Modismos y expresiones fijas en inglés (C2) – Test 1

Elige la palabra que completa correctamente cada modismo o expresión fija.

1. The two neighbours have been at _____ over the boundary fence for years.

   A crossroads B loggerheads C tenterhooks D arm's length

2. After winning the championship, she refused to rest on her _____ and began training for next season immediately.

   A honours B merits C laurels D trophies

3. The rumour about the merger turned out to be a red _____ intended to distract journalists from the real story.

   A herring B flag C letter D carpet

4. Unexpected delays like this are par for the _____ in the construction industry.

   A game B field C track D course

5. The new evidence put _____ to the prosecution's theory once and for all.

   A end B paid C stop D rest

6. He made no _____ about his dislike of the proposal and voted against it openly.

   A words B minds C bones D claims

7. The whole family waited with _____ breath for the exam results to arrive.

   A baited B bated C held D drawn

8. If we want to win the contract, we'll have to steal a _____ on our competitors.

   A march B lead C glance D step

Lee cada oración y elige la opción que mejor explica el significado del modismo.

9. "Whether the meeting is on Tuesday or Wednesday is neither here nor there; what matters is that everyone attends." What does the speaker mean about the day of the meeting?

   A It has not yet been decided. B It is unimportant. C It causes confusion. D It depends on the location.

10. "The surgeon said it was touch and go for a while, but the patient pulled through." What does 'touch and go' mean here?

    A The outcome was very uncertain. B The operation was quick and routine. C The patient was barely conscious. D The doctors disagreed about the treatment.

11. "Daniel was at a loose end on Saturday, so he offered to help us paint the kitchen." What was Daniel's situation?

    A He was confused about what to do. B He was in financial difficulty. C He had nothing in particular to do. D He was tired after a long week.

12. "The chair of the committee gave the journalist's question short shrift." What did the chair do?

    A answered it in great detail B dismissed it quickly without serious consideration C postponed answering it until later D asked someone else to answer it

13. "By setting a trap for her colleague, Mia was hoist with her own petard when her manager discovered the plan." What happened to Mia?

    A She was promoted for her clever plan. B Her colleague took the blame instead. C She was harmed by the scheme she had planned for someone else. D She abandoned the plan before it worked.

14. "After their argument, Hana kept her former business partner at arm's length." This means Hana _____ him.

    A worked very closely with B avoided becoming close to C physically threatened D tried hard to win back

15. "Don't split hairs — the difference between 'nearly' and 'almost' isn't important here." The speaker is asking the listener not to _____.

    A make unnecessarily fine distinctions B interrupt other people C change the subject D exaggerate a problem

16. "Sofia's proposal flies in the face of everything we learned from the last project." This means the proposal _____ the lessons of the last project.

    A is strongly supported by B directly contradicts C is a summary of D was inspired by

Elige la oración correcta, la respuesta más adecuada, la palabra apropiada o la parte de la oración que contiene un error.

17. Which sentence is correct?

    A After years of rivalry, the two chefs finally decided to bury the axe. B After years of rivalry, the two chefs finally decided to bury the sword. C After years of rivalry, the two chefs finally decided to bury the hammer. D After years of rivalry, the two chefs finally decided to bury the hatchet.

18. Which part of the sentence contains an error? "She has / a chip in her shoulder / about not having / gone to university."

    A She has B a chip in her shoulder C about not having D gone to university

19. In which sentence is 'sail close to the wind' used correctly?

    A She sailed close to the wind and finished the marathon with ease. B We sailed close to the wind to celebrate our anniversary. C The firm is sailing close to the wind with some of its accounting practices. D He always sails close to the wind whenever he feels relaxed.

20. The team won a _____ victory: the cost of winning was so high that it was hardly worth it.

    A landslide B Pyrrhic C sweeping D resounding

21. A: "I've been putting off telling the client about the delay for weeks." B: "_____"

    A You should let sleeping dogs lie and call them today. B You'll have to beat about the bush and call them today. C You should jump the gun and call them today. D You'll just have to bite the bullet and call them today.

22. Which part of the sentence contains an error? "The plan went down / like a lead balloon / with the staff, who thought it was / a damp squid."

    A The plan went down B like a lead balloon C with the staff, who thought it was D a damp squid

23. In which sentence is 'cut the mustard' used correctly?

    A The new software simply doesn't cut the mustard; we need something more powerful. B She cut the mustard and left the party early. C They cut the mustard to save money on the project. D He cut the mustard by apologising to everyone.

Lee el texto. Elige la palabra que mejor completa cada hueco numerado y, a continuación, responde a las preguntas sobre el significado.

24. Gap (1): The business had been _____ water for years.

    A swimming B treading C holding D testing

25. Gap (2): Its most talented designers were already thinking about jumping _____.

    A boat B train C ship D board

26. Gap (3): The studio had its work _____ out.

    A cut B torn C chopped D sliced

27. Gap (4): She was throwing the baby out with the _____.

    A bucket B washing C rubbish D bathwater

28. Gap (5): Within a year, however, the tide had _____.

    A risen B turned C rolled D flowed

29. In paragraph 2, 'Amara didn't mince her words' suggests that she _____.

    A chose her words carefully to avoid upsetting anyone B said very little at the meeting C spoke frankly and directly, even though the message was unwelcome D spoke slowly so that everyone could understand

30. In the final paragraph, 'she has more than earned her stripes' means that Amara has _____.

    A proved her ability through hard work and achievement B received a large financial reward C been given an official title D become unpopular with her staff