Exercise - 15

Question: 1 I've just received his latest detective novel from the publisher so it's what you might call hot ....... the press.

Correct Answer : 1 [off]

Notes: I've just received his latest detective novel from the publisher so it's what you might call hot off the press.

Question: 2 You can never tell exactly what she is thinking because she very often ....... hot and cold over some topics.

Correct Answer : 2 [blows]

Notes: You can never tell exactly what she is thinking because she very often blows hot and cold over some topics.

Question: 3 Although I'd made up my mind to do it last night now I'm not sure and am getting cold ....... about it.

Correct Answer : 3 [feet]

Notes: Although I'd made up my mind to do it last night now I'm not sure and am getting cold feet about it.

Question: 4 They like to think they're very important people but politicians just talk a lot of hot ....... most of the time.

Correct Answer : 4 [air]

Notes: They like to think they're very important people but politicians just talk a lot of hot air most of the time.

Question: 5 Since the argument we've had about the garden hedge, our neighbours take no notice of us and give us the cold ....... when they see us.

Correct Answer : 5 [shoulder]

Notes: Since the argument we've had about the garden hedge, our neighbours take no notice of us and give us the cold shoulder when they see us.

Question: 6 As soon as the president was taken ill, the deputy had to take charge and is currently in the hot ....... now.

Correct Answer : 6 [seat]

Notes: As soon as the president was taken ill, the deputy had to take charge and is currently in the hot seat now.

Question: 7 The accused was sentenced to life imprisonment after it had been established that he had committed the murder in cold ........

Correct Answer : 7 [blood]

Notes: The accused was sentenced to life imprisonment after it had been established that he had committed the murder in cold blood.

Question: 8 I ordered a coffee from the waiter but by the time it had reached me it was ....... cold.

Correct Answer : 8 [stone]

Notes: I ordered a coffee from the waiter but by the time it had reached me it was stone cold.

Question: 9 The police have set up a special hot ....... so that people can get in touch to find out about the accident.

Correct Answer : 9 [line]

Notes: The police have set up a special hot line so that people can get in touch to find out about the accident.

Question: 10 He's always very uneasy like a cat on hot ....... whenever he is waiting to hear the results of the examinations.

Correct Answer : 10 [bricks]

Notes: He's always very uneasy like a cat on hot bricks whenever he is waiting to hear the results of the examinations.

Question: 1 Building Societies currently find themselves in a ....... situation because they try to please the savers and also the borrowers and yet one group is always going to lose.

Correct Answer : 1 [precarious]

Notes: Building Societies currently find themselves in a precarious situation because they try to please the savers and also the borrowers and yet one group is always going to lose.

Question: 2 Whenever there is a meeting between the finance minister and the governor of the bank, people start asking questions and rumours ........

Correct Answer : 2 [abound]

Notes: Whenever there is a meeting between the finance minister and the governor of the bank, people start asking questions and rumours abound.

Question: 3 Invariably if interest rates go up, the building societies pay more to their savers and borrowers complain at the increase they have to pay and maintain the societies are ....... their affairs.

Correct Answer : 3 [mishandling]

Notes: Invariably if interest rates go up, the building societies pay more to their savers and borrowers complain at the increase they have to pay and maintain the societies are mishandling their affairs.

Question: 4 Chief executives then start making pleasant speeches and smile a lot because they want to ....... the concerns of their borrowers.

Correct Answer : 4 [assuage]

Notes: Chief executives then start making pleasant speeches and smile a lot because they want to assuage the concerns of their borrowers.

Question: 5 Months go by and most people forget their problems and get used to the idea of paying more and then talks ....... and the whole process starts all over again.

Correct Answer : 5 [resume]

Notes: Months go by and most people forget their problems and get used to the idea of paying more and then talks resume and the whole process starts all over again.

Question: 6 The government then has to show that it is involved in the whole business of saving and lending and tries to convince everyone that it is ....... of both savers and lenders.

Correct Answer : 6 [supportive]

Notes: The government then has to show that it is involved in the whole business of saving and lending and tries to convince everyone that it is supportive of both savers and lenders.

Question: 7 The government next announces that measures are due to come into ....... that will change the whole process.

Correct Answer : 7 [force]

Notes: The government next announces that measures are due to come into force that will change the whole process.

Question: 8 They say this but then the difficulty is trying to find out when the measures are coming into effect and when they will be ........

Correct Answer : 8 [ratified]

Notes: They say this but then the difficulty is trying to find out when the measures are coming into effect and when they will be ratified.

Question: 9 This is all very disappointing for the ....... house buyer who doesn't really know what's going to happen next and how much the interest rate will be.

Correct Answer : 9 [would-be]

Notes: This is all very disappointing for the would-be house buyer who doesn't really know what's going to happen next and how much the interest rate will be.

Question: 10 Our poor potential buyer reads the papers, watches the television news and gets excited at the prospect of another meeting of the financiers but in the end nothing of ....... comes of it all.

Correct Answer : 10 [note]

Notes: Our poor potential buyer reads the papers, watches the television news and gets excited at the prospect of another meeting of the financiers but in the end nothing of note comes of it all.