FIXED EXPRESSIONS (31 / 7/ 2021)
1. Discussions on the issue of expansion of the company have been in _______ since the outbreak of the disease in the area. A. hitch B. limbo C. feud D. core
2. Increasing terrorism in the region puts a new _______ on the situation. A. complexion B. disposition C. outlet D. tantrum
3. The candidate’s optimism gave _______ to doubt as the result of exit polls became known. A. place B. lie C. vent D. voice
4. This week’s programme is given _______ a profile of an eminent scientist. A. credit for B. in to C. over to D. up on
5. If you make it to the final, you will be _______ some of the best sprinters in the world. A. in for B. up to C. up against D. up with
6. The two men had a disagreement when they first met. That disagreement _______ the scene for the lifelong hostility between them. A laid B arranged C prepared D set
7. This will cause all sorts of problems. ~ I know. It’s a _________________ for disaster. A. recipe B. ingredient C. receipt D. reason
8. Mr. Discontent wanted to complain to the waiter but was afraid of making a(n) ______. A. act B. drama C. play D. scene
9. My cousin was nervous about being interviewed on TV, but she rose to the ________ wonderfully. A. event B. performance C. incident D. occasion
10. That he was using unscrupulous research methods only came out because his assistant _______ on him to the press. A. ratted B. hounded C. fished D. bugged
11. The phrase ‘money doesn't buy happiness’ is a cautionary cliché that keeps us from blindly lining your pockets with
_______ in the hope that we’ll feel happier. A. stash B. hoard C. stock D. dosh
12. I had spent two months worrying about it and I was glad to get it off my _______. A. shoulders B. head C. chest D. mouth
13. The tendency is to respond to anger with anger, but in these situations, it pays to keep a cool _______. A. brain B. mind C. head D. top
14. The employees are ______ a rally in the city centre to demand higher wages. A. making B. performing C. staging D. presenting
15. Having gained a ______ victory in the general elections, they proceeded with their ambitious programme. A. galloping B. staunch C. landslide D. close-up
16. Apart from one or two ______ of brilliance from Owen, England put on a rather poor performance. A. flashes B. spells C. storms D. strokes
17. Travelling to Norway and experiencing the Nothern Lights first hand was always at the very top of Mary’s _______ list. A. luggage B. lag C. basket D. bucket
18. The government is using the taxes from the working class to bail out the banks that ruined the economy? That really ________! A. sows wild oats B. spills the beans C. takes the biscuit D. upsets the apple cart
19. The Government is trying to ________when it says it will spend more on the health service without raising taxes. A. chew the fat B. wave the flag C. square the circle D. put the lid
20. 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. purposes C. wires D. fingers
21. The police are going to ______down on illegal stock exchange activities in the streets. A. dragging B. kicking C. dumbing D. clamping
22. A: ‘Oh, I’m exhausted! I’ve been doing homework all day.’
B: ‘Come and put your _______ up for 5 minutes and I’ll make you a cup of tea.’ A. hands B. hair C. heart D. feet
23. John was _______ a week after the accident, but he has not been able to come to football practice yet. A. up and about B. vim and vigour C. fingers and thumbs D. life and death
24. I felt a bit _______ and seemed to have more aches and pains than usual. A. out of sorts C. on the mend B. over the worst D. under the fever
25. The plane had moved onto the runway and the cabin crew were ______ take-off. A. standing by for B. standing in for C. standing up for D. standing up to
26. Although the chemist’s initial experiment failed, she ________ upon a strong new material in the process. A. tripped B. fell C. broke D. stumbled
27. When it comes to running the company, Michael is a(n) ________ unto himself; he is doing anything he pleases. A. act B. code C. order D. law
28. People don’t have a right to ________ in judgement when they don’t know all the facts. A. sit B. pass C. make D. bite
29. The ________ skyscrapers of modern metropolises dwarf previous feats of engineering both literally and figuratively. A. tottering B. towering C. sprawling D. spanning
30. The money-laundering scandal leads to the minister’s ________ fall from political power. A. prodigious B. precipitous C. dismal D. persistent
31. I hope virtual friendships are not the ________ of things to come. A. scheme B. form C. shape D. frame
32. At the age of 11, Taylor Swift was already trying to ________ a record deal in Nashville. A. land B. create C. steal D. grab
33. Harry was a ________ of nerves the whole time his wife was in the hospital. A. batch B. bunch C. bundle D. bale
34. This is a very busy office and in your new position you will have to be able to think on your ________! A. toes B. legs C. feet D. knees
35. If you are given a ________ anaesthetic during an operation, you are still aware of what is going on around you. A. local B. tropical C. varied D. released
36. Garlic being sold as organic was found to contain pesticide ________ and was removed from the market. A. elements B. filaments C. residues D. variables
37. It had been with a heavy ________ that I watched her leave, and I had sunk into a dark and despairing mood. A. head B. mood C. mind D. heart
38. Their ________ religious beliefs were of great comfort in troubled times. A. age-long B. long-gone C. strongly-held D. time-honoured
39. Although he came to work the day before his retirement, everyone knew he was just ________. A. going with the flow B. going through the motions C. going against the grain D. going along with them
40. They are a real ________ organisation; they are only interested in making a profit. A. devil-may-care B. fly-by-night C. open-handed D. down-to-earth
41. I had a disastrous day, but lately that has been par for the ________. A. course B. track C. game D. road
42. They’ve been going ________ for so long now that all their friends expect them to marry soon. A. dutch B. berserk C. round D. steady
43. The new consultant is still feeling her ________ in the hospital. A. bones B. pinch C. way D. weather
44. The system of checks and balances ensures that no individual has ________ to do as they please. A. scope B. latitude C. carte blanche D. franchise
45. She marched into the shops, as bold as ________, and demanded for her money back. A. bass B. grass C.brass D. glass
46. People are dying for _________ of medical treatment. A. need B. absence C. want D. shortage
47. Our guests are from a _______ of society and so should reflect most point of views. A. cross-section B. cross-fire C. cross-purpose D. cross-reference
48. Amanda was upset by his rejection, but decided to _______ the past behind her and get on with her life. A. push B. fix C. drop D. put
49. Thank you for paying me back—now we can ________ it quits. A. name B. call C. consider D. state
50. She said she was late because her flight was canceled, and we gave her the ________ of the doubt. A. right B. point C. benefit D. value
51. I love these pants because they fit like a ________ and they're so comfortable. A. suit B. sock C. glove D. shirt
52. A: "I'm getting paid to stay in my neighbour's mansion while they're on holiday.
" B: "Wow, that'll be money for old ________!" A. rope B. wire C. string D. line
53. He’s had his ________ into me for months, and every time I make a mistake, he tells my boss. A. dagger B. knife C. hatchet D. axe
54. A: Sometimes this job frustrates me so much I could just break down in tears.
B.: Keep a ________ upper lip. Things are bound to improve. A. hard B. tight C. stiff D. loose
55. I can't believe you ________ the gaff and talked about the plans for her surprise party right to her face! A. burst B. blew C. split D. banged
56. As computer technology improves, it's ironically getting harder and harder to find a piece of equipment that can ________ the test of time. A. stand B. live C. bear D. endure
57. I was worried when my boyfriend and uncle started arguing over their different political views, but luckily they
found common ________ when discussing their favorite TV shows. A. base B. term C. ground D. field
58. I can't stand his behaviour. It is very easy for him to ________ off the handle. A. rush B. jump C. move D. fly
59. I wish I could convey how much it means to me having you all here, but words ________ me at the moment. A. miss B.abandon C. leave D. fail
60. I had to set Stephen ________ after I realized that he'd been operating the machinery wrong this whole time. A. clear B. straight C. aware D. familiar
61. I didn't want to believe it, but in my ________ of hearts I knew that it was true. A. depth B. bottom C. soul D. heart
62. Mary is completely hard and selfish—she doesn't have the ________ of human kindness in her. A. cream B. oil C. milk D. water
63. Sorry, I can’t seem to get my brain into ________ this morning. A. wheel B. starter C. clutch D. gear
64. Unions accept free accommodation and travel, yet they would scream ________ murder if the same was received by politicians. A. red B. blue C. yellow D. black
65. I grew up in California, so when I moved to Minnesota, I felt like I stuck out ________. A. a kilometre B. an inch C. a yard D. a mile
66. I've had some good winnings at blackjack, but I don't think I should ________ my luck any further. A. press B. bend C. tease D. push
67. I don't care if I have to drive through a blizzard—we are getting to this wedding come hell or high ________! A. wave B. iceberg C. water D. flood
68. I was all ready to tell him that the relationship was over when he greeted me with a big bunch of flowers - that took the ________ out of my sails. A. wind B. breeze C. air D. flow
69. Look at that fool, all dressed up like a ________ dinner. Who told him that patterned suit was a good idea? A. tiger’s B. whale’s C. cow’s D. dog’s
70. My parents always taught me to reach for the ________ when I was growing up—that I could be anything I set my mind to! A. stars B. moon C. sun D. galaxies