TOPIC: Idioms
Directions (1-15): The sentences given below consists of an idiom given in bold. From the given alternatives identify the most suitable option reflecting the meaning of the idiom.
Q1. Danny was in danger of failing, so before his last math test he left the show early to go home and hit the books.
(a) to be thinking in a similar fashion
(b) to study
(c) when waking someone up
(d) to be at two places
(e) a decision is being made without knowing all the facts
Q2. Having the ocean-view apartment without breaking the bank is the dream.
(a) to go to bed
(b) to convince you to do something you might not have wanted to do
(c) to hurt someone who was close to you betraying them secretly
(d) a rapid drop or decrease in value
(e) to lose all of your money
Q3. The Government and the State Bank spent years strengthening the nation’s economy but the recession and slowdown shattered it, so we are back to square one.
(a) to contribute (give) to something or someone
(b) to deal with the reality of the situation and accept all the consequences
(c) to suddenly quit or stop addictive or dangerous behaviour
(d) to return to where one started from
(e) to exhaust someone’s energies or resources by leading a hectic life
Q4. We are going to have to break the news to the kids that the concert has been cancelled.
(a) to make something known to everybody
(b) to begin taking part in a new activity
(c) become very angry or act crazy
(d) to indicate that a specific task is simple and easy to undertake
(e) to start fighting Source
Q5. The players were over the moon after overcoming a tough opponent to win the championship.
(a) very close to something
(b) do something without worrying about the effects
(c) extremely pleased or happy
(d) impress someone very much
(e) utterly indifferent to something
Q6. The last person we hired as a cashier turned out to have sticky fingers.
(a) good points and bad points
(b) a challenging task or difficult requirement
(c) a tendency to steal things
(d) a narrow escape
(e) spend time chatting, useless talking or chit-chat
Q7. The family has been living hand to mouth ever since their father lost his job.
(a) sudden and unaccountable desire to do something
(b) to enjoy the advantages of something
(c) go public about something private or hidden
(d) to live without a lot of money
(e) something very likely to happen, occur or take place
Q8. So many people are trying to quit smoking that I might as well jump on the bandwagon and quit as well.
(a) to join in a popular activity
(b) to have a possibility of succeeding, even if a remote one
(c) make sure something stays in place
(d) being the best in a competition
(e) the act of stealing
Q9. My boss is really a good egg and everyone likes working with him.
(a) a miserable and unpleasant life
(b) the centre of a target
(c) a likeable person
(d) someone who talks too much
(e) someone who scrounges from others
Q10. He plans to clean his house every week, but he will probably do it only when pigs fly.
(a) used to express that an activity or action is not fun
(b) highly unlikely to happen
(c) out of control
(d) to do what is recommended by someone else
(e) None of these
Q11. The recent lawsuit has put the firm in a tight spot.
(a) a difficult situation
(b) in trouble or state of shame
(c) be dismissed from the job
(d) the initiative for taking action lies with somebody
(e) official report or guide
Q12. They simply wanted to find a scapegoat to blame for the recycling blunder.
(a) to threaten someone, but not take action or follow through with threats
(b) not as simple as it looks
(c) an expensive item with no use or purpose
(d) when someone is being made to take the blame for something
(e) try to calm, soothe or placate a problematic situation
Q13. She was feeling like walking on air after hearing the news of her passing the exams.
(a) make someone work harder by asserting power or authority
(b) feeling very happy
(c) emphasizing that there is no need to worry
(d) to be angry, irritable or in a temper
(e) behave in a way that is not acceptable
Q14. Exceptionally long drought periods are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the global impact of climate change.
(a) a method of censoring or controlling content on the internet
(b) to perfection
(c) a small part of something much bigger
(d) melancholy mood accompanied by deep thought
(e) mid-point in recovery, treatment, or progress
Q15. War films are not really my cup of tea.
(a) during the daytime
(b) a period of time from when action is requested to when it happens
(c) an excessive enthusiasm or rage about a minor matter
(d) to fall asleep very promptly
(e) not be the kind of thing you like
Solutions:
S1. Ans (b)
Sol. ‘Hit the books’ means to study, especially with particular intensity.
Hence, option (b) becomes the most viable answer choice.
S2. Ans (e)
Sol. ‘Break the bank’ means to be very expensive or too expensive: to cost a lot of money —usually used in negative statements.
Hence, option (e) becomes the most viable answer choice.
S3. Ans (d)
Sol. ‘Back to square one’ means back to the beginning; start again.
Hence, option (d) becomes the most viable answer choice.
S4. Ans (a)
Sol. ‘Break the news’ means tell someone about some important new information
Hence, option (a) becomes the most viable answer choice.
S5. Ans (c)
Sol. If you are over the moon about something that has happened, you are very happy about it.
Hence, option (c) becomes the most viable answer choice.
S6. Ans (c)
Sol. ‘Sticky fingers’ means be likely to steal something.
Hence, option (c) becomes the most viable answer choice.
S7. Ans (d)
Sol. If someone lives hand to mouth or lives from hand to mouth, they have hardly enough food or money to live on.
Hence, option (d) becomes the most viable answer choice.
S8. Ans (a)
Sol. ‘Jump on the bandwagon’ means to join others in doing or supporting something fashionable or likely to be successful.
Hence, option (a) becomes the most viable answer choice.
S9. Ans (c)
Sol. ‘A good egg’ is a friendly, old-fashioned way to talk about a good guy or a kind person.
Hence, option (c) becomes the most viable answer choice.
S10. Ans (b)
Sol. We use phrase ‘when pigs fly’, we mean to say that something is never going to happen. It’s sometimes also used to describe things that have a very small chance of happening.
Hence, option (b) becomes the most viable answer choice.
S11. Ans (a)
Sol. If you are in a tight spot, you are in a difficult situation.
Hence, option (a) becomes the most viable answer choice.
S12. Ans (d)
Sol. Scapegoat means a person or group made to bear the blame for others or to suffer in their place.
Hence, option (d) becomes the most viable answer choice.
S13. Ans (b)
Sol. ‘Walking on air’ means to feel extremely excited or happy.
Hence, option (b) becomes the most viable answer choice.
S14. Ans (c)
Sol. If you say that a problem is the tip of the iceberg, it means that it is one small part of a much larger problem.
Hence, option (c) becomes the most viable answer choice.
S15. Ans. (e)
Sol. If something is not your cup of tea, it’s an activity you have no interest in, don’t enjoy or don’t do well in.
Hence, option (e) becomes the most viable answer choice.
English Quizzes For SBI PO Mains 2023 - ...
