. part C. seat D. border
Question 7: You're ________ a dead horse trying to persuade Kim to move

house again.
A. directing B. demanding C. inciting D. flogging
Question 8: Everyone thought the test was a _______.

A. air B. current C. breeze D. gust
Question 9: Come on, let's get this _______ on the road or we'll be late.
A. perfỏmance B. display C. show D. appearance
211
Question 10: I've met her, but I'm not on a first-name _______ with her.
A. phrases B. terms C. languages D. bases
Question 11: My grandfather said he would pay for me to go to college, and he

made _______ on that promise.
A. good B. perfect C. usèul D. true
Question 12: I had very little information about the company, so writing to
them was a _______ in the dark.
A. jump B. bound C. dash D. leap
Question 13: I think the senator will be licking his _______ for a while after
that disastrous debate performance.
A. bruises B. wounds C. pains D. injuries
Question 14: The kids need to be able to explore the world around
them—don't _______ their wings.
A. shave B. trim C. prune D. clip
Question 15: A: "Would you like more?" B: "Oh, no thank you. Enough is as
good as a _______."
A. feast B. banquet C. spread D. party
Question 16: Your grandmother arrives tomorrow and the house is still a
mess—I need all hands on _______ to help me clean!
A. board B. table C. deck D. port
Question 17: I tend to give the city centre a _______ berth on Saturdays
because it's so busy.
A. narrow B. large C. limit D. wide
Question 18: You can't just _______ and run when your friends are in
trouble..
A. cut B. hid C. disguised D. beat
212
Question 19: "We could just lend her the money." "No, don't even
_______there - we're not lending her anything."
A. fly B. move C. go D. run
Question 20: He keeps saying it will be all right on the _______, but he
hasn't done any studying for this exam yet!
A. morning B. noon C. afternoon D. night
Question 21: Our rival company managed to steal a _______ on us by bringing

out their software ahead of ours.
A. march B. line C. shine D. kindle
Question 22: Sometimes it's a real _______ of wills between me and my dog -
he wants to go one way across the park and I want to go another!
A. dispute B. fight C. battle D. quarrel
Question 23: He gave an awful speech. He made lots of jokes but nobody
laughed. It made my _______ curl.
A. skin B. fingers C. hair D. toes
Question 24: The coach didn't _______ any punches when he told the team
how badly they had played.
A. push B. drag C. pull D. haul
Question 25: My coach always said, "Basketball is not ________ science. It's
about putting the ball in the basket.".
A. spaceship B. torpedo C. submarine D. rocket
Question 26: The funding for the project was withdrawn so that really threw
a _______ in the works.
A. spanner B. crew C. bolt D. wrench
Question 27: That suggestion of yours might just become a reality—I do have
the _______ of the CEO, you know.
A. hand B. eye C. ear D. mind
213
Question 28: Steve is a man of many _______ —he's a good student, a

talented musician, and a great football player.
A. fields B. parts C. sides D. pieces
Question 29: He's a real _______ for punishment, taking on all that extra
work without getting paid for it.
A. glutton B. gourmet C. connoisseur D. hunger
Question 30: The hotel does exactly what it says on the _______ and offers
customers a relaxing break.
A. bag B. box C. tin D. packet
Question 31: He's used to strenuous movements- this is a walk in the

_______ to him.
A. lane B. forest C. park D. garden
Question 32: Joe was _______ by the travel bug as a five-year-old.

A. stung B. wounded C. sunk D. bitten
Question 33: That's a _______ time to ask your father to hang out after his
preparing a square meal for you.
A. suitable B. reasonable C. right D. fine
Question 34: We won the match, but the results were rather too close for
_______.
A. comfort B. enjoyment C. pleasure D. relaxation
Question 35: Two weeks before launching products, it's always panic _______
as we realize how much we still have to prepare.
A. terminals B. stations C. pit stops D. depots
Question 36: To be honest, you're better off leaving well _____ at this point.
She's so angry that anything you say will just make things worse.
A. lonely B. solely C. only D. alone
214
Question 37: He's into judo _______ time.

A. high B. fine C. big D. in
Question 38: A: I don't think we should react to their insults. B: I agree.

Let's just turn the other _______.
A. mouth B. nose C. cheek D. tongue
Question 39: I get to work from home and spend a lot of time with my kids, so
it's certainly a cushy _______.
A. amount B. bulk C. number D.volume
Question 40: Thanks to this event, I had an opportunity to rub ________

with some of today's greatest American poets.
A. hands B. shoulders C. noses D. faces
Question 41: You did it by chance. Don’t lose any _______ over a small
mistake.
A. money B. time C. health D. sleep
Question 42: The latest opinion polls suggest that his days as leader are
________.
A. counted B. numbered C. limited D. lessened
Question 43: "I didn't know he wrote poetry." "Yes - he also does painting.
There's more to him than _______ the eye."
A. met B. meet C. meets D. meeting
Question 44: The latest economic news has given investors ________ for
thought.
A. pause B. interval C. lapse D. spell
Question 45: She may still have a few fans in the world, but she is definitely
past her __________.
A. fame B. abilities C. prime D. fortune
215
Question 46: Her sales figures are climbing; she should ask for a pay rise
while she's still on a _________.
A. run B. roll C. rush D. roam
Question 47: It's _________ clear that television is taking us down roads
that no one in their right mind would wish for the medium.
A. abundantly B. out-and-out C. outright D. plain
Question 48: We all feel that his jokes about immigrants were in very poor
_________.
A. form B. view C. feeling D. taste
Question 49: I find books quite ______ going.

A. light B. easy C. heavy D. difficult
Question 50: I wish the band played more of their new material and didn't
just play to the _______ with their greatest hits the whole night.
A. gallery B. museum C. cinema D. theatre
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ĐÁP ÁN:
1.C go the extra mile: sẵn sàng làm việc hơn trách nhiệm được giao
2.D the wheels fall off: mọi việc xảy ra không theo ý muốn
3.A take sth on board: lắng nghe và chấp nhận ý kiến, đề nghị
4.D uncharted waters/territory/area etc: 1 tình huống/hoạt động mà bạn chưa
từng thử trước đây
5.B go by the board: bị quên lãng hoặc không được sử dụng
6.C fly by the seat of your pants: làm việc gì khó mà không cần kĩ năng
7.D flog a dead horse: wasting time trying to do something that won't succeed
(usually used in continuous tenses) ~ quất mạnh vào con ngựa chết
8.C be a breeze: to be extremely easy
9.C get the/this show on the road: bắt đầu một việc gì đó đã lên kế hoạch
10.B to be on first name terms/basis: có mối quan hệ thân thiết (đến mức
chúng ta có thể gọi người đó bằng tên ~ first name)
11.A make good on something: thực hiện đúng như những gì bạn nói sẽ làm
12.D a leap in the dark: hành động mù quáng, không suy nghĩ
13.B lick your wounds: dành thời gian lấy lại sự tự tin, khả năng, sức mạnh
14.D to clip someone's wings: to restrict one's freedom
15.A enough is as good as a feast: you shouldn't have more of something than
16.C all hands on deck: đồng tâm hiệp lực, tất cả cùng chung tay
17.D give sth/sb a wide berth: to avoid a person or place
18.A cut and run: to get out of a situation when it becomes too difficult or
unpleasant
19.C don't even go there: do not even talk or think about that subject
20.D it'll be all right on the night: rồi mọi chuyện cũng sẽ đâu vào đấy
21.A stole a march on sb: get an advantage over sb by acting before they do
22.C a battle of wills: cuộc đấu tranh tư tưởng
23.D make one's toes curl: làm mình cảm thấy xấu hổ thay ai
24.C not pull any punches: nói thẳng, không cần giữ ý tứ
25.B not cricket: not right or fair behaviour
26.A put/throw a spanner in the works( cờ lê): to do something that prevents a
plan or activity from succeeding
27.C have the ear of sb: if you have the ear of an important person, your ideas
are listened to and considered important by that person ~ được người có
quyền lực chú ý đến ý kiến của mình
217
28.B a man/woman of many parts: a man/woman who is capable of doing many

things
29.A a glutton for punishment: someone who is willing to do something even
though it is difficult or unpleasant
30.C does exactly what it says on the tin: does exactly what it claims to do: ~
đúng như trên quảng cáo, như những gì đã cam kết
31.C a walk in the park: something that is very easy to do
32.D be bitten by the ... bug: to become very enthusiastic about something
33.D fine (adj): bad or not convenient
34.A be too close for comfort: to be so close to you that you feel worried or
frightened ~ còn quá sớm để vui mừng
35.B panic stations: a situation in which people feel worried and nervous
because things need to be done quickly ~ tình huống rất khẩn trương
36.D leave well alone: để cái gì yên như thế, vì nếu làm thêm có thể sẽ gây rắc
rối
37.C big time: if you do something big time, you do it to a great degree
38.C turn the other cheek: to not do anything to hurt someone who has hurt
you
39.C cushy number: an easy job
40.B rub shoulders with sb: to spend time with famous people
41.D not lose sleep over: to not let something worry or upset you
42.B sb's/sth's days are numbered: ngày tàn của ai/cái gì sắp đến
43.C be more to this than meets the eye: còn nhiều điều về cái gì mà bạn chưa
biết
44.A give sb pause (for thought): to make someone think carefully about
something
45.C past one’s prime: qua tuổi thanh xuân, thời hoàng kim
46.B on a roll:đang trên đà thành công
47.A abundantly clear: vô cùng rõ ràng
48.D in poor taste: inappropriate or offensive
49.C heavy going: khó đọc, khó hiểu
50.A play to the gallery: to behave in a way intended to make people admire or
support you
218
ĐỀ LUYỆN TẬP
 (Tác giả biên soạn và sưu tầm)
Thời gian: 120 phút

Họ và tên thí sinh : ...............................................
Lớp : ............
Số điểm : ......./ 115 câu = ......./ 23 điểm
I.LISTENING
Please access the link below to complete the listening exercises:
https://bitly.com.vn/g3bk1p
“What would happen if you didn’t drink water?”

- Mia Nacamulli -
Questions 1-8
Provide TWO answers of NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each question
Which TWO organs in our body are almost 75% water?
1. ..........................................
2. ..........................................
Which are the two extremes of water consumption?
3. ..........................................
4. ..........................................
What does the recommended water intake depend on?
5. ..........................................
6. ..........................................
Where else can you find your necessary water intake?
7. ..........................................
8. ..........................................
Questions 9-12
For each question choose the correct answer A, B, or C.
219
9. What percentage of a human baby is made of water at birth?

A. 55% B. 65% C. 75%
10. How do we mainly lose water each day?
A. Breathing B. Urinating C. Both of the above
11. What problem does a dehydrated brain have?
A. Shrinks B. Shakes C. Melts
12. What’s the amount of water consumption recommended for women?
A. 2.5 to 2.7 B. 2 to 2.7 C. 2.5 to 3.7
II. MULTIPLE CHOICES

● Idiom, Collocation, Phrasal Verb, Vocabulary:
Question 1: I ................ my chances in the competition because I know I can run
faster than the other girls.
A. desire B. fancy C. wish D. dream
Question 2: They were busy so I left - I didn't want to ............... my welcome.

A. outstay B. outlive C. outgrow D. outbid
Question 3: When you take the exam, you should break the ................. of the
chemical equations first, since they give you the most trouble.
A. back B. rear C. tail D. end
Question 4: You and your family look like the ............. of happiness in these
photos!
A.portrait B. sketch C. delineation D. picture
Question 5: If you are going to town, keep your eyes ................ for that book I
was telling you about.
A. peeled B. clean C. wide D. fresh
Question 6: She used every trick in the ................ to claim his inheritance but to
no avail.
A. tale B. story C. book D. novel
Question 7: I spent the ............... part of a day cleaning that kitchen!

A. greatest B. best C. most D. largest
220
Question 8: The Secretary of State handled the matter ................. and

prevented a war.
A. adroitly B. intensely C. abjectly D. slightly
Question 9: I've been looking for a new stereo system for my car, and this is
just the..............
A. business B. job C. work D. task
Question 10: Make sure that personal motivation is not .............. your judgment.
A. clouding B. fogging C. misting D. storming
Question 11: You should know better than to wear a skirt like that to a formal
dinner; it is simply not the .............. thing!
A. fixed B. completed C. done D. down
Question 12: Any experience you can get in dealing with the public will ...............
you in good stead no matter what line of work you go into.
A. erect B. mount C. rear D. stand
Question 13: Though we'd all been close on the school trip, we parted ______
with one another once we were back home.
A. views B. friendship C. company D. opinions
Question 14: You can take it as a ............... that there will be champagne at the
wedding.
A. must B. given C. need D. right
Question 15: The snowstorm is really ................ rush-hour traffic.

A. played downed B. played havoc with
C. played itself in D. played up to
Question 16: I don't like intellectual novels, serious music or films; my tastes
are quite ...................
A. flat-topped B. lowbrow C. shamefaced D. slow-witted
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Question 17: Congratulations on your success! How does it feel to be

..................?
A. the man of the hour B. a word of honor
C. an egg on the face D. the top of the morning
Question 18: When it comes to exciting cities, New York is in a ................. of its
own.
A. school B. league C. degree D. class
Question 19: The peace of the public library was .............. by the sound of
transistor radio.
A. smashed B. fractured C. demolished D. shattered
Question 20: We had to .............. in the back of the car for an hour to find the
missing keys.
A. bed out B. ransack C. root around D. turn upside down
Question 21: I know you have a good voice and have ambitions to be an opera
singer but do not give up your day ............... yet.
A. situation B. work C. job D. place
Question 22: My mother’s face .............. when she saw that the meal she'd
spent all day preparing had burned in the oven.
A. fell B. failed C. declined D. dropped
Question 23: Finding the piece of paper I need in this huge pile of documents
is like looking for a ......................
A. salt of the earth B. sand in the desert
C. needle in a haystack D. drop in the ocean
Question 24: I only asked for a summary of the main points but she’s making a
real ............. out of it.
A. meal B. food C. dish D. course
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Question 25: The littlest thing tends to anger my mother, so I feel like I have
to walk on ______ whenever I'm at her house.
A. eggshells B. nutshells C. bombshells D. seashells
● One word, different meanings:

Question 1: It was a ............... example of how to deal with the problem.
A. coursebook B. workbook C. textbook D. schoolbook
Question 2: I managed to ............ a couple of tickets to the World Cup final.

A. mark B. record C. register D. score
Question 3: He's old enough now to earn his ............. and stop living off his
parents.
A. intake B. keep C. upkeep D. carry
Question 4: Clean and ............... the wound immediately.

A. wear B. dress C. clothe D. decorate
Question 5: I'm trying to ............... a meeting between them.

A. doctor B. nurse C. engineer D. police
Question 6: She’s certainly ................ the goods. Everything is ready as she said
it would be.
A. delivered B. carried C. transported D. brought
Question 7: Heart surgery ................. tremendous skill and concentration.

A. correct B. exact C. precise D. accurate
Question 8: They have begun to vaccinate children in an attempt to ............ the

spread of the disease.
A. prove B. test C. examine D. check
Question 9: Three of their players were out injured, but there’s still no excuse
for such a ................. performance.
A. walking B. strolling C. pedestrian D. striding
223
Question 10: He ................... the hope that he would one day be one of the
top-notch singers.
A. gathered B. fetched C. pleased D. entertained
Question 11: Mr Wellbred went to a school which______ good manners and

self-discipline.
A. blossomed B. planted C. harvested D. cultivated.
Question 12: A doctor by profession, this is her first ............... into operating.
A. safari B. excursion C. expedition D. exploration

Question 13: "He said I looked fat." "That's a bit ............. coming from him."
A. aplenty B. rich C. poorly D. fatty
Question 14: For a millionaire like him, money is no ...............

A. object B. article C. item D. gadget
Question 15: I love kids, but watching 20 of them at once is no .............., believe
me!
A. outing B. sightseeing C. hangout D. picnic
III. FILL IN THE BANK WITH THE SUITABLE PREPOSITIONS

Question 1: I haven't seen my childhood best friend in years. I wonder what
became ........... her.
Question 2: My idea of a holiday is to stay in a five-star hotel and just wallow
........... luxury for a week.
Question 3: She was rooted ............ the spot with fear.
Question 4: For Tony, owning a big car was a badge ............ success.
Question 5: He wrestled ............ the decision for several weeks, wondering what
he should do.
Question 6: The soldiers were accused of fraternizing ............. the enemy.
Question 7: How could you stand ................ and watched him beat the children
like that ?
Question 8: The murderer has been condemned ................. death.
Question 9: You can't just sit ............. and wait for job offers to come to you.
Question 10: I like to think that our love of reading will rub ............... on our
children.
224
IV. READING
A. Cloze Test
Cressida Cowell is the author of the widely-praised How to Train your Dragon
series of children’s books. She spent her own childhood holidays on a remote
island, where she was left very much to her own (1)________. As a result, she
became an avid reader, entertaining (2)________ with books and developing a
fervent imagination. She even
(3)________ up her own secret languages. Cowell believes that today’s
children still have a real (4)________ for language, even though their
attention (5)________ may not be as great as in her day, (6)________ them
less tolerant of descriptive passages in stories. Her books
are outlandish and exciting, with vivid imagery, cliffhangers and eye-catching
illustrations. Dragons seem to (7)________ to children of all nationalities, who
also seem to (8)________ with her 203 protagonist, Hiccup, quite easily.
Hiccup is a boy who battles his way through
life problems, often against the (9)________ . Cowell is currently planning an
illustrated book for teenagers. In her own words, she enjoys breaking the
(10)________ and finds that kids are open-minded enough to accept this.
B. Open Cloze Test (CPE)
Fear of Flying
Fear of flying is among the most understandable and prevalent of phobias. One
person in four suffers (1) ..... anxiety at the idea of boarding a plane - as a pet
(2) ..... it ranks alongside fear of snakes - and one in 10 refuses to fly under any
circumstances. The agony is not just being five miles high with no visible (3) .....
of support, but having absolutely no control. Risks aren't the problem, but
fear. The argument that we are in greater
(4) ..... in a car, or boiling an egg, is irrelevant. The phobia cuts sufferers off
from friends and families, and can damage careers.
But most will overcome their fear (even if they will never leap aboard planes
with a (5) ..... heart) by understanding more about how and why an aircraft
flies, and learning how to cope with anxiety. Every six weeks, two experienced
British Airways captains, Douglas Ord and Peter Hughes, persuade two
planeloads of nervous and often terrified passengers
225
into the sky. About 95 per cent of them are then "cured" (6) ..... the extent
that they can board a plane without feeling overwhelming panic.
1. A. severe B. harsh C. austere D. stern

2. A. disgust B. distaste C. hate D. horror
3. A. grounds B. resource C. means D. resort
4. A. hazard B. peril C. menace D. threat
5. A. soft B. gentle C. bright D. light
6. A. to B. with C. by D. in
A Private Man
Alec Guinness is a difficult subject for a biographer. He has, very deliberately,

covered what he wants to hide with a truth that partly satisfies him and (7) .....
the curious. His reaction against revealing himself is deep, instinctive and
should be respected. But while respected, this can also be questioned and not
followed in (8) ..... subservience. Guinness
has frequently defended his privacy. He has also complained that some of his
contemporaries have become, in later life, ‘unexpectedly and brutally frank’.
There is surely only one way to (9) ..... one’s private life, and that is not to
become a public figure. Paul Schofield, another great actor, has done just this,
truly (10) ..... himself the attention that should have been (11) ...... Guinness, on
the other hand, has enjoyed the limelight while
claiming not to; he has enjoyed very much on his own (12) .....
Garry O’Connor, Alec Guinness, Master of Disguise
7. A. swerves B. deflects C. veers D. rebounds

8. A. void B. blind C. blank D. bare
9. A. safeguard B. immunize C. harbour D. cage
10. A. denying B. vetoing C. rejecting D. forgoing
11. A. merit B. justification C. due D. credit
13. A. particulars B. requirements C. rules D. terms
226
V. WORD FORM
A. Provide the correct form of the words in each sentence.
Question 1: Her first novel's _______ success came as a great surprise.
(RUN)
Question 2: When it discovered the loans could not be repaid, the bank became
________ (SOLVE)
Question 3: The low salary is very _______ to our faculty members. (MORAL)
Question 4: As women we tend to be ________ and make light of what we
have achieved. (FACE)
Question 5: Mongolia, although poor, has considerable ________ resources of
oil and minerals. (TAP)
Question 6: It is essential that there is a(n) ________ use of the confidential
information. (AUTHOR)
Question 7: The solutions ________ a wide range of options to suit all tastes
and pockets. (COMPASS)
Question 8: Much as your brother has established himself as the leading
candidate in the national competition, his arrogance and rudeness are a real
__________ for me to start a new relationship. (DEAL)
B. Use the correct form of the word in the box to fit each gap.
There are a myriad of lifestyle issues affecting the youth of today. Such is
the pressure heaped on many school-goers to achieve academic excellence by
their parents that these (9) _______ (REAL) expectations are causing children
to become hopelessly depressed. Indeed, some, in their (10) _______
(DESPAIR) to escape and their sense of guilt at being unable reach the levels
of success demanded of them by their (11) _______ (PUSH) parents, either
rebel in what is (12) _______ (AMOUNT) to a cry for help, or, worse still,
engage in (13) _______ (HARM). It is no coincidence that suicide rates,
expecially amongst young males, have been rising steadily for some time now.
These are tough times to be a teen. Then there are those who get hooked on
the internet; the 14 _______ (VIRTUE) world becomes their reality. For these
teens, their social circle shrinks (15) _______ (DRAMA) until, at last, their
friendship sphere is limited solely to their online (16)_______ (BUD). Not
alone do they commonly suffer from sleep (17) _______ (PRIVATE) on account
of their destructive addiction to game play and net-surfing, their behaviour
may become so (18) _______ (ERR) and peculiar over time as to be considered
(19) _______ (SOCIAL). And while they sit at their computer screens hidden
227
away in splendid isolation from the real world, such is the lack of exercise they
get that their calorie intake far exceeds what is necessary for them to
maintain a stable weight. In essence, due to their sedentary lifestyle, their
weight 20 _______ (ROCKET) until such time as they become morbidly obese.
VI. WRITING
A. For questions 1-5, finish each of the following sentences in such a way that
it means exactly the sentences printed before it.
1. As there are no more questions, we think we can end the meeting.
There _______________________________________________.
2. I’m absolutely sure that he took the money on purpose.

He couldn’t ___________________________________________.
3. We only came to this restaurant because you insisted that we did so.
It was at _____________________________________________.
4. Should there be no qualified paramedic on the premises, call this number.

In the _______________________________________________.
5. In a nutshell, Thomas’s not up to the job.

The long and _________________________________________.
B. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first
sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use
between three and six words, including the word given.
6. Julie meant well so you mustn’t be offended by her comments. AMISS

Please ........................................... because she meant well.
7. Lending Sally so much money was a rather foolish thing to do. BETTER
You should ......................................... Sally so much money.
8. Your empty promises won’t have any effect on her. ICE

Your .....................................................................
228
9. The reason why the two cars collided has been unknown. NO
There’s ..................................................................
10. I’ve become extremely good at organizing the timetables recently. ART
I’ve got organizing the timetables ............................... late.
 -THE END-
Chúc các bạn có những giây phút thoải mái nhất
229
ĐÁP ÁN:
I. LISTENING
1. Brain/Heart (in any order)
2. Brain/Heart (in any order)
3. Dehydration/Overhydration (in any order)
4. Dehydration/Overhydration (in any order)
5. Weight/Environment (in any order)
6. Weight/Environment (in any order)
7. Beverages/Fruits and vegetables (in any order)
8. Beverages/Fruits and vegetables (in any order)
9. C 10. C 11. A 12. B
II. MULTIPLE CHOICES
A. Idiom, Collocation, Phrasal Verb, Vocabulary:

1.B fancy one’s chances: to think that one is likely to succeed.
2.A outstay/overstay your welcome: stay somewhere longer than people want.
3.A break the back of sth: to get most or the worst part of a particular task
done.
4.D the picture of something: a very good example of a particular condition or
attitude.
5.A keep one’s eyes peeled: to watch carefully for someone or something.
6.C every trick in the book: every possible way.
7.B the best/better part of: most of.
8.A adroitly: 1 cách khéo léo
9.B be just the job: to be exactly what you want or need.
10.A cloud someone's judgment: to cause someone to be unable to think clearly
11.C not the done thing: not socially acceptable
12.D something stands/serves/holds someone in good stead: it’s of great use
and benefit to someone.
13.C part company with:
● to go in different directions after having gone in the same direction:
tách ra.
● end a relationship: chấm dứt 1 mối quan hệ. 
14.B given: something that is certain to happen
230
15.B play havoc with something/somebody: to cause issues or disruptions for

someone or something.
16.B lowbrow: not complicated or demanding much intelligence to be
understood.
17.A (the) man/woman of the hour: a person currently being celebrated,
honored, or admired by others, especially for a recent victory or
accomplishment.
18.D be in a class of yours/its own: to be much better than anyone or anything
else.
19.D shatter the peace/silence: to suddenly make a lot of noise in a place that
has been very quiet.
20.C root around (somewhere): to search for something, especially by looking
through other things.
21.C don't give up the day job!: used for telling someone that you do not think
they are
very good at something.
22.A somebody’s face falls: one's expression suddenly looks disappointed or
disheartened.
23.C look for a needle in a haystack: mò kim đáy bể.
24.A make a meal (out) of sth: to spend more time or energy doing something
than is necessary.
25.A walk on eggs/eggshells: be very careful not to offend someone or do
anything wrong.
B. One word, different meanings

1.C textbook: (of an example of something) extremely good or typical.
2.D score: to get something.
3.B keep: living expenses
earn one’s keep
4.B dress: treat injury
5.C engineer: to arrange for something to happen, especially something that is
to your advantage.
6.A deliver the goods: to do what one has promised to do
7.B exact: to demand something
8.D check: prevent something from increasing or continuing.
9.C pedestrian: not interesting; showing very little imagination.
231
10.D entertain: to consider or allow yourself to think about an idea, a hope, a

feeling, etc.
11.D cultivate: to try to develop and improve something.
12.B an excursion into something: an attempt to do something different.
13.B that’s rich (coming from him/you etc): used to describe someone's
opinions when that person has the same bad qualities as the person they are
criticizing.
14.A be no object: used for saying something is no problem.
15.D be no picnic: to be a difficult or unpleasant situation
III. FILL IN THE BANK WITH THE SUITABLE PREPOSITIONS
1. become of something/somebody: to happen to or be a result for something

or someone.
2. wallow in something: to allow yourself to enjoy something completely.
3. be rooted to the spot: be unable to move.
4. be a badge of sth: to be something that shows that you have achieved a
particular thing.
5. wrestle with sth: to try very hard to deal with a problem or to make a
difficult decision.
6. fraternize with somebody: to meet someone socially, especially someone who
belongs to an opposing army or team, or has a different social position.
7. stand by: to allow something unpleasant to happen without doing anything to
stop it.
8. condemn somebody to something: to make someone suffer in a particular
way.
9. sit back: to wait for something to happen without making any effort to do
anything yourself.
10. rub off on somebody: to become part of someone because that person has
been in a place where it was present: lan truyền, tác động đến ai.
IV. READING
A. devices – herself – dreamt – ear – span – making – appeal – identify – odds
– mould/mold
1. leave sb to their own devices: to allow someone to make their own decisions
about what to do.
232
2. entertain oneself with something.

3. dream up something: to invent something new by using a lot of imagination.
4. have an ear for something: if someone has an ear for music or languages,
they are good at hearing, repeating, and understanding these sounds.
5. attention span: the length of time that someone can keep their thoughts and
interest fixed on something.
6. make somebody/something adjective.
7. appeal to somebody: to attract somebody.
8. identify with something: to feel you are like someone and understand the
way that person thinks.
9. against (all) the odds: although there were a lot of problems. (bất chấp khó
khăn)
10. break the mould/mold: to be new and different.
B.
1. A. severe: very serious and very bad.
2. C. pet hate: something that annoys you a lot.
3. C. no means of support.
4. B. in peril = under threat.
5. D. a light heart.
6. A. to the extent that.
7. B. deflect someone (from something): causes them to turn their attention
away from what they are doing or concentrating on.
8. B. blind subservience: automatic, unquestioning obedience.
9. A. safeguard: to protect something
10. A. deny oneself something: to decide not to have something that you would
like.
11. C. your/somebody’s due: something that they deserve or something that
they have a right to have.
12. D. on one’s own terms: in the manner that one prefers.
V. WORD FORM
1. runaway success is surprisingly sudden or great.
2. insolvent: not having enough money to pay debts.
3. demoralizing: making you lose confidence, enthusiasm, and hope.
4. self-effacing: not making yourself noticeable, or not trying to get the
attention of other people.
233
5. untapped: not yet used or taken advantage of.

6. unauthorized/ised: without someone's official permission to do something.
7. encompass: to include different types of things.
8. dealbreaker: a factor or problem that will prevent someone from agreeing to
something, doing something, or buying a particular product.
B.
9. unrealistic: phi thực tế 10. desperation: sự tuyệt vọng
11. pushy: thúc ép 12. tantamount: tương đương với
13. self-harm: tự làm hại bản thân 14. virtual: ảo
15. dramatically: đáng kể 16. buddies: bạn bè
17. deprivation: sự tước đoạt 18. erratic: thất thường 
19. antisocial: khó gần 20. skyrockets: tăng mạnh

VI. WRITING
1. There being no more questions, we think we can end the meeting.

2. He couldn’t possibly have taken the money by mistake/accident/chance.
3. It was at your insistence that we came to this restaurant.
- at someone’s insistence: because someone has said that something must
happen.
4. In the event of there being no qualified paramedic on the premises, call this
number.
- In the event of Noun/ Ving.
5. The long and short of it is that Thomas’s not up to the job.
- the long and the short of it: in a nutshell.
6. Please don’t take Julie’s comments amiss because she meant well.
- take sth amiss: to be offended by something that someone has said to you.
7. You should know better than to lend Sally so much money.
- know better (than to do sth): to be wise enough, experienced enough not to
have done something wrong
8. Your empty promises won’t cut any ice/ will cut no ice with her.
- not cut any ice with/ cut no ice with somebody: to not cause someone to
change their opinion or decision
9. There’s no knowing/telling/saying why the two cars collided.
- there's no knowing/telling/saying: it is impossible to know/say/tell.
234

Raising The Bar Hoc Idiom Qua Hinh Anh - Compress

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Raising THE BAR - học Idiom qua hình ảnh

Raising THE BAR - học Idiom qua hình ảnh

Course: English 999+ documents

University: Trường Đại học Mở Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh

  CHÌA KHÓA SỐ 1: TÔI LÀ NGƯỜI HAY PHÂN VÂN

2. be in/of two minds: to be unable to decide about something ~ vừa thích

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3. be on the horns of a dilemma: to be unable to decide which of two things

7. be spoilt/spoiled for choice: to be unable to choose because there are so

8. be (caught) between a rock and a hard place: to be in a very difficult

9. be torn between something and something: finding it very difficult to

10. walk/tread a tightrope: to deal with a difficult situation, especially one

12. be (caught) in a cleft stick: to be in a very difficult situation in which

13. be at a crossroads: to be at a stage in your life when you have to make a

15. blow hot and cold: to sometimes like or be interested in something or

Question 1: Marry wonders whether to go camp with her friends or to stay at

CHÌA KHOÁ SỐ 2: TÔI LÀ NGƯỜI LUÔN LÀM VIỆC HẾT MÌNH

5. pull an all-nighter: thức trắng cả đêm để học, làm việc

6. eager beaver (n): a person who is willing to work very hard

7. busy bee (n): an industrious person ~ con ong chăm chỉ

11. exert yourself: to make a mental or physical effort ~ tự mình nỗ lực

13. apply oneself to something: to work hard and diligently at something

25. with all one's might: using all your strength

30. stop at nothing: to be willing to do anything, however dishonest etc, in

32. go to the trouble to do something (also take the trouble to do

33. leave no stone unturned: to do everything you can to achieve a good

34. be firing on all cylinders /ˈsɪl.ɪn.dɚ/: to be operating as powerfully and

36. pull your weight: to work as hard as other people in a group

CHÌA KHÓA SỐ 3: TÔI LÀ NGƯỜI TRỐN TRÁNH TRÁCH NHIỆM

1. bury/have your head in the sand: to refuse to think about unpleasant

2. shrug off your responsibility for sth: to treat your responsibility as if it

3. abdicate (your) responsibility: to refuse to be responsible for something,

6. shift the blame/responsibility (onto somebody): to make someone else

8. do a runner: to quickly leave a place to get out of paying for something or

Từ cụm này, sẽ có nghĩa thiên về ngó lơ, bỏ mặc ai/cái gì

9. gloss over sth: to avoid considering something, such as an embarrassing

10. skate over/around sth: to avoid dealing completely with something or to

14. shun (v): ignore or avoid something regularly

15. snub/slight: insult someone by ignoring them or treating them as if they

17. tune out (something/someone): to stop paying attention to something or

20. pay no heed to sth/sb = take no heed of sth/sb: to pay no attention to

BÀI TẬP TRANG SAU

CHÌA KHÓA SỐ 4: TÔI LÀ NGƯỜI BIẾT NHẬN TRÁCH NHIỆM

2. through no fault of her/my etc own: không phải lỗi của ai

3. blame somebody for something = put/lay/pin/place the blame on

4. hold someone responsible: to blame somebody for something

9. be to blame for something: to be the reason for something that happens

10. blameworthy = culpable (adj) (formal): having done something wrong ~

11. the finger of blame/suspicion: if the finger of blame/suspicion points or

15. be brought/called to account: to be forced to explain something you did

Question 4: No one should be looking to ______ the blame on others.

Question 5: So, because I lost the contract, I am supposed to fall on my

CHÌA KHÓA SỐ 5: TÔI LÀ NGƯỜI HAY TỨC GIẬN

2. livid (adj): extremely angry

3. seething (adj): extremely angry but unable or unwilling to express it clearly