EXERCISES ON COLLOCATIONS AND IDIOMS

Choose the best answer to complete the following sentences

Question 1: My boss has a reputation for being such a slave-driver!
A. working overtime B. working excessively hard
C. being slave to work D. making his staff work too hard
Question 2: We want to recruit the brightest and the best. If you think you fit the bill, fill in an
application form today.
A. are able to pay the bill B. are suitable
C. are of the right size D. are excellent
Question 3: I'd go mad if I had to do a dead-end job like working on a supermarket checkout.
A. demanding B. challenging C. fascinating D. boring
Question 4: Steve_______his chances of passing by spending too much time on the first question.
A. threw away B. threw in C. threw off D. threw out
Question 5: After congratulating his team, the coach left, allowing the players to let their_______
down for a while.
A. hearts B. hair C. souls D. heads
Question 6: Making mistake is all_______of growing up.
A. bits and bobs B. odds and ends C. part and parcel D. top and bottom
Question 7: The judge_______murderer to a lifetime imprisonment.
A. prosecuted B. sentenced C. convicted D. accused
Question 8: Alice said: "That guy is_______gorgeous. I wish he would ask me out."
A. dead-centre B. drop shot C. jumped-up D. drop-dead
Question 9: The situation seems to be changing minute_______minute.
A. by B. to C. and D. in
Question 10: Jose had a hard time comparing the iPhone to the Samsung phone because to him they
were apples and oranges.
A. containing too many technical details B. very similar
C. completely different D. very complicated
Question 11: The party leader travelled the length and_______of the country in an attempt to
spread his message.
A. width B. distance C. diameter D. breadth
Question 12: Vietnam U23 made not only Asia but also Europe keep a close eye on them. They
_______ internationally.
A. have made headlines B. had made headlines
C. have done headlines D. did headlines
Question 13: If we didn’t_______any measures to protect whales, they would disappear forever.
A. use B. make C. take D. do
Question 14: It is the_______of stupidity to go walking in the mountains in this weather.
A. height B. depth C. source D. matter
Question 15: The works of such men as the English philosophers John Locke and Thomas Hobbes
helped pave the way for academic freedom in the modern sense.
A. terminate B. prevented C. enhanced D. incorporated
Question 16: Since the death of Laura's father, her mother has become a breadwinner to support
the family.
A. a person who bakes bread every morning B. a bakery-owner
C. a person who delivers bread to make money D. a person who goes out to work to earn money
Question 17: Peter is the black sheep of the family, so he is never welcomed there.
A. a beloved member B. a bad and embarrassing member
C. the only child D. the eldest child
Question 18: Both universities speak_______of the programme of student exchange and hope to
cooperate more in the future.
A. highly B. quickly C. rapidly D. fast
Question 19: On hearing that she failed the entrance exam, Trang couldn't help_______into tears.
A. bursting B. burst C. to bursting D. to burst
Question 20: She didn’t enjoy her first year at college because she failed to _______her new
friends.
A. come in for B. look down on C. go down with D. get on with
Question 21: The world work is developing very quickly. If you don’t selflearn continuously, we
will not ________ social movements.
A. put up with B. keep up with C. get on with D. deal with
Question 22: He has been waiting for this letter for days, and at_______it has come.
A. the end B. last C. the moment D. present
Question 23: There's a list of repairs as long as .
A. your arm B. a pole C. your arms D. a mile
Question 24:I tried to talk to her, but she was as high as a_______.
A. kite B. house C. sky D. wall
Question 25: The jury_______her compliments_______her excellent knowledge of the subject.
A. returned/to B. paid/to C. returned/on D. paid / on
Question 26: You may note down your qualifications and experience that can relate to the job.
A. put down B. hold down C. draw down D. jot down
Question 27: Many large corporations will be wiped out and millions of jobs will be lost.
A. escalated B. erased C. threatened D. eradicated
Question 28: On the whole, the rescue mission was well executed.
A. In fact B. In particular C. At once D. In general
Question 29: It's difficult to tell him to give in because he is so big-headed.
A. wise B. generous C. modest D. arrogant
Question 30: With this type of insurance, you’re buying_______of mind.
A. peace B. satisfaction C. calmness D. contentment
Question 31: We’re over the_______! Who wouldn’t be? We’ve just won £1 million!
A. planet B. clouds C. stars D. moon
Question 32: Of course you’ll pass. You write well and you have an excellent _______of the
subject.
A. grip B. seizure C. grasp D. embrace
Question 33: I told you clearly and definitely not to write your answers in pencil, Tom!
A. considerably B. thoroughly C. altogether D. specifically
Question 34: As a newspaper reporter, she always wanted to get information at first hand.
A. indirectly B. directly C. easily D. slowly
Question 35: Could you_______me a lift into town?
A. give B. get C. do D. make
Question 36: Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May was the first world leader to pay
a_______Trump at the White House after his inauguration last year.
A. visited B. visiting C. visit to D. visit
Question 37: Vietnam reached the semi-finals of the AFC U23 Championship 2018 with a penalty
shootout win_______ Iraq on Saturday, January 20th ,2018.
A. over B. with C. against D. in
Question 38: If we use robots instead of humans, many people may be out of work.
A. employed B. jobless C. inemployed D. unemployed
Question 39: It was no accident that he broke my glasses. He did it_______ purpose.
A. with B. on C. by D. about
Question 40: I read the contract again and again _______ avoiding making spelling mistakes.
A. in terms of B. by means of C. with a view to D. in view of
Question 41: It's no use talking to me about metaphysics. It’s a closed book to me.
A. a subject that I don’t understand B. a theme that I like to discuss
C. a book that is never opened D. an object that I really love
Question 42: Her outgoing character contrasts_______with that of her sister.
A. thoroughly B. fully C. sharply D. coolly
Question 43: Learning Spanish isn’t so difficult once you_______.
A. get away with it B. get off it C. get down to it D. get on it
Question 44: Please don't_______ a word of this to anyone else, it's highly confidential.
A. speak B. pass C. mutter D. breathe
Question 45: You never really know where you are with her as she just blows hot and cold.
A. keeps going B. keeps taking things
C. keeps changing her mood D. keeps testing
Question 46: "Edwards seems like a dog with two tails this morning.” - "Haven't you heard the
news? His wife gave birth a baby boy early this morning.”
A. extremely happy C. extremely disappointed
B. exhausted D. very proud
Question 47: Ann has always made_______in everything she has done.
A. fit B. perfect C. good D. excellent
Question 48: In spite of his poverty, he led a devoted life to the revolutionary_______.
A. aim B. goal C. cause D. reason
Question 49: She simply took it for granted that the check was good and did not ask him any
questions about it.
A. permitted it B. accepted it without investigation
C. objected to it D. looked it over
Question 50: My uncle was_______ill last summer; however, fortunately, he is now making a slow
but steady recovery.
A. seriously B. deeply C. fatally D. critically

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