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Chuyên đề bồi dưỡng học sinh thi Olympic 30-4

Giáo viên biên soạn : Hạnh Nguyên

CHUYÊN ĐỀ “IDIOM “
( Level : Advanced)
1. Exercise 1 : Idioms Connected With Food
For each sentence, choose the best word or phrase to complete the gap from the choices below
1. This is a great coat - it'll keep you as warm as ………………..
2. I'm not very keen on opera. It simply isn't my cup of ……………..
3. Come on, one more photo. Say …………….
4. She talks about her son all day long. He's the……………. of her eye
5. Jack and Pete are identical twins. They're like two ……………. in a pod
6. James Bond is always as cool as a ……………. . Even when he's in a life or death situation
7. He does everything his boss asks him. He knows which side his is buttered
8. Asking John to arrange a party is just a for disaster. He's so disorganised
9. Going on a diet has given me a lot of energy. I feel full of nowadays
10. I want a job with a decent salary. I'm not going to work for
11. His latest book is really popular. It's selling like hot
12. Don't believe him. I take everything he says with a pinch of
1. a. tea b. coffee c. porridge d. toast
2. a. cocoa b. milk c. tea d. coffee
3. a. cheese b. chips c. chops d. chocolate
4. a. pear b. peach c. cherry d. apple
5. a. peaches b. peppers c. peas d. potatoes
6. a. salad b. cucumber c. mushroom d. lettuce
7. a. sandwich b. toast c. bread d. biscuit
8. a. receipt b. recipe c. reading d. reason
9. a. butter b. bananas c. bite d. beans
10. a. potatoes b. parsley c. peppers d. peanuts
11. a. drinks b. soup c. cakes d. potatoes
12. a. pepper b. salt c. herbs d. spice

2. Exercise 2 : Choose the best word or phrase :

1. As times get harder we'll just have to pull in our.................
A. waistlines B. ambitions C belts D. ideas
2. I'm doing badly. I'll have to pull my... up.
A. stockings B. shoes C. socks D. trousers
3. The mud was... -deep.
A. foot B. sock C. ankle D. toe
4. He's not a pushy person. He likes to take...............
A. things Iying down B. a back seat C. a long lie-in D. things backwards
5. Strikes..... prompt delivery.
A. hold up B. stop back C. reverse D. hold down
6. Two items on the agenda were... until the next meeting.
A. held over B. stopped over C. held back D put down
7. In hard times it's difficult to....
A. stop drowning C. keep one's head above water
B. keep floating D. stay above water
8. I just do not understand it. I can't make... of it
A. long or short B. head or tail C. bottom or top D. fast or loose
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9. Their profits are huge. They're... it.
A. lifting B. manufacturing C. crowning D. coining
10 He bought his car on the... , by hire-purchase.
A. now and now B. up and up C. never-never D. pay tomorrow
11. He has made a mistake, and must face the...
A. hardship B. music C. noise D. play
12. Don't... horses in midstream.
A. shoot B. over-burden C. gallop D. swop
13. This car has gone to..... It won't even start.
A. the devil B. seed C. pot D. earth
14. The socialists wanted to... the rich.
A drown B wet C. soak D. swamp

3. Exercise 3 : Choose the best word or phrase :

1. If ambitious people have enough ............................. they will achieve the most difficult of goals.
A. purpose B. intention C. determination D. endeavour
2. Despite his financial success, he maintained a modest .............................
A. expression B. fashion C. demeanour D. behaviour
3. The two experts retreated into a corner and were soon engaged in ............................. discussion of
current economic fashions.
A. animated B. alert C. sprightly D. eager
4. It was an emergency that called for ............................. action.
A. nimble B. brisk C. prompt D. vigilant
5. Reading the news of the fall in stock prices, I realized with ............................. that I had lost several
thousand dollars.
A. terror B. apprehension C. dread D. dismay
6. Such a passive acceptance of whatever fate has in store is an attitude completely ............................. to
most American managers.
A. distant B. alien C. contrary D. remote
7. The military had to be mobilised in order to ............................. the rioting mob.
A. pacify B. tranquillise C. appease D. mollify
8. Usually, to ............................. a headache, we take aspirin.
A. mitigate B. moderate C. alleviate D. assuage
9. In estimating the costs of printing, it is necessary to ............................. for a certain amount of wastage.
A. allow B. grant C. permit D. concede
10. In the course of his speech, the politician frequently ............................. to the failures of the previous
government.
A. mentioned B. insinuated C. indicated D. alluded
11. Talking gently, the police officer eventually ............................. the potential suicide from off the
window-ledge.
A. lured B. coaxed C. decoyed D. enticed
12. Both men felt so deeply that they were right, and each hated the other so much, that what should
have been a civilised discussion soon degenerated into a vulgar .............................
A. scrap B. strife C. disputation D. brawl

4. Exercise 4 : Choose the best word or phrase :

1. We went to the wrong house.................
A. on mistake B. to mistake C. mistaken D. by mistake
2. That argument is no good: it won't...................
A. hold water B. blossom C. make water D. pass water
3. If you get measles, you will................... in spots.
A. break out B. break up C. break D. crack up
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4. We can................ that hotel for tonight.
A. put up with B. put up at C. put up by D. put by at
5. Insults roll off him like water......................
A. down a drain B. on a tin roof C. into the river D. off a duck's back
6. When he retired, his son......................
A. took over B. stood by C. opened up D. made up
7. Fishing.................. consists of a rod, line and hooks.
A. apparatus B. gear C. tackle D. material
8. If you.................. attention, you will learn more.
A. make B. give C. pay D. stand up
9. Go to the Chinese..................... and bring back some chop suey.
A. carry-away B. carry-on C. take-away D. fast-courses
10. As a result of government................, more jobs were lost.
A. cut-aways B. cut-backs C. cuttings D. drop-backs
11. It's a secret: my.....................
A. mouth is shut B. lips are shut C. mouth is sealed D. lips are sealed
12. Don't bother looking for a hotel. We can.................... overnight.
A. fix you B. fix you up C. give you the fixings D. fix you over

5. Exercise 5 : Choose the best word or phrase :

1. Don't walk so quickly. You'll never keep up that................ for ten miles.
A. stride B. step C. pace D. walk
2. He always................... song in the shower.
A. breaks out B. breaks up in C. breaks into D. breaks in
3. The sudden attack caught the enemy..................
A. napping B. undone C. open D. sleepy
4. I don't think he's completely honest; he seems to live on his......................
A. reputation B. nerves C. wits D. feet
5. The police followed a number of clues, but have so far drawn a.....................
A. negative B. blank C. zero D. nil
6. I am happy to fall.................... anything you suggest.
A. in with B. to with C. over D. into
7. A.................. is a book of little value, written only to make money.
A. novelette B. potboiler C. paperback D. stopgap
8. The government................... a committee to investigate the problem.
A. mounted B. put up C. raised D. set up
9. It's a skilled job, and you need quite a lot of....................
A. know-how B. knowledge C. understanding D. knowing
10. She is not popular. She is the office gossip, always............... to the boss.
A. saying stories B. going on C. letting it out D. telling tales
11. There is a storm................... We had better head for home.
A. rising up B. getting up C. lifting D. setting up
12. In the autumn, in the northern hemisphere, the days.................
A. draw in B. wane C. close to D. come in

6. Exercise 6 : Choose the best word or phrase :

1. In the autumn, in the northern hemisphere, the days.................

A. draw in B. wane C. close to D. come in
2. Inefficiency made the manager so angry, his...................
A. ears moved B. eyes boggled C. blood boiled D. breath steamed
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03. He has spent all his life in the business, so he knows the....................
A. way B. systems C. ropes D. map
04. The mother gave the naughty children a good....................
A. telling off B. dressing over C. reprimand D. shouting out
05. I've been so busy, I have hardly had time to draw.................
A. a straight line B. something C. breath D. a short straw
06. There were 30 children in the class, all....................
A. said B. done C. counted D. told
07. I'll tell you................... Let's drive to the seaside for the day.
A. how B. anything C. something D. what
08. It is easy to lose your.................... in a strange city.
A. sight B. bearings C. place D. hotel
09. His training as a paratrooper made him as hard as.................
A. concrete B. steel shot C. nails D. brick
10. He is not interested in anything we can offer him: he has bigger fish to......................
A. cook B. boil C. fry D. fillet
11. Watching his line, the fisherman lost..................... of time.
A. appreciation B. sense C. track D. sight
12. I can do no more: I have shot my....................
A. self B. cannon C. gun D. bolt

7. Exercise 7 : Choose the best word or phrase :

1. Children should lead happy... lives.
A. careless B. uncaring C caring D. carefree
2 Don't be lazy. Pull your...
A. self B. own C. weight D socks
3. He's a trouble-maker always rocking the...
A. boat B. baby C horse D carriage
4 Everything was neat and tidy: it was...
A. shipshape B. regimented C. airborne D. springclean
5 Don't be pessimistic: look on the.. side.
A glossy B. shining C polished D. bright
6. It's... that blows nobody any good.
A. a bad breeze B bad breath C an unhappy instrument D. an ill wind
7 He thinks a lot of himself. always blowing his own. ..
A. trumpet B whistle C. breath D. balloon
8. It's as American as...
A. Arizona B Abe Lincoln C. apple-pie D. baseball
9. I went there on the... and. by good luck. found him at home.
A. good luck B. half expectation C off chance D. in hope
10. ... waters run deep.
A. Calm B. Slow C. Still D. Quiet
11 I'm terribly busy: I'm up to my... in work.
A. hocks B. ears C. neck D head
12 They kept us waiting,... our heels in the lobby.
A. airing B. cooling C. resting D. tapping

8. Exercise 8 : Choose the best word or phrase :

1. He'll never make a soldier; he can't march in...

A. unison B. order C. uniform D step
2. It's as sure as....
A. work is work B eggs is eggs C. taxes are taxes D. grey is grey
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3 No half-measures. Let's make a clean... of it
A. sweep B. brush C. space D. start
4. Poor old Fido. He's getting long in the... and is not interested in chasing rabbits any more.
A arm B. tail C. kennel D. tooth
5 Sherlock Holmes soon got to the... of the crime
A base B. foundation C. bottom D. basement
6. Things usually get worse: it never rains but it . . .
A showers B. storms C. pours D. floods
7. She said the drugs in her suitcase must have been... there by someone else.
A. buried B. dropped C. dug D. planted
8. Are you sure he's a... person for your daughter to know?
A. proper B. right C. correct D. sure
9. On a long plane trip time hangs... on your hands
A. weightily B. dully C. heavy D. grimly
10. She did me a bad... and I'll never forgive her for it.
A. deed B. action C. act D. turn
11. They were glad to see us. They greeted us with open...
A. hands B. arms C. doors D. minds
12. I have an examination coming up: I'll have to... on things
A. bone up B. flesh out C grip hard D. take

9. Exercise 9: Idioms Connected With Blood and Bones

Complete the following sentences :
1. Fox-hunting and deer stalking are condemned as blood ......................................
2. The constant noise of the bass rhythm coming through the wall made it impossible to relax. It was
more than ...................... and ...................... could bear.
3. In the horror film, when the heroine saw the vampire, she let out a blood-...................... scream.
4. One look at Ramsbottom's green complexion and blood-...................... eyes is enough to tell you that
he's been on the bottle again.
5. Those blood-...................... at the tax office have demanded another $1,000.
6. I have a bone to ...................... with that travel agent. I want to know why he booked me on a flight that
had a three-hour delay, when I could have gone direct on KLM.
7. The main bone of ...................... at the company's general meeting was the amount paid in fees to the
non-executive members of the board.
8. The new secretary ...................... no bones about telling the office manager that under no
circumstances would she work overtime.
9. The cult leader could not be precise, but did say that he ...................... it in his bones that the end of
the word was nigh.
10. It made my flesh ...................... to hear Mrs King scream when she saw that mouse.

10. Exercise 10: Idioms Connected With MONEY

1. He doesn't work hard because he likes the work. He's just a money-.................. who'll do anything for a
few extra pence.
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2. The play had run in the West End and on Broadway. It was a real money-..................

3. He threatened to reveal everything to the press unless he was paid a substantial amount of
.................. money.

4. We normally give our children ..................-money every week.

5. My wife keeps some spare cash in the kitchen as ................-money to buy odds and end she needs.

6. They are taking their children to Florida for a month, and with seven of them in the family, it will cost
them a .................. penny.

7. His father thinks it is time he stopped studying, got a job and earned an .................. penny.

8. They waste money on expensive carpets and refuse to install a decent air conditioning system: they
are penny .................. and pound foolish.

9. I don't really mind if I have to work overtime. It's all .................. to me.

10. We visited Las Vegas and my wife lost $150 in a .................. bandit

11. Exercise 11: ADVANCED COLLOQUIAL ENGLISH: LEG, FOOT AND TOE

1. Mr Baker should stop playing jokes on Mrs King. She hates having her leg ................................

2. They tried to sue us for breach of contract but they lost because they didn't have a leg to
................................ on.

3. I think I'll take the dog for a walk to ................................ my legs.

4. The car has broken down yet again. It's on its ................................ legs.

5. This year, Mr King has put his foot ................................ and refused to have his mother-in-law to stay
during the summer holidays.

6. She's getting on in years. It's as if she had one foot in the ................................

7. So if he takes both his wife and his mother-in-law on holiday, he doesn't have much chance to put his
feet ................................

8. As a sales manager, Mr Wright is rather untactful and inclined to ................................ on the

customers' toes.

9. Once the company policy has been decided, there will be no further discussion. Everyone will have to
toe the ................................

10. He hit the wall at 80mph but the airbag ................................ his skin.

11. Mrs King has a very ................................ skin so criticism rolls off her like water off a duck's back.

12. I'm certainly not contributing to buying a birthday present for Mrs King, not because I'm a
skin................................ but because I just can't stand the woman.