I/ Multiple-choice Questions

1. Despite her limited income, Sarah managed to __________ very little money by budgeting carefully and
prioritizing her expenses.
A. get by on B. get along with C. get down to D. get off

2. Joshua was all set to take the job in Hanoi, but at the last minute he______and decided to stay in Britain.
A. went up the wall B. got cold feet C. came to light D. pulled his weight

3. This football club got through to the final of the championship three years in______.
A. success B. continuation C. succession D. repetition

4. Although she had never used a word-processor before, she soon got the ____ of it.
A. hang B. swing C. sense D. touch

5. Have you told your dad what's bothering you?

I'd ____ than my parents.
A. rather confiding in you B. sooner confide in you
C. better confide in you D. rather to confide in you

6. Jessica’s hopes were ______ when she wasn’t selected for the team.
A. lowered B. smashed C. dimmed D. dashed

7. My doctor said that I had _____ a stomach bug and that the severe abdominal pain and nausea would
subside after about seven days.
A. gone out of B. got away with
C. come down with D. brought round to

8. There should be no discrimination on ____ of sex, race or religion.

A. fields B. places C. grounds D. areas

9. Dave: "I don't think I will be able to go swimming tomorrow."

Jack: "____?"
A. Why do you B. How do you do C. Why come D. How come

10. The board proposes that the majority of this year's profits ____ in new product development.
A. to be invested B. be invested C. will be invested D. is invested

11. I'm afraid we got our ____ crossed - I thought my husband would be picking up the children and he thought
I was doing it.
A. minds B. fingers C. wires D. purposes

12. When will it ____ on you that I am right and you're wrong?
A. strike B. descend C. dawn D. come

13. ____, the balcony chairs will be ruined in this weather.

A. Left uncovered B. Leaving uncovered
C. Having left uncovered D. Left uncovering

14. ____ the diners settled the bill and left the restaurant.
A. Having satisfied hunger B. Their hunger satisfied
C. Hunger been satisfied D. Satisfying their hunger
15. Luckily, I ____ a new pair of sunglasses as I found mine at the bottom of a bag.
A. needn't have bought B. mustn't have bought
C. didn't need to buy D. can't have bought

16. On the stairs ____ a small dark-haired girl.

A. was sitting B. were sitting C. sitting D. having sat

17. I do take my hat ____ to the new director for having pulled the company back from bankruptcy.
A. by B. on C. to D. off

18. Since he's left the army, he misses the excitement and danger and still wants to live life in the fast ____.
A. track B. path C. street D. lane

19. Sylvia had been dieting for a long time, so I didn't ____ to tell her that she didn't appear to have lost any
weight.
A. cross my heart B. have the heart
C. keep a straight face D. slip of the tongue

20. The weather is going to change soon - I can feel it in my ____.

A. legs B. teeth C. skins D. bones

21. Frank and Mike are talking in the office.

Frank: "What are your thoughts on yesterday's meeting?"
Mike: "____"
A. I think the president will be there.
B. I'm glad we covered the human resources' issue.
C. We should bring up the workers' concerns.
D. You are warmly welcome.

22. I'm ____ for Jeff at tomorrow's meeting as he has to go to a conference in Manchester.
A. copying in B. filling in C. picking up D. taking up

23. He made a number of ______ remarks about my cooking, which upset me.
A. slashing B. stabbing C. copping D. cutting

24. Katie and Jimmy are in a restaurant.

Katie: "Waiter, we're not happy with the taste of the soup."
Jimmy: "____, Katie. There's nothing wrong with the soup."
A. Speak up B. Talk about it C. Talk nonsense D. Speak for yourself

Choose the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s) in each
of the following sentences.
25. I can't stomach those silly people who always go around with their mobile phones glued to their ears.
A. protest B. accept C. argue D. criticise

26. I simply don't believe the scheme will ever succeed; it's just pie in the sky.
A. likely to swing B. unlikely to happen
C. possible to fly D. impossible to devise

27. Mary is an expert in ancient history. She really knows ______.

A. her status B. herself C. the problem D. her stuff
28.Nobody would call me an alcoholic, but I like to have a drink of beer ____ and then.
A. there B. when C. often D. now

29. I fell ________ one of my friends and haven’t spoken to her for weeks.
A. in with B. out with C. through D. behind

30. The practical component lasts six months, ____ trainees will be able to demonstrate what they have
learned.
A. by that time B. during which time C. at that time D. until which time

31. 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

32. I know it’s difficult but you’ll just have to ________ and bear it.
A. laugh B. smile C. grin D. chuckle

33. “How did you know that he was lying?” – “It was just a ________ feeling.”
A. faint B. gut C. slight D. vain

34. As a poet, I think she ________ comparison with the greatest this century. .
A. stands B. makes C. leads D. matches

35. When disaster ______, organisations such as Oxfam quickly provide help.
A. comes B. approaches C. arrives D. strikes

36. 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

37. I was scared ____________ when I looked down from the top of the cliff.
A. tight B. stiff C. hard D. solid

38. Jack never cheats or tricks anybody when he plays. He always goes by the_________
A. book B. instructions C. principles D. method

39. Recent defeats have _________.his confidence in himself as a player

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

40. I’m in a bit of a _________ as to what to wear to the wedding.

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

41. My brother found it impossible to _________his anger and started shouting.

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

42. 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

43. Jane was terribly nervous before the interview but she managed to pull herself ________ and act
confidently.
A. through B. over C. together D. off

44. Few people can do creative work unless they are in the right _________ of mind.
A. trend B. frame C. attitude D. tendency
45. He let it __________ that the Prime Minister was a close friend of his.
A. announce B. talk C. drop D. infer

46. It was a fantastic film. I enjoyed it _________

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

47. After hours and hours trying to solve the problem, I was at my _________ end.
A. nerves’ B. wits’ C. humours’ D. tethers’

48. There wasn’t a _________ of truth in what he said.

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

49. 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

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

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

51. Windows go __________ towards defining the character of a house.

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

52. 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

53. It must be true. I hear it straight from the _________ mouth.

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

54. Harry was offered a scholarship to study in Japan and he _____ the opportunity with
both hands.
A. grasped B. grabbed C. held D. passed

55. 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

56. 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

57. 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

58. 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

59. 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

60. 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