Exercise: Lexical Items

Questions for: Idiomatic Expressions

If someone “cuts corners,” they

A:

follow all the rules

B:

take the longest route

C:

do something cheaply or carelessly

D:

waste money

Answer: C

Explanation:
Cut corners = to save time or money by doing something poorly or not properly.
❌ “Follow rules” — opposite.
❌ “Take the longest route” — wrong direction.
❌ “Waste money” — opposite of saving effort.

“A piece of cake” means

A:

something delicious

B:

something expensive

C:

something boring

D:

something very easy

Answer: D

Explanation:
A piece of cake = something very easy to do.
❌ “Delicious” — literal cake.
❌ “Expensive” — unrelated.
❌ “Boring” — not implied.

“Once in a blue moon” means something happens

A:

very often

B:

very rarely

C:

every week

D:

every night

Answer: B

Explanation:
Once in a blue moon = very rarely or almost never.
❌ “Very often” — opposite.
❌ “Every week/night” — regular occurrence, not rare.

“Burning the midnight oil” refers to

A:

wasting time

B:

feeling tired

C:

working late into the night

D:

staying up for fun

Answer: C

Explanation:
✅ It means working or studying late at night.
❌ “Wasting time” — opposite.
❌ “Feeling tired” — possible result, not meaning.
❌ “Staying up for fun” — not serious work.

“Break the ice” means

A:

to argue with someone

B:

to avoid a conversation

C:

to break something frozen

D:

to make people feel comfortable in a social situation

Answer: D

Explanation:
Break the ice = start a conversation or activity to ease tension.
❌ “Break something frozen” — literal.
❌ “Avoid conversation” — opposite.
❌ “Argue” — unrelated.

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