LEXICAL

1.You can't take the children out sailing in this weather! Have you completely taken leave of your
________?
A. mind B. fisticuffs C. senses D. logic
2.The way to be successful in business is always to stay one ________ ahead of your competitors.
A. jump B. thing C. act D. discomfiture
3. Rather than take his time to think about the questions, the interviewee _______ out the first answer that
came into his head.
A. blundered B. blurted C. bungled D. botched
4. I give in! I will tell you everything you want to know, please call off _____
A. the dogs B. the tigers C. the guns D. the guards
5. I feel just awful for Mary—she's been eating her ________ out ever since she found out she was
rejected by her top-choice school.
A. head B. tongue C. heart D. mouth
6. I know voicing my opinion on this legislation may put my job in jeopardy, but it's time to take a firm
________against these discriminatory hiring.
A. line B. measure C. battalion D. strike
7. I was only five minutes late, but the boss ________ me packing nonetheless.
A. sent B. made C. let D. forced
8. If he has a great job but is always broke, it ________ the question of where the money is going?
A. pleases B. expects C. begs D. demands
9. Having seen the film that won the Oscar, I was disappointed as it wasn’t all that it’s _______ up to be.
A. creased B. cracked C. lined D. valued
10. I prefer to practice the violin alone in my bedroom as having other members of the family listen really
_______ my style.
A. restricts B. impedes C. obstructs D. cramps
11. There has been a(n) __________ of thefts in the town recently.
A. rate B. spate C. influx D. tide
12. His self-confidence has been seriously ___________ by the bad reviews of his book.
A. annihilated B. fractured C. dented D. smashed
13. Despite strict regulations against _____ advertising, it can still be spotted everywhere from images
that briefly flash in between frames of film to subtle messages in a song.
A. subsiding B. sublingual C. subliminal D. telepathic
14. She is a very sensitive girl so please _____.
A. treat her with kid gloves B. bless her cotton socks
C. pull the wool over her eyes D. go soft in her head
15. The whole country is up in _________ about the new tax the government has put on books.
A. rage B. fists C. anger D. arms
16. We've had to cut a few people ________ from the staff this year to reduce costs.
A apart B. free C. aside D. loose
17. Although citizen-centred schemes involve residents in debates, full political _____ is kept by local
councillors and MPs.
A. autonomy B. autarchy C. autocracy D. jurisdiction
18. He answered the teacher’s question so quickly that it seemed as though he had _____ the answer out
of the air.
A. grabbed B. snatched C. seized D. plucked
19. It is impossible to miss the _____ of the Generation X in America.
A. manifestation B. propriety C. depreciation D. coalescence
20. Apart from one or two _____ of brilliance from Owen, England put on a rather poor performance.
A. spells B. flashes C. storms D. spells
21.The old owners of the homestay are extremely hospitable and whenever I travel to Dalat, I know there
will always be a _____ welcome awaiting me.
A. princely B. heart-rending C. thoroughgoing D. abstruse

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22.School ends at 5 so my only choice is to _____ a chocolate bar on my way to my extra Math class,
which starts only 10’ later.
A. rattle through B. scarf down C. romp through D. scuff down
23.There are many problems that laws don’t intervene and it totally rests with the moral _____ of each
individual to prevent wrongdoings.
A. fibre B. anchor C. rigidity D. latitude
24. After having a whale of a time at my wedding yesterday, my colleague was looking a little _____
when he came to work this morning.
A. around the bend B. in a fog
C. off his trolley D. green around the gills
25. The small-scale demonstration later escalated into a _____ battle with the police, involving more than
800 protesters and causing serious traffic congestion across the city.
A. pitched B. racked C. heaped D. scrap
26. 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
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
28. There’s no doubt about the outcome of the trial. The man is a ______ criminal.
A. self-conscious B. self-contained C. self-confessed D. self-centered
29. 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
30. Our ________ were in our mouths as we waited for them to announce the winner.
A. stomaches B. fingers C. hearts D. noses
31. I don’t know if Ash would be right for the job; he’s a bit of an unknown ________.
A. quality B. qualification C. quantity D. identity
32. The noise from the unruly fans celebrating their team’s victory didn’t _____ until early in the
morning.
A. shut off B. give away C. let up D. fall over
33. The statement from the ministers contrasts ______ with comments by European Commission
President Jean-Claude Juncke.
A. sharply B. heavily C. utterly D. flatly
34. I know you’re upset about breaking up with Tom, but there are plenty more ______.
A. stand bail B. know what’s what
C. and whatnot D. fish in the sea.
35. Being late to a job interview ________ ill for you getting hired.
A. bodes B. stands C. points D. hints
36. 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
37. 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
38. That car must have set Joe _________ quite a bit; it’s top of the range.
A. away B. back C. in D. down
39. The decision to include Morris in the team was completely _______ when he scored three goals.
A. extrapolated B. vindicated C. reverberated D. subjugated
40. It’s true I am late for meeting, but by ________ of excuse let me tell you that my plane was delayed in
Hannover.
A. means B. aid C. way D. reason
41. With the economy in the worst recession for thirty years, it was scarcely the most _______ time to
start up a company.

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 A. pernicious B. parsimonious C. precipitous D. propitious
42. It is a(n) _______ fact that governments rise and fall on the state of the economy.
A. axiomatic B. pragmatic C. chromatic D. enigmatic
43. We ________ on hard times after my wife's restaurant closed down, so I had to take on a second job
to make ends meet.
A. moved B. landed C. dropped D. fell
44.The manager’s future _______ whether the team wins or loses this one game.
A. stems from B. rests on C. derives from D. counts on
45. Never buy anything second-hand. I bought a second-hand fridge a month and it was _______.
A. trouble from the word go B. too awful for words
C. a play on word D. lost for words
46. It’s a bit of a _______ statement to say that “all Welsh people can sing” or “all black people can
dance”. I know lots who can do either.
A. sweeping B. bellicose C. broad D. tough
47. After congratulating his team, the coach left, allowing the players to let their _____ down for a while.
A. hair B. heads C. hearts D. souls
48. Sara brought in a lot of business last month; She should ask for a pay rise while she’s still on a _____.
A. run B. roll C. rush D. roam
49. Failing to stand a _________ state-run organization, Jimmy decided to switch job.
A. symphonic B. monolithic C. gargantuan D. concordant
50. After a six-year relationship, Martha and Billy have decided to _______.
A. break the bank B. turn the page C. tie the knot D. make the grade
51. His delight at getting the job was ___by the realization that it would involve long hours commuting
every day.
A. dimmed B. tempered C. modified D. moistened
52. I've _______ how many times she's been late for work this month.
A. lost my marbles of B. lost count of C. lost my head of D. lost my mind of
53. On Jan. 17, 1893, Hawaii's monarchy was overthrown as a group of businessmen and sugar planters
forced Queen Liliuokalani to _______.
A. forsake B. abdicate C. desert D. cede
54. Despite all the evidence, he wouldn't admit that he was in the _______.
A. fault B. error C. wrong D. slip
55. Although 83 he was still _ and his death from pneumonia following a short hospital stay came as a
shock.
A. ebullient B. exuberant C. sprightly D. vivacious
56. The government has agreed to _______an additional £5 million to schools in underprivileged regions.
A. dole out B. tip off C. crack down D. toss off
57. After testing positive on a doping test, the renowned athlete was advised to lay low and avoid the
press like the _______.
A. plague B. hawk C. wildfire D. wind
58. The professor _____ the books looking for the information he needed in order to answer his students’
thorny questions.
A. seized B. groped C. gawked D. perused
59. He likes nothing better than to spend his Sunday mornings _______ in the gardens.
A. pottering about B. hanging around C. whiling away D. winding down
60. The footballer never really recovered from the injury he _______ at the beginning of the season.
A. got B. struck C. endured D. sustained
61. Nobody is casting _____ on you, it’s just you misunderstanding everyone!
A. rebuke B. censure C. aspersions D. condemnation
62.This relationship is unlikely to get anywhere - for one thing, they are both _____ and will never
tolerate the others.
A. highly-strung B. boisterous C. rambunctious D. stand-offish
63.It had been quite late but the party still had no sign of ending so we decided to take _____ leave and
made our way home.

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 A. French B. Greek C. Spanish D. Tokyo
64.Sadly, the young actor’s stardom ended up being _____ as he was quickly forgotten after his first
movie.
A. feather in the cap B. flash in the pan
C. sands of time D. rack and ruin
65.When my car suddenly broke down in the middle of a forest at night, I felt like a _____ in the wild.
A. sitting duck B. turned turtle C. shag on a rock D. boiling frog
66.Ever since Kyle became a teenager, he's turned into a real _____, and it's impossible to anticipate his
mood at any given time.
A. X-factor B. Vicar of Bray C. Jumping Judas D. Jekyll and Hyde
67.She is described as an elegant girl with brown eyes and a(n) _____ smile always on her face.
A. irksome B. blushing C. winsome D. blistering
68.Sadly, I don’t have the discerning _____ necessary to fully enjoy such expensive dishes.
A. appetite B. epitome C. tongue D. palate
69.If her accusations are false, she is making a lot of _____ remarks about a lot of people and will have to
compensate quite a lot.
A. tarnished B. spurious C. irascible D. slanderous
70.After the fraud scandal, the famous singer had to make great efforts to_____ his reputation.
A. reinforce B. leverage C. regenerate D. salvage
71.Praying everyday is _____ on believers as a religious duty - thus, it has become an integral part in my
daily routine.
A. enmeshed B. heeded C. enjoined D. entitled
72.New policies have been implemented by the government with a view to _____ the ailing economy
after the pandemic.
A. curling in B. screwing up C. knuckling down D. shoring up
73.Don had been living _____ after winning the lottery before he found himself
in arrears with his rent and later became homeless.
A. beyond his means B. from hand to mouth
C. in arrears D. on an even keel
74.After running 42km in the blistering heat of summer, Jasper _____ with exhaustion.
A. phased out B. hashed out C. keeled over D. knuckled down
75.The professor could see that no one was listening to her boring lecture, but she _____ regardless.
A. ploughed on B. sit through C. stuck on D. mulled over
76. I got emotional and couldn’t help _____ at the end of “Me before you”, a flight attendant even asked
me if I was having some problems.
A. whining B. snarling C. bellowing D. bawling
77. After losing the secret files of the company, Henry was soon _____.
A. out of the woods B. Neck of the Woods
C. out on his ear D. Come within earshot
78. I hate the way Tony ________ around looking so self – important.
A. struts B. scampers C. slithers D. slinks
79. The way people store their emotions if more corporeal than _____.
A. telegenic B. asymmetric C. psychogenic D. telepathic
80. I can’t see why the teacher compliments Harry so much, his performance is basically nothing to
_____ home about!
A. write B. call C. go D. tell
81. Her close personal friends never ________ in their belief in her; whatever was written in the press.
A. derided B. taunted C. faltered D. reneged
82. Steve used to be easy to work with, but since his promotion he's begun to ________.
A. throw his weight around B. throw in the towel
C. throw him off balance D. turn up trumps
83. The court________ scot-free.
A. let her off B. took her away C. set her up D. kept her out
84. People are always critical. One needs to ________ to cope with criticism.

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 A. have a thick skin B. have a thin skin
C. get under their skin D. make their skin crawl
85. I give in! I will tell you everything you want to know, please call off _____.
A. the dogs B. the tigers C. the guns D. the guards
86. I thought the movie was going to an end, but it just ________.
A. dragged in B. dragged on C. dragged into D. dragged up
87. Something that I would really enjoy as a child was to watch the buffaloes _____ in the warerhole and
rolling in the mud.
A. twitching B. stalking C. strolling D. wallowing
88. Towards the end of the film Thelma and Louise, a large truck is ________ by the main characters
when they shoot its tank, which is full of oil.
A. shot off B. struck in C. poured out D. blown up
89. The princess's nanny's autobiography really gives the _______ on life among the royals.
A. show-down B. know-how C. low-down D. look-out
90. Somebody who is foolish or stupid is ________.
A. soft in the head B. riding high
C. over the moon D. pushing up daisies
91. It took me several seconds to grasp the meaning of her statement but finally the ________ dropped.
A. penny B. axe C. hammer D. stone
92. His fight to _____ four black men of the rape of a seventeen-year-old white girl two years ago
partially inspired the group to protest.
A. exculpate B. exonerate C. bereave D. misappropriate
93. She decided to ________ with the services of the maid and do the housework himself.
A. dispose B. dispense C. depose D. desert
94. 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
95. After the hurricane, all that was left of our house was a pile of _____.
A. rabble B. rubble C. ramble D. rumble
96. There is a large effort ________ to rebuild arts education in the New York city public schools.
A. under way B. a long way C. out of the way D. in the way
97. Ali thought he could cram 10 units in one day but in the end, he completely ____ in his English exam.
A. flaked out B. mucked up C. bucked up D. bound over
98. Our teacher tends to ______ certain subjects which she finds difficult to talk about.
A. boil down B. string along C. skate over D. track down
99. I couldn’t remember where I had left my car, when it suddenly ______ me that I didn’t have a car any
longer!
A. dawned on B. ran into C. went through D. tumbled to
100. The manager hesitated to assign the job to the newcomer as he was__________
A. wet behind the ears B. feeling your ears burning
C. ringing in your ears D. keeping your ears open
101. My cousin was nervous about being interviewed on television, but she rose to the _____
wonderfully.
A. event B. performance C. incident D. occasion
102. Having sacked three employees, the boss was obliged to provide each with _____ pay.
A. retirement B. unemployment C. dismissal D. severance
103. As their bookshop wasn’t doing well, they decided to branch ______and sell compact discs and
cassettes as well.
A. out B. over C. down on D. out for
104. Lisa attempted to ______ herself with her new boss by volunteering to take on extra work.
A. ingratiate B. manipulate C. gladden D. superintend
105. I didn’t know I was so good at learning languages until I _____ Spanish before my trip to Mexico.
A. hammered into B. rabbited on C. boned up on D. crammed down
106. Don’t get yourself _____ up over such a trivial matter

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 A. done B. worried C. whipped D. worked
107. I realized ______ that he was a thief.
A. sooner of later B. all along C. at the beginning D. eventually
108. All five men were _____from entering France for three years after being caught shoplifting
expensive fashion items in a mall.
A. debauched B. debarred C. perverted D. jettisoned
109. When you grow up, become an adult, go through failures and betrayal, your life may have fewer
parties and more quiet time to _____ on the meaning of life.
A. dilate B. expatiate C. admonish D. cogitate
110. His flat looks so ______ that it is difficult to believe he just had a party last night.
A. spick and span B. weak in the knees
C. Wet one's beak D. Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells
111. Brain cancer requires ______ treatment such as surgery.
A. aggressive B. confrontational C. malignant D. fastidious
112. There have been a few times that I've nearly _____, but thinking of my responsibility to my daughter
helps keep me sober.
A. faced the music B. fallen off the wagon
C. given lip service D. had a screw loose
113. Until your finances are in the _______, it is not a good idea to take out a loan.
A. credit B. funds C. profit D. black
114. If you never put oil into your car engine, one day it will __________.
A. run off B. flake out C. shut down D. seize up
115. 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
116. Her teaching method discourages simple ________ of the information in the textbook.
A. proclamation B. reclamation C. reparation D. regurgitation
117. The measure protects workers from ________ employers.
A. excruciating B. exploitative C. monstrous D. exorbitant
118. She learns to detach, to _______, from all earthly concepts and material objects, even bodily form.
A. backbite B. impugn C. reprehend D. abnegate
119. If children see parents drinking and smoking, they are more likely to follow ________, particularly if
they see you using alcohol as a prop.
A. cause B. suit C. example D. action
120. And the questions he asked! He really gave me the ________ degree.
A. second B. sixth C. third D. seventh
121. There isn’t another model like this – it’s a ________ from the factory.
A. one-off B. nine-day wonder C. good turn D. penny
122. The Professional Women’s Group offers support to women throughout their careers through
seminars and mentoring, with many of the mentors ________ long-time members who are living
examples of what the organization can do.
A. as B. are C. also D. being
123 Judges already have substantial latitude to limit _______ arguments that might mislead jurors; they
could use it more often.
A. intramural B. extramural C. extraneous D. outbound
124. He doesn't like the job but he'll _______ until the work is done.
A. cotton on B. harp on C. impinge on D. soldier on
125. Putting flowers in the room was a nice ________ on the part of the hotel.
A. touch B. start C. feeling D. view
126. Often the interviewer will need to _______ devil's advocate in order to get a discussion going.
A. make B. act C. shrug D. play
127. Unfortunately, we ran out of time during tonight's show and had to _______our musical guest off.
A. sag B. write C. dust D. bump
128. Your new boss can’t be as ________ as he’s painted if he gives you all a pay rise.

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 A. red B. black C. white D. green
129. James is so ________! He thinks that pleasure is the most important thing in life.
A. legitimate B. hedonistic C. cataclysmic D. customary
130. I think it would be inappropriate, to say the least, to ________ up the past and talk about his former
wife in the presence of his fiancée.
A. rake B. chop C. hoe D. placate
131. Her hands were swollen and wrinkled, but she still had her nails _____ regularly.
A. subpoenaed B. manicured C. asseverated D. superintended
132. The girl’s large, heavy earrings had __________ her earlobes permanently
A. displaced B. dismayed C. disfigured D. absconded
133. A thousand thoughts _____ together inside my mind while I try to force myself to sleep every night!
A trifle B jostle C fidget D twiddle
134. Cut flowers may ______ through lack of water.
A. topple B. ascend C. wilt D. totter
135. The actor was so nervous that he could only remember small _________ of dialogue
A. shreds B. innuendo D. patches C. snatches
136. While the adults were overthinking the problem, little John came up with a _____ solution to the
problem using the simple mind of a child.
A. noxious B. neat C. makeshift D. smooth
137. Most people _____ family heirlooms and keep them safe.
A. cosset B. cherish C. nourish D. nurture
138. Liverpool had several opportunities to score but _____ their chances and lost the game in the end.
A. squandered B. hoodwinked C. bamboozled D. abated
139. I saw my classmate cheating during the test, but it was nothing of my _____so I kept my mouth shut
in the end.
A. nose B. skull C. insignia D. hiatus
140. Please follow the doctor's advice, he is in _____ earnest about the epidemic.
A. vindictive B. fortuitous C. deadly D. arcane
141. My mother ____ when she came back home this noon and found out I had forgotten to cook the rice.
A. brought the house down B. hit the ceiling
C. had her blood boiled D. hit the wall
142. Only when you see the hurricane season here will you know nature is comforting but can also be
_____
A. out for blood B. uncharted waters
C. like getting blood out of a stone D. red in tooth and claw
143. Hearing about my uncle's death last night, I felt somewhat relieved that he could now leave this
_____ behind after 8 years struggling with cancer.
A. gift of the gab B. vale of tears
C. donkey’s years D. cat-and-dog life
144. Even the other convicts considered it a ______________ crime.
A. sinuous B. hard-bitten C. heinous D. hell-bent
145. I don’t like to make friends with those who always ____ people _____ behind their backs.
A. slag/off B. slap/around C. strike/out D. hate/on
146. Harry knows _____ well that he would receive punishment for this but he’s still determined to go
ahead with his plan.
A. grim B. edgy C. transient D. full
147. He was trying to _____ the complicated series of events that had led to this situation but still
couldn’t see where the mistakes lied.
A. weasel out B. crouch over C. ravel out D. bowl over
148. Twenty years serving the business as second in _____ to his father has helped him gain precious
experience for his career.
A. regression B. command C. decree D. junction
149. I parked in a restricted area and the police ………….my car.
A. invigorated B. impounded C. impaled D. precluded

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150. Richard Burton was noted for his clear ………….of words.
A. enunciation B. elucidation C. asseveration D. accentuation
151. Her teaching method discourages simple ________ of the information in the textbook.
A. antagonism B. reclamation C. acrimony D. regurgitation
152. The measure protects workers from ________ employers
A. excruciating B. exploitative C. repugnant D. overindulgent
153. After graduating from law school, my father got a job in the local jury office and was responsible for
_____ justice on the island.
A. interrogating B. dispensing C. waiving D. legitimizing
154. If children see parents drinking and smoking, they are more likely to follow ________, particularly if
they see you using alcohol as a prop.
A. rancor B. suit C. malice D. rascality
155. It is unfair that he's been cheating his customers for years, and getting_____ away with it.
A. white B. clean C. straight D. flat
156. The dress is perfect. Don't add anything to it at all. It would just be _______.
A. going to seed B. smelling of roses
C. pushing up the daisies D. gilding the lily
157. The authorities only sit in the _____ without knowing anything about the real desire of ordinary
people.
A. ivory tower B. cloud castle
C. air balloon D. royal palace
158. Everyone loves these giant retail chains for their low prices, but few care that the local business
owners are taken the _____ out of their mouth.
A. bread B. egg C. teeth D. pudding
159. Last Sunday, mom asked me to ________ the apple tree at the bottom of the garden.
A. prune B. mow C. shave D. stain
160. Putting flowers in the room was a nice ________ on the part of the hotel.
A. touch B. repellent C. disclamation D. disavowal
161. In the ________ and distant past before the fighting, things seemed to be, if not perfect, at least
better.
A. repulsive B. despicable C. dim D. impotent
162. I hope she wasn’t within ________ when you were talking about her.
A. repudiation B. rebuff C. earshot D. reformist
163. Your new boss can’t be as ________ as he’s painted if he gives you all a pay rise.
A. red B. black C. white D. green
164. James is so ________! He thinks that pleasure is the most important thing in life.
A. perspicacious B. hedonistic C. percipient D. excruciating
165. I think it would be inappropriate, to say the least, to ________ up the past and talk about his former
wife in the presence of his fiancée.
A. rake B. concur C. sustain D. ransom
166. The decoration of the hotel was ______; it screamed “five-star” from the moment you stepped into
the lobby
A. sumptuous B. malleable C. idyllic D. quaint
167. No one could contemplate fame these days without knowing beforehand of its _____.
A. laisez-faire B. emersion C. discernment D. downside
168. Books taken from the short _____ section are due to be returned the next day.
A. borrowing B. perspicacity C. loan D. lenience
169. She was so undisciplined and disobedient that, as the manager, I just had to put my _____ down.
A. stamp B. shoe C. fist D. foot
170. I can see you have been practicing very hard for the past 5 months so you totally deserve the _____,
son!
A. gold plate B. blue ribbon C. silver spoon D. red flag
171. I know your dream is to become a singer, but with your voice, please stop_____ and choose another
major.

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 A. chasing the dragon B. chasing rainbows
C. crying over spilt milk D. holding the fort
172. John’s reaction showed that he was full of _____ after hearing that he was going to be a dad for the
first time.
A. cakes B. lemons C. jellies D. beans
173. Tony said he knew the song really well, but the name of the band that had recorded it ______ him.
A. plunged B. evaded C. escaped D. deluded
174. Life’s very easy for you. You were born with a _____ spoon in your mouth.
A. silver B. golden C. coin D. diamond
175. The detective pressed the doorbell and waited in the _____ for the front door to open.
A. perch B. portal C. porch D. ridge
176. Our diplomatic relationship with that country is rather tense at the moment and we are facing a(n)
_____ threat of invasion.
A. illustrious B. armorial C. felicitous D. nimble
177. During French colonialism, many Vietnamese workers were on the _____ to object labour
exploitation in factories and plantations.
A. dole queue B. picket line C. back bench D. assembly line
178 Thinking of the test never fails to make my stomach _____ - waiting for the result is like torturing my
soul.
A. flutter B. paralyse C. wail D. relapse
179. Returning home and staying with your family during the holiday was so comfortable that I
sometimes wish this could continue _____ forever.
A. unbroken B. unbridled C. unabridged D. unabated
180. Government becomes no longer the servant of the people but in the thrall of big money, lobbyists
and a media happy to live off its fancy leftovers in a ___________ of gossip and shallow speculation.
A. feeding frenzy B. second wind C. fever pitch D. buffer zone
181. Her close personal friends never ________ in their belief in her; whatever was written in the press.
A. derided B. taunted C. faltered D. reneged
182. My insomnia is so serious that even the background _____ of the air-conditioning bothers my sleep.
A. din B. thud C. blare D. hum
183. Unfortunately, we ran out of time during tonight's show and had to _______ our musical guest off.
A. sag B. write C. dust D. bump
184. He has turned over a new leaf so will you please be kind enough to stop _____ his criminal record?
A. ruling out B. ringing back C. ramping up D. raking up
185. From the way John is speaking, I suspect he is _____ another piece of cake for his girlfriend.
A. angling for B. alluding to C. sticking to D. attesting to
186. After the test, John _____ hours everyday playing games as a way to compensate for his hard work
over the past few months.
A. sinks in B. slips up C. idles away D. ironing out
187. Just by a glance, everybody can realize John is _____ by his desirable results in the test.
A. enraptured B. intoxicated C. enkindled D. extricated
188. Ms. Acogny took the liberty of introducing herself, for she, too, was a dancer of some _______.
A. renown B. conglomerate C. metropolis D. coalition
189. Nature is rational, simple and orderly, and it acts in accordance with _______laws.
A. ineluctable B. inscrutable C. immutable D. implausible
190. Somebody who is foolish or stupid is ________.
A. soft in the head B. riding high C. over the odds: D. pushing up daisies
191. It took me several seconds to grasp the meaning of her statement but finally the ________ dropped.
A. penny B. axe C. hammer D. stone
192. We suggested it would be quicker to fly, but she _______ and insisted on taking the train.
A. bit her head off B. dug her heels in
C. kept her chin up D. stuck her neck out
193. I apologized unreservedly for the offending remarks I had made but he turned a cold, _______ gaze
on me.

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 A. amphibian B. draconian C. mammalian D. reptilian
194. Not getting the promotion felt like a real kick in the ____ as I’d put in so much hard work for the
company.
A. head B. teeth C. back D. leg
195 The employment secretary found himself _______ over recent job cuts.
A. at the end of the line B. down the line C. in the pipeline D. on the firing line
196. You can’t bury your head _____ and hope that this problem goes away, you know.
A. in the mud B. in the pool C. in the sand D. in the water
197. Fiona’s offered to help you. Don’t ask why – never look a gift _____ in the mouth.
A. horse B. cow C. snail D. dog
198.When the cost was ________ the advantages, the scheme looked perfect.
A. set against B. pit against C. counted against D. sponged on
199. Few people can do creative work unless they are in the right _____ of mind.
A. frame B. trend C. attitude D. propensity
200. China's car market exploded in 2009, _______ an ailing global industry and relegating the U.S. to
the second spot.
A. propping up B. ticking over C. wading through D. forging ahead

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