Question 1

1. Despite the board's overwhelming consensus to acquire the struggling startup, the Chief Compliance Officer decided to ________, citing several unresolved regulatory discrepancies.

A) pull out all the stopsB) put her foot downC) throw caution to the windD) ride roughshod

Answer

✓ Correct Answer: Option B

Question 2

2. With the company's primary line of revenue drying up, the management had to ________ and prepare for an exceptionally grueling fiscal year.

A) run on an even keelB) batten down the hatchesC) burn their boats

Question 3

3. When questioned about his sudden wealth, the politician tried to , but the relentless investigative journalists eventually managed to .

A) beat about the bush / bell the catB) throw dust in their eyes / ferret out the truthC) blow his own trumpet / clear the airD) put on a brave face / hit the nail on the head

Answer

✓ Correct Answer: Option B

Question 4

4. As a young researcher, Elena found herself caught between ________: she could either publish preliminary, unverified data to secure immediate funding, or maintain scientific integrity and risk the complete closure of her laboratory.

A) Scylla and CharybdisB) Achilles' heel and Pandora's boxC) the sword of Damocles and the Gordian knotD) a wild goose chase and a mare's nest

Answer

✓ Correct Answer: Option A

Question 5

5. The federal audit revealed that the rogue investment manager had been ________ for years, concealing massive speculative losses under a network of dummy offshore accounts.

A) cooking the booksB) feathering his nestC) buying a pig in a pokeD) skimming the cream

Answer

✓ Correct Answer: Option A

Question 6

6. The defense attorney's closing argument was incredibly eloquent and persuasive, but the legal experts agreed it did not ________ because it failed to address the physical evidence directly.

A) hold waterB) clear the airC) take the wind out of their sailsD) hit the ground running

Answer

✓ Correct Answer: Option A

Question 7

7. Instead of addressing the systemic performance issues within the department, the director chose to ________, sacrificing a junior manager to appease the angry board members.

A) throw him to the wolvesB) lead him up the garden pathC) give him a long ropeD) put him on the back burner

Answer

✓ Correct Answer: Option A

Question 8

8. Faced with intense interrogation by the hostile senate committee, the chief executive managed to ________ and avoided making any incriminating statements.

A) keep her headB) keep her chin upC) blow her topD) hold her horses

Answer

✓ Correct Answer: Option A

Question 9

9. Attempting to revive that obsolete product line without any modern upgrades is simply ________; the consumer market has moved on to smarter, modern alternatives.

A) flogging a dead horseB) crying over spilled milkC) putting the cart before the horseD) barking up the wrong tree

Answer

✓ Correct Answer: Option A

Question 10

10. While others hesitated to confront the dictatorial division head, Julian decided to ________ and raise the issue of unpaid overtime during the staff meeting.

A) bell the catB) tilt at windmillsC) cry wolfD) spill the beans

Answer

✓ Correct Answer: Option A

Accepted Answer

✓ Correct Answer: Option B

Competitive Exams: English Language - Idioms (Set 6)

1. Despite the board's overwhelming consensus to acquire the struggling startup, the Chief Compliance Officer decided to ________, citing several unresolved regulatory discrepancies.

2. With the company's primary line of revenue drying up, the management had to ________ and prepare for an exceptionally grueling fiscal year.

3. When questioned about his sudden wealth, the politician tried to ________, but the relentless investigative journalists eventually managed to ________.

4. As a young researcher, Elena found herself caught between ________: she could either publish preliminary, unverified data to secure immediate funding, or maintain scientific integrity and risk the complete closure of her laboratory.

5. The federal audit revealed that the rogue investment manager had been ________ for years, concealing massive speculative losses under a network of dummy offshore accounts.

6. The defense attorney's closing argument was incredibly eloquent and persuasive, but the legal experts agreed it did not ________ because it failed to address the physical evidence directly.

7. Instead of addressing the systemic performance issues within the department, the director chose to ________, sacrificing a junior manager to appease the angry board members.

8. Faced with intense interrogation by the hostile senate committee, the chief executive managed to ________ and avoided making any incriminating statements.

9. Attempting to revive that obsolete product line without any modern upgrades is simply ________; the consumer market has moved on to smarter, modern alternatives.

10. While others hesitated to confront the dictatorial division head, Julian decided to ________ and raise the issue of unpaid overtime during the staff meeting.

3. When questioned about his sudden wealth, the politician tried to , but the relentless investigative journalists eventually managed to .