CHAPTER 1: LEXCICO – IDIOMS –

PHRASAL VERB PRACTICE TEST 1

1. 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

2. On the way to Cambridge yesterday, the road was blocked by a fallen tree, so we had
to make a _ _.

A. deviation B. digression C. detour D. departure

3. Tom’s normally very efficient but he’s been making a lot of mistakes _.

A. of late B. for now C. in a while D. shortly

4. I know it’s difficult but you’ll just have to and bear it.

A. laugh B. smile C. grin D. chuckle

5. 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

6. We are not in a _ hurry so let’s have another coffee.

A. dashing B. racing C. rushing D. tearing

7. 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

8. “How did you know that he was lying?” – “It was just a feeling.”

A. faint B. gut C. slight D. vain

9. The new company had been with one problem after another and looked as if
it were about to go under.

A. glorified B. tainted C. fraught D. bewildered

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10. Mike decided that election to the local council would provide a to a career
in national politics.

A. milestone B. springboard C. highway D. turning point

11. As a poet, I think she comparison with the greatest this century. .

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

12. We all have to follow the rules, and none of us is the law.

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

13. When disaster _ , organisations such as Oxfam quickly provide help.

A. comes B. approaches C. arrives D. strikes

14. 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

15. Drug-taking is a crime which society simply cannot _ .

A. approve B. acknowledge C. consent D. condone

16. I was scared when I looked down from the top of the cliff.

A. tight B. stiff C. hard D. solid

17. The whereabouts of the exiled president remains a _guarded secret.

A. highly B. closely C. deeply D. entirely

18. We should all_ when advertisers attempt to use unfair practices.

A. make a stand B. make a comeback

C. make amends D. make a deal

19. The company cannot accept _for injuries resulting from improper use
of rental equipment

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A. validity B. liability C. compensation D. privilege

20. Jack never cheats or tricks anybody when he plays. He always goes by the _

A. book B. instructions C. principles D. method

21. Recent defeats have his confidence in himself as a player

A. undermined B. disable C. impeded D. hampered

22. People turned out in to watch the parade on the Independence Day.

A. volume B. mass C. force D. bulk

23. Not being able to find my phone number is a pretty _excuse for not
contacting me.

A. fragile B. frail C. faint D. feeble

24. We were under no _ about how difficult it would be to achieve our aims.

A. fantasies B. daydreams C. illusions D. deceptions

25. The pollution problems in the town have been by mass tourism in
the summer months.

A. exacerbated B. developed C. augmented D. contributed

26. I'm in a bit of a as to what to wear to the wedding.

A. loss B. quandary C. problem D. bewilderment

27. The problem _ because neither side was prepared to compromise.

A. amassed B. escalated C. proliferated D. enhanced

28. The Red Cross is _ an international aid organization.

A. intriguingly B. intrusively C. intrinsically D. intrepidly

29. I couldn't stop myself from _ with boredom during the lecture.

A. sighing B. gasping C. panting D. blowing

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30. My brother found it impossible to his anger and started shouting.

A. restrict B. inhibit C. reserve D. contain

31. Fitting together the thousands of fragments of the broken vase was a long and
task.

A. minute B. careful C. painstaking D. minuscule

32. 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

33. The students had no money left and took out a loan to _ him over until the
end of term.

A. last B. tend C. keep D. tide

34. Money was short and people survived by _and saving.

A. scrimping B. scavenging C. scouring D. scrounging

35. Jane was terribly nervous before the interview but she managed to pull herself
and act confidently.

A. through B. over C. together D. off

36.This is the timetable for the conference. It may change later

A. conditional B. indefinite C. provisional D. indeterminate

37. She didn’t show even a of emotion when the court found her guilty.

A. gleam B. wink C. flicker D. flash

38. Few people can do creative work unless they are in the right _ of mind.

A. trend B. frame C. attitude D. tendency

39. It was decided that the cost of the project would be .and so it was
abandoned.
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A. repressive B. prohibitive C. restrictive D. exclusive

40. 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

41. In times of unemployment figures usually rise dramatically.

A austerity B severity C sobriety D. gravity

42. The delight in treasure finding doesn’t always acquiring tremendous

amounts of valuables.

A. dwell on B. poke around C. lay about D. hinge upon

43. Let’s _ the place, it looks so gloomy and unpleasant .

A. miss B. abandon C. depart D. disappear

44. She used the map to discover where she was in to her surroundings.

A. connection B. affinity C. relation D. reference

45. He let it that the Prime Minister was a close friend of his.

A. announce B. talk C. drop D. infer

46. 1. It was a fantastic film. I enjoyed it _ .

A. endlessly B. unendingly C. without end D. no end

47. When the children _ their toys, I donated them to charity.

A. outlasted B. outdated C. outgrew D. outwore

48. I was in the of despair before I heard the good news.

A. depths B. profundities C. bottoms D. holes

49. When are we going to get rid of all these empty cartons? They've been up
the office for weeks now.

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A. buttering B. clutching C. cluttering D. botching

50. The luxurious office accentuated the manager's position _ . It enhanced his
power and his sense of his own worth. And it made other people feel small.

A. on the pecking pole B. in the nibbling line

C. at the nipping post D. in the pecking order

51. The architect has designed a building of immaculate in everything. Every

detail is matched on each side.

A evenness B contrast C symmetry D contradiction

52. The vegetation on the island was .

A. exuberant B. chivalrous C. overcast D. ingenious

53. We had been looking for the nest for hours before we lucky.

A. hit B. made C. struck D. came

54. We don’t have a secretary , but we do have a student who comes in to do a

bit of filing.

A. as such B. the least bit C. whatsoever D. little more

55. Despite appearances, he wasn't as crazy as people thought.

A. inward B. outward C. external D. strange

56. I really need some vacations now so that when I come back I can in the
operating theatre.

A. thrive B. grow C. proliferate D. spread

57. The first _ of the ladder is important in your career.

A. step B. grade C. push D. rung

58. After hours and hours trying to solve the problem, I was at my _ end.

A. nerves' B. wits' C. humours' D. tethers'

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59. Her punky hairstyle showed she was not one for following the .

A. flock B. herd C. swarm D. group

60. There wasn't a of truth in what he said.

A. ray B. lump C. grain D.pinch

61. Ask David to give you a hand moving the furniture. He’s strong as .

A. an elephant B. a mountain C. a gorilla D. a horse

62. He didn’t have a of evidence to support his claims.

A. sign B. scrap C. sense D. state

63. It’s the _ of stupidity to go walking in the mountains in this weather.

A. height B. depth C. source D. matter

64. 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.

65. It must be true. I hear it straight from the _ mouth.

A. dog’s B. horse’s C. camel’s D. cat’s

66. It's normal for salaries to be paid monthly in , meaning you'll need to work
four weeks first.

A. advance B. full C. arrears D. debt

67. She is so skinned that nothing offends her.

A. hard B. thick C. strong D. heavy

68. 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

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69. The competition he set up for young musicians is another of his life-long
support for the arts.

A. exposition B. manifestation C. token D. exhibition

70. Windows go _ towards defining the character of a house.

A. a long way B. far out C. all the way D. far away

71. Even the most drivers feel an urge to break the speed-limit occasionally.

A. lawful B. legitimate C. law-abiding D. judicial

72. 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

73. 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

74. I really don’t want to get involved in your problems. Why are you me into it?

A. pulling B. dragging C. wrenching D. towing

75. Everybody was busy with the spring cleaning, except Stanley, who always refused to
pull his .

A. shocks B. weight C. finger D. share

76. At the time, Mexico was in the of its worst economic recession on record.

A. grip B. tug C. hug D. grab

77. Harry was offered a scholarship to study in Japan and he the opportunity with
both hands.

A. grasped B. grabbed C. held D. passed

78. A full scholarship to Harvard and you are worried about leaving your job? You’d be a
fool to up a chance like that.

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A. turn B. brush C. pass D. cast

79. He admitted taking a bribe and he doesn’t think he’s his chances of getting
re-elected?

A. pulled B. wiped C. thrown D. blown

80. The matter has been left in until the legal ramifications have been explored.

A. recess B. suspension C. abeyance D. waiting

81. It was an extremely hostile article which cast _ on the conduct of the entire
cabinet.

A. criticism B. aspersions C. disapproval D. abuse

82. 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

83. 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

84. If you had never seen a telly ad, you would be all at _ with popular culture.

A. crossroads B. distance C. sea D. length

85. 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

86. 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

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87. The entire staff was thrown off when the news of the takeover was
announced.

A. composure B. disarray C. stable D. balance

88. 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

89. We at Buyrite throw down the to competitors to match us for price, quality
and service.

A. mitten B. gauntlet C. sword D. hat

90. Sometimes, we don't appreciate the _ pleasures of life such as a beautiful sky, a
cup of coffee with a friend or seeing a good film at the cinema.

A. sheer B. simple C. normal D. plain

91. 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

92. 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

93. 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

94. I'm about to start my long-planned swimming regime. But I've got really terrible
cellulite, which makes me feel rather

A. self-assured B. self - centred

C. self-conscious D. self-evident

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95. The inconsiderate driver was _ for parking his vehicle in the wrong place.

A. inflicted B. harassed C. condemned D. confined

96. 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

97. Obama expressed regret as a US drone strike has killed innocent hostages.

A. incongruously B. vehemently C. inadvertently D. graciously

98. How do you calculate the distance to the horizon? As a , it’s 7 miles + 1 mile
per 100 ft above sea level.

A. trick of the trade B. golden rule C. free hand D. rule of thumb

99. Just because we’ve had a good year, this does not mean that we cannot do better: we
must not _

A. have our head in the clouds B. bury our heads in the sand

C. count our blessings D. rest on our laurels

100. The headmaster at my last school was was a stern disciplinarian and made sure we
the line.

A. drew B. faced C. touched D. toed

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