Exercise 15: Mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the

following question.

Question 1: The management teams have ____ down their original proposals to avoid an industrial
dispute.

A. whittled B. dampened C. watered D. simmered

Question 2: He’s a tough politician – he knows how to _____ the storm.

A. run down B. keep up C. push back D. ride out

Question 3: 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 4: The country has few natural resources and its economy had been ________ for some
time now.

A. diseased B. unwell C. sickening D. ailing

Question 5: He was unaware that he was being _____ with out-of-date stock.

A. faded away B. clamped down C. petered out D. fobbed off

Question 6: The sheep were huddled into a _____ to protect them from overnight frosts.

A. pen B. hutch C. kennel D. barn

Question 7: They worked from dawn to dusk with such ______ that they were exhausted.

A. boredom B. zeal C. crack D. debility

Question 8: I overslept this morning and caught the last bus to school by ____.

A. the hair of my head C. the nail of my finger

B. the skin of my teeth D. the skin of my heels

Question 9: It was ________ clear to me what they meant by their cold manner.

A. blatantly B. fully C. abundantly D. acutely

Question 10: The international conference of the Cardiological Association has been _____ in Cairo
to discuss the revolutionary discovery of doctor Gonzales from Mexico.

A. deployed B. collected C. mobilized D. summoned

Question 11: I had a small accident with the car. One of the wings is a little ______.

A. stained B. jammed C. dented D. cracked

Question 12: I’ve only been here for a week so I haven’t got into the ____ yet.

A. swings of things B. groove of things C. rut of things D. swing of routine

Question 13: - Peter: How old do you think Perkins is?

- Patrick: Oh, he must be getting ____ eighty, I’d say.

A. away with B. about at C. down to D. on for

Question 14: He wasn’t particularly good. He was of about _____ ability.

A. average B. chronic C. frenetic D. latest

Question 15: I don’t think we can succeed without the ______ acceptance of the unions.

A. careful B. plain C. wholehearted D. final

Question 16: Nobody from the President down should imagine they are _____ the law.

A. beyond B. over C. within D. above

Question 17: There are always a lot of ______ activities going on but nothing much seems to get
done!

A. warm-up B. yellow C. extreme D. frenetic

Question 18: I’m afraid her husband has got a(n) _______ addiction to gambling.

A. compulsive B. continuous C. chronic D. unending

Question 19: His strange behavior aroused the _______ of police.

A. doubt B. suspicion C. disbelief D. notice

Question 20: When his parents are away, his oldest brother __________.

A. knocks it off B. calls the shots C. draws the line D. is in the same boat

Question 21: Certain kinds of plants can grow only in _____ soil.

A. loose B. slack C. sparse D. scarce

Question 22: _______ earning all that money if you don’t have time to enjoy it ?

A. Is it to the good B. What’s the good of C. Is it all to the good D. Is it for good

Question 23: ________ to interfere in your affairs but I would like to give you just one piece of
advice.

A. It is far from clear B. Far from it for me C. Far and wide for me D. Far be it from me

Question 24: I don’t know ________ the new manager.

A. what to do of B. what to make of C. how to do of D. how to make of

Question 25: Sam looked as if he ______ in the world.

A. weren’t cared B. weren’t taken into care C. didn’t have a care D. weren’t in the care

Question 26: What’s all this crying ________ ?

A. without the aid of B. in aid of C. with the aid of D. within the aid of

Question 27: He is not a very outspoken person, so we may find it hard to ______ his opinions.

A. leak out B. come off C. sound out D. bring round

Question 28: Your report ______ the side effects of the venture. Why not write more about its good
points, Mr. Hewitt?

A. backs down B. takes to C. dwells on D. makes out

Question 29: Mrs. Black has promised to be _________ service on Monday. I hope she keeps her
word or else I won’t manage to prepare everything in time.

A. in B. on C. of D. within

Question 30: He was absolutely ________ with anger when he found that I had scratched his car.
 A. burned B. carmine C. fickle D. livid

Question 31: He glanced at Juliet accusingly and she looked _______ abashed.

A. suitably B. completely C. utterly D. absolutely

Question 32: Everyone was there ______ Linda. She was too sick to come.

A. save B. take C. make D. have

Question 33: I was kept awake for most of the night by the ______ of a mosquito in my ear.

A. whine B. moan C. groan D. screech

Question 34: ‘‘I think we ought to see the rest of the exhibition as quickly as we can, ____ that it
closes in half an hour. ’’

A. granted B. assuming C. given D. knowing

Question 35: If you never put oil in your engine, one day it will _________.

A. flake out B. shut down C. go off D. seize up

Question 36: After a fall in profits, the company decided _______ the hotel business.

A. to pull out of B. to back off from C. to take out of D. to keep away from

Question 37: She’s rung _______. I must have said something to upset her.

A. up B. round C. back D. off

Question 38: Our class monitor had a brilliant speech yesterday although he spoke ____ the cuff
then.

A. about B. with C. off D. on

Question 39: Cali gambled away all his father’s legacy and finally he ____ his family _____ misery.

A. put/ in B. threw/ into C. made/ in D. led/ to

Question 40: He’s sometimes bad tempered but he’s a good fellow ____ heart.

A. by B. at C. with D. in
Question 41: 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 42: Did you see Jonathan this morning ? He looked like ____. It must have been quite a
party last night.

A. a wet blanket B. a dead duck C. death warmed up D. a bear with a sore head

Question 43: The general was convinced that if his army could make the first ____ strike, they
would be able to win the battle.

A. enigmatic B. pre-emptive C. showdown D. rudimentary

Question 44: Royce is unlikely to _____ any surprises.

A. springs B. leaps C. sources D. traces

Question 45: Judging from the noise it is making, the washing machine is on its last ______.

A. grasp B. legs C. resort D. breath

Question 46: As a poet, I think she _______ comparison with the greatest this century.

A. makes B. stands C. leads D. matches

Question 47: He gave me his personal ________ that his draft would be ready by Friday.

A. endurance B. insurance C. assurance D. ensurance

Question 48: The weather forecast was for rain, but the day was fine and dry, ________ it turned
out.

A. when B. though C. like D. as

Question 49: When Mary rented her apartment through a broker, she didn’t have enough money to
pay both rent and broker ___________.

A. rentals B. reductions C. listings D. fees

Question 50: She ______ agreed to go with him to the football match although she had no interest in
the game at all.

A. apologetically B. grudgingly C. shamefacedly D. discreetly

Key to Exercise

Question Key Explanation

1 C Water down : làm dịu đi/ làm yếu đi tính cực đoan/ quá mức của cái gì
để nó trở nên dễ chấp nhận hơn

2 D
Ride out the storm: vượt qua thử thách

3 A
Cite/ give/ have chapter and verse on st: nói có sách mách có chứng

4 D
Ail = làm cho/ cảm thấy yếu đi

Fob sb off st = thuyết phục ai chấp nhận cái gì chất lượng tồi hoặc thứ
mà khác xa cái họ thật sự muốn
5 D
Clamp down on sb/st: tìm biện pháp mạnh nhằm dìm nén hay ngăn chặn
hoạt động gì nguy hiểm hoặc ko muốn xảy ra.

Peter out= become weaker.

6 A
Pen= bãi nhốt cừu

Zeal: sốt sắng, hăng hái nhiệt tình

7 B
Debility: sự yếu ớt suy nhược

8 B
By/ with the skin of one’s teeth: suýt sao, trong gang tấc

9 C
Abundantly clear: vô cùng rõ ràng

10 D
Summon a conference: triệu tập một hội nghị

11 C
Dented: bị mẻ/ lõm

12 A Get into the swing of things: bắt đầu hiểu, thích thú và sôi nổi về hoạt
động nào đó
13 D
Get on for + time: gần mấy giờ; gần khoảng thời gian

14 A
Average ability: thuộc hạng thường

15 C
Wholehearted: toàn tâm toàn ý

16 D Above the law: quan trọng/ quyền hành hơn luật pháp nên ko tuân theo
luật

17 D Frenetic activity: những hoạt động gồm nhiều sự chuyển dịch, sự linh
hoạt nhanh chóng

18 C
Chronic addiction: sự nghiện ngập kinh niên, ăn sâu vào máu

19 B Arise suspicion/ hostility/ resentment: gây nhiều nghi ngờ/ thù hằn/ oán
giận

20 B
Call the shots/ tune: dẫn đầu trong việc quyết định mọi việc ra sao

21 A
Loose soil: đất bở/ tơi

22 B What’s the good of…?= what good is …? Dùng để nói rằng cái gì đó
không đáng làm hay đáng có vì nó vô ích

23 D Far be it from me to do st: cách nói với ai rằng bạn ko muốn chỉ trích/
bất đồng với ai

24 B Not know what to make of: không chắc chắn về điều ai đó nhìn thấy…;
không hiểu/ giải thích cái gì…

25 C
Not have a care: không thèm quan tâm

26 B In aid of= in support of = giúp đỡ cho; = for the purpose of= với mục
đích là. (what’s all this crying in aid of?: khóc thế để làm gì?)

27 C
Sound out: kiểm tra xem người khác nghĩ gì
28 C Be of service (to sb): luôn sẵn sàng có mặt giúp đỡ (I’m glad to help= I’m
glad to be of service)

29 C
Dwell on: dành nhiều thời gian vào, chăm chú vào, nhai đi nhai lại

30 D Livid with anger/ rage: giận tái người

Suitably abashed / embarrassed/ impressed/ dressed/ etc: suitably =

31 A
acceptablely: thích đáng/ đúng lúc

32 A Save (giới từ và liên từ) trừ ra, ngoài ra

Whine : tiếng rít dài và cao, buồn buồn (như tần số cao); moan: tiếng
dài chậm bởi người nào bày tỏ trạng thái đau đớn hay thỏa mãn về thể
33 A
chất / tinh thần; groan: tiếng kẽo cọt kẹt như creak; hoặc là âm thanh sâu
không rõ ràng khi gặp đau đớn hay thất vọng

Given (the fact) that = Assuming/ granted that = by the fact that= if=
34 C
cứ cho là…; = although: mặc dù là

Seize up: ngừng hoạt động do phần động cơ không thể chuyển động vì
chăm sóc ko kỹ. Cụm này có khi dùng với nghĩa đen (như break down)
hoặc nghĩa bóng (một phần cơ thể bị “đóng băng” do bạn quá gượng ép/
căng thẳng hay do tuổi tác đã cao): Her brain seized up when she tried to
35 D
answer the question. hay We are all born flexible but as we grow older,
we tend to seize up a little.

Flake out= ngủ thiếp đi vì mệt đuối

36 A
Pull out (of st) = withdraw= rút lui khỏi

37 D
Ring off: kết thúc cuộc điện thoại có chủ ý

38 C
Speak off the cuff= nói ứng khẩu

Throw his family into misery: khiến cho gia đình lâm vào cảnh khổ cực

Throw sb/ oneself into st = ném bản thân vào cái gì (dấn thân/ sức lực
39 B
vào làm gì)

Put sb out of their misery: (đùa cợt) bảo ai cái mà họ rất nóng lòng
muốn biết, nhằm để họ ngừng lo lắng về nó

40 B
At heart: basically = căn bản là
41 B Go against the grain: làm trái ý muốn (ngược lại so với khuynh hướng tự
nhiên của ai/ cái gì vì nó khó chấp nhận/ khó khăn để làm)

Look / feel like death warmed up/ over= trông/ cảm thấy không khỏe/
có bệnh

Wet blanket: người làm tập thể cụt hứng do lúc nào bản thân cũng ủ rũ
42 C
Dead duck: ai/ vật gì không còn tồn tại hoặc vô dụng/ ko giá trị/ lỗi mốt;
ai/ gì khó thành công, nhất là do dính phải tội phạm hay đánh giá tệ

A bear with a sore head: trong tâm trạng tồi tệ có thể gây gổ phàn nàn
với người khác

Preemptive: được ưu tiên trước/ ngăn chặn trước nhất là nhằm để tránh
sự tấn công bằng cách làm đối phương bất lực trước
43 B
Showdown: trận đấu tranh/ cuộc cãi cọ quyết định phe thắng thua giữa
hai hay nhiều đối tác

44 A
Spring a surprise on sb: nói/ làm gì đó thật bất ngờ cho ai đó

45 B On its last legs trong tình trạng tệ hại/ suy yếu sớm muộn sẽ ko thể hoạt
động như thường ngày

46 B
Stand/bear comparison with: tốt/ ngang bằng với …

Give sb an assurance (dùng assurance đếm được): đảm bảo với ai để họ

bớt lo lắng, trấn an

Do st with assurance (dùng assurance ko đếm được): làm gì một cách tự

tin và chắc chắn
47 C
Assurance (ko đếm được) = insurance

Ensure : chắc chắn việc gì xảy ra

Insure st/ sb= đảm bảo cho ai; đóng bảo hiểm

48 D
As it turn out: dùng khi nói rằng cái gì đó thực sự đã xảy ra = what
 actually happened was

49 D Broker fees (hay brokerage fee) lệ phí môi giới

50 B Grudgingly: bất đắc dĩ, miễn cưỡng