IBPS PO Prelims English Quiz
Directions (1-15): In each of the following questions, a sentence is given with a blank. There are five idioms given below each sentence, one out of which can be used in the blank to form a meaningful sentence. Choose the most appropriate idiom among the five options that makes the sentence contextually meaningful.
Q1. Often soldiers had to literally ______________________ during a surgical procedure because of the lack of anesthesia and medicine.
(a) Bite the bullet
(b) Cutting corners
(c) Easy does it
(d) Hit the sack
(e) Better late than ever
S1. Ans. (a)
Sol. Here, in the given blank, “bite the bullet” will fit making it contextually correct. It means “To get something over with because it is inevitable”.
Q2. After half a century of haircutting, an Amesbury salon owner has decided to hang up his scissors and ____________________.
(a) A blessing in disguise
(b) Call it a day
(c) It’s not rocket science
(d) Let someone off the hook
(e) Comparing apple to oranges
S2. Ans. (b)
Sol. “Call it a Day” means “Stop working on something”. This idiom will fit the blank making it contextually and grammatically correct.
Q3. In India, nice children are ____________________, and parents receive no special credit or praise for their children’s behavior.
(a) Cut somebody some slack
(b) Pull someone’s leg
(c) A dime a dozen
(d) So far so good
(e) Speak of the devil
S3. Ans. (c)
Sol. “A dime dozen” means “something common” It fits the given suitably making it contextually and grammatically right sentence.
Q4. Lloyd was in no mood to ________________________, and so put direct the question he wished answered.
(a) No pain, No gain
(b) That’s the last straw
(c) You can say that again
(d) Beat around the bush
(e) Your guess is as good as mine
S4. Ans. (d)
Sol. “Beat around the bush” refers to “avoid saying something usually because it is uncomfortable”.
Q5. The good scholars then _________________________ and try to tweak their original idea, or come up with a new one.
(a) To get bent out of shape
(b) A penny for your thoughts
(c) A penny saved is a penny earned
(d) Action speak louder than words
(e) Go back to the drawing board
S5. Ans. (e)
Sol. “go back to the drawing board” means to “start over”
Q6. His defending ability has been criticised but he is a solid centre back and is excellent ____________.
(a) On the ball
(b) Wrap your head around something
(c) Time flies when you are having fun
(d) The best of both worlds
(e) Go on a wild goose chase
S6. Ans. (a)
Sol. ‘On the ball’ means ‘doing a good job’
Q7. It is just you that is down and you have to find ways to ________________________.
(a) A picture is worth 1000 words
(b) Pull yourself together
(c) Play devil’s advocate
(d) Birds of a feather flock together
(e) Bite off more than you can chew
S7. Ans. (b)
Sol. ‘Pull yourself together’ means ‘calm down’.
Q8. I’ve been feeling ______________________ lately, so I decided to stay in bed this morning and get some much needed sleep.
(a) We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it
(b) Do something at the drop of a hat
(c) Under the weather
(d) Don’t cry over spilt milk
(e) Don’t give up your daily job
S8. Ans. (c)
Sol. ‘under the weather’ means ‘sick’
Q9. The past five years have been _____________ of low interest rates, easy credit, and rising household costs.
(a) Don’t give up your day job
(b) Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
(c) Every cloud has a silver lining
(d) A perfect storm
(e) Get taste of your own medicine
S9. Ans. (d)
Sol. ‘A perfect storm’ refers to ‘the worst possible situation’
Q10. To___________________, the Romans had erected a temple to the former emperor Claudius in the city, built at local expense.
(a) Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
(b) Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
(c) He’s a chip off the old block
(d) He has bigger fish to fry
(e) Add insult to injury
S10. Ans. (e)
Sol. ‘Add insult to injury’ means ‘to make a bad situation worse’.
Q11. After three failed marriages, I realised that I may have been _______________ and should abandon the search for the perfect wife.
(a) Barking up the wrong tree
(b) Good things some to those who wait
(c) Ignorance is bliss
(d) It’s raining cats and dogs
(e) It takes one to know one
S11. Ans. (a)
Sol. ‘Barking up the wrong tree’ means ‘To be mistaken, to be looking for the solutions in the wrong place’
Q12. If you understand a culture, you can _________________ in conversation, make a joke, or construct a speech better.
(a) Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
(b) Break the ice
(c) It ain’t over till the fat lady sings
(d)Kill two birds with one stone
(e)Let the cat out of the bag
S12. Ans. (b)
Sol. ‘Break the ice’ means ‘Make people feel more comfortable’.
Q13.
Bangle bracelets in fourteen-karat gold that do not ______________________ are always in demand.
(a) Live and learn
(b) Look before you leap
(c) Cost an arm and a leg
(d) On thin ice
(e) Once in a blue moon
S13. Ans. (c)
Sol. ‘Cost an arm and a leg’ refer to ‘Very expensive’
Q14. Daggett followed willingly, but not like a man who had escaped _________________, from wintering near the Antarctic Circle.
(a) Put something on ice
(b) Rain on someone’s parade
(c) Saving for a rainy day
(d) By the skin of his teeth
(e) Spill the beans
S14. Ans. (d)
Sol. ‘By the skin of his teeth’ means ‘just barely’
Q15. The whole cross-country route was a ________________ navigationally, provided that the visibility was good enough.
(a) Take a rain check
(b) Take it with a grain of salt
(c) The ball is in your court
(d) The devil is in the details
(e) Piece of cake
S15. Ans. (e)