BATTLE WITH IDIOMS

1. He (went off the rails), as soon as he heard of his failure in the last examination. A. became annoyed B. wept bitterly C. became disorganized D. became a man 2. Matters (came to a head) when the man accused his wife of infidelity. This means that the A. accusation worsened the relationship between the couple B. couple were living peacefully before the accusation C. wife had been proven to be unfaithful by the husband D. husband hit the wife on the head because of her misbehaviour

3. The way the young pupils were chasing the poor mad woman made my blood boil. This means that A. the pupils were made to chase the poor woman B. I was agitated about the action of the pupils C. the woman was angry with the pupils D. my blood was actually boiling becasue the pupils maltreated the mad woman 4.The former chairman has no moral right to criticize the present chairman because he too has a skeleton in the cupboard. This means that the A. former chairman has an unpleasant secret that is hidden B. present chairman has not done anything wrong so far C. former chairman maintained a very low moral standard during his tenure D. former chairman kept a very terrifying skeleton in a large cupboard

5. Ali held the audience spellbound with his superb performance. This means that A. the play was a good one B. all the actors put up a good performance C. all the actors, except Segun, performed very well D. members of the audience were captivated by Segun's performance 6. Though we lost the match, we will get even with our opponents in the next round. This means that A. our opponents were just lucky to win B. we will win the next match C. we will not play again D. the two teams are not evenly matched

7. She tried to throw dust in my eyes A. blow dust into my eyes B. fight me C. rebuke me D. mislead me 8. Despite the different economic measures taken by the government, the country is not yet out of the wood A. on the right path B. underdeveloped C. generating enough money from its forest resources D. free from difficulties

9. The runners-up trophy which our school had won was cold comfort for all the efforts we made. A. wet comfort B. an affectionate consideration C. well deserved D. a poor consolation 10. The candidates were told that passing the examination wasn't a passport to getting an admission. A. a guarantee of B. a suggestion in C. an equivalent D. a necessity for

11. The preacher advised those who lost their property in the fire outbreak that every cloud has a silverlining A. the loss is a common B. verybody must witness misfortunes in life C. every cloud has some silvery lines behind it D. there ia a good side to all misfortunes. 12. My father always advised me to take time by the forelock A. use an opportunity promptly B. be clever C. always hurry up D. think twice before I act

13. This masquerade appears once in a blue moon. This means that the masquerade appears A. on very rare occasions B. when the moon is blue C. whenever a special request is made D. once a month 14. Binta is quite hardworking but her problem is that she has too many irons in the fire . This means that Binta A. is a blacksmith B. takes on more problems than she can cope with C. is very good at solving problem D. is a very successful businesswoman

15. I want you to keep an eye on that child. This means that I want you to A. discipline the child B. keep the child busy all the time C. punish the child if he misbehaves D. watch the child all the time 16. Little Sheila is always as lively as a kitten. This means that Sheila is always A. wearing bright dresses B. very realistic in what she does C. moving quickly like a kitten D. gay and cheerful

17. For us to accomplish the task successfully, all hands must be on deck. This means that every body A. should push with his hands B. will have to travel by sea C. must cooperate D. should take a test before continuing the task 18. The wedding was attended by the cream of the society. This means that the wedding was attended by A. everybody in the society B. only those who were invited C. very important people D. only the educated people

19. Mrs. Alabi was not around when her case was called and none of her colleague was willing to hold brief for her. This means that A. her colleagues were afraid B. she was not trusted C. her colleagues did not want to represent her D. she had quarelled with her colleagues 20. Telling lies has become second nature of Sam. This means that Sam A. rarely tells lies B. always tells lies C. telling lies has become second thought D. learnt to tell lies from childhood