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Th Dang Manh – 0904.139.554 - Idioms are used in IELTS.

MINI-LESSON 1.7- TOEFL


1. look like: resemble 2. look out (for:) he careful
3. look over: examine; read 5. look up to: respect: admire
4. look up: (1) find information (especially in a reference book); (2) try to locate someone
6. make ends meet: balance a budget
8. make a point of: make a special effort
7. make a fool of oneself: act embarrassingly
9. make sense (of): he logical and clear; understand
10. make up: invent, create 11. make up one's mind: decide
12. make way for: allow space for; provide a path for
13. mean to: intend to 14. mixed up: confused
15. music to one's ears: something that sounds pleasant
16. a nervous wreck: someone who is very nervous
17. next to nothing: very little (money, for example); cheap
18. no doubt about it: certainly; definitely
19. no harm done: there was no damage done
20. not at all: not in any way; not to any degree
21. not believe one's ears (or eyes): be unable to believe what one hears (or sees)
22. not think much of: not like; not have a good opinion of
23. odds and ends: small, miscellaneous items
24. an old hand (at): an experienced person
25. on edge: nervous 27. on hand: easily available
26. on end: consecutively, without a break (days on end, for example)
28. on needles and pins: nervous; anxious 29. on one's own: independent
30. on second thought: after reconsidering
31. on the go: always busy; always moving
32. on the tip of one's tongue: almost able to remember
33. on the whole: in general
34. out of (something):not having something
35. out of one's mind: insane; illogical; irrational
36. out of order: broken; not functioning properly
37. out of the question: definitely not; impossible
38. over and over: again and again; repeatedly
39. over one's head: not understandable (a joke, for example); obscure
Exercise: Fill in the blanks in the sentences or dialogs with idioms from the list on page
102. There will be one word per blank. It may be necessary to change the verb forms in
order for the sentence to be grammatically correct.
1. "Have you looked over this contract yet?" "Not yet. I'll try to read it this weekend."
2. "I think I'll have the prime rib, waiter." "All right, sir." "Wait, no, on second thought, I think I'll
have the chicken."
3. Is this story true, or did you just make it up?
4. You can't get a soda from that machine. There's a sign on it that says "Out of order."
5. Sherry looks up to her father because of all the help and good advice he's given her.
Phong 1414 – CT3A – Do thi Van Quan
Th Dang Manh – 0904.139.554 - Idioms are used in IELTS.

6. I don't have much cash on hand, but I can get some from an automatic teller machine.
7. What a confusing movie! I couldn't make sense of it.
8. "You did a fine job on this research paper, especially on the bibliography." "Thanks. I made
a point of getting the bibliography exactly right. I worked on it over and over until it was
perfect."
9. "What's Fritz's cousin's name?" "It's on the tip of my tongue, but I can't quite remember."
10. "Hello. I'd like to reserve a room for this weekend." "I'm afraid that's out of the question.
The hotel is fully booked this weekend."
11. "Do you have any fresh peaches?" "Sorry, I'm out of them. I just sold the last crate of
peaches."
12. "Listen to the roar of the engines." "Yeah, it's music to my ears. I just love going to these car
races."
13. The plane was delayed for hours on end. I thought we'd never get off the ground.
14. "Have you finished moving into your new apartment?" "Almost. There are still a few odds
and ends in my old apartment that I need to move today."
15. "Brad sure is busy, isn't he?" "Yeah, he's always on the go."
16. There are so many interesting dishes on the menu that it's hard for me to make up my mind
which one to order.
17. If you go into the swamp, look out for alligators.
18. "When will you be informed of the test results?" "Not until Monday, so I'll be on pins and
needles all weekend."
19. "Do you know what the capital of South Dakota is?" "I'm not sure. Let's look it up in this
atlas."
20. They're going to tear down those old warehouses to make way for a big new hotel.
21. "I like that painting you bought. Did it cost much?" "No, the artist sold it to me for next to
nothing."
22. "How was your final exam, Laurie?" "A couple of questions were tricky, but on the whole, it
was pretty easy."
23. "I'm sorry I knocked that vase over. I didn't mean to." "No harm done. It wasn't damaged."
24. I must have been on edge when I signed the lease on this apartment. I can't afford this
much rent.
25. He didn't mean to break the plate; it was an accident.
26. "I didn't know you could play horseshoes so well." "Oh, I'm an old hand at horseshoes. I've
been playing since I was a kid."
27. You must be on the wrong street. This isn't River Street; it's Laurel Avenue.
28. "How long have you been living alone?" "I've been on my own since I graduated from high
school."
29. "Did you find that lecture boring?" "Not at all. In fact, I thought it was fascinating."
30. "Christine is so funny, she should be a stand-up comic." "I suppose, but a lot of her jokes go
right over my head. I just don't get them."
Phong 1414 – CT3A – Do thi Van Quan
Th Dang Manh – 0904.139.554 - Idioms are used in IELTS.

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Phong 1414 – CT3A – Do thi Van Quan

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