Idiom Comprehension

Directions: The sentences below contain idioms. Find the best inference from the sentences. When you are finished, select “Check My Answers”.

1. I hope Ann will forgive Robert. It’s not as if he forgot her birthday on purpose. He was just so busy with school and work it slipped his mind.

a. Robert didn’t mean to forget Ann’s birthday.

b. Robert should forgive Ann for not inviting him to her party.

c. Robert forgot Ann’s birthday intentionally, so she shouldn’t forgive him.

d. Ann will forgive Robert because he was just doing his job.

2. I think Fred needs to loosen up. He’s too tense. If he keeps letting stress get to him, it’s going to give him a heart attack.

a. Fred needs immediate medical treatment.

b. Fred needs to be more aggressive.

c. Fred wants to get more exercise.

d. Fred should relax.

3. Henry needs to get with the times. Can you believe he still doesn’t know how to use a computer? He thinks he can get by with his old typewriter.

a. Henry believes computers are the way of the future.

b. Henry needs to get a better typewriter.

c. Henry needs to adapt to modern technology.

d. Henry should take some time off from his job as a computer programmer.

4. Susan feels like she rushed into starting a family. Sometimes she wishes she had seen more of the world before settling down with her husband, Tom.

a. Susan is in a hurry to have children.

b. Susan wishes her husband didn’t travel so often.

c. Susan feels like she got married too early in life.

d. Susan likes seeing the world with her family.

5. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that Mr. Brown is a liar. But let’s face it; he has been known to leave out important details from time to time.

a. Mr. Brown is so dishonest he can never be trusted.

b. Mr. Brown may not tell lies, but he doesn’t always tell the whole truth.

c. Mr. Brown is honest to a fault.

d. Mr. Brown never leaves out any important details.

6. Alex’s dad said there will be hell to pay if he doesn’t pass his biology exam.

a. Alex doesn’t need to study until after the exam.

b. Alex’s dad will understand if Alex doesn’t pass his biology exam.

c. Alex’s dad will be relieved if Alex doesn’t pass his biology exam.

d. Alex’s dad will be angry if Alex doesn’t pass his biology exam.

7. I’m not kidding when I say that Pastry Café makes the best desserts I’ve ever had. Their strawberry cheesecake is to die for.

a. Pastry Café’s strawberry cheesecake is extremely poisonous.

b. Pastry Café makes desserts that are bad for your health.

c. Pastry Café makes delicious strawberry cheesecake.

d. Pastry Café’s strawberry cheesecake isn’t very good.

8. Mark hasn’t faced up to Laura since he ruined her party. He’s still hoping it will all just blow over, but Laura isn’t one to forgive and forget.

a. Laura will probably forget what Mark did and forgive him.

b. Mark isn’t afraid to apologize to Laura because he knows she will forgive him.

c. Mark hopes that in time Laura will forgive him, but she probably won’t.

d. After Laura has enough time to think about it, she will realize Mark is a good friend.

9. Steve meant no offense when he said that Sharon is a workaholic. He just meant that she works really hard. He didn’t know she would take it as a personal insult.

a. Steve knew that calling Sharon a workaholic would probably hurt her feelings.

b. Sharon’s feelings are hurt because Steve thinks she is lazy.

c. Steve wasn’t trying to hurt Sharon’s feelings when he called her a workaholic.

d. Sharon was impressed by how hard Steve works.

10. You’ve reached the Mackerelsoft customer service hotline. We’re sorry, but no one is available to take your call. Please call back during our normal business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Your call is important to us. Have a nice day.

a. You need to call Mackerelsoft during their regular business hours.

b. Mackerelsoft will call you back between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

c. Mackerelsoft will do anything necessary to make sure you have a nice day.

d. You are very important to Mackerelsoft and they will answer your call soon.

Structure Quiz

Directions: Questions 1-15 are incomplete sentences. Beneath each sentence you will see four words or phrases. Choose the word or phrase that best completes the sentence.

Example:

Milk is an excellent source ______ calcium.

a. of
b. is
c. have
d. are

The sentence should read, “Milk is an excellent source of calcium.” Therefore, you should choose answer (a).

After you have answered all of the questions, select “Check My Answers”.

1. When in contact ______, or other strong oxidizing agents or acids, iron will rust.

a. that water and oxygen
b. water and oxygen
c. with water and oxygen
d. the water and oxygen

2. Published in 1937, Of Mice and Men ______ of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant ranch workers during the Great Depression.

a. tells the tragic story
b. a tragic story
c. whose tragic story
d. have the tragic story

3. The oboe is a double reed musical instrument ______ a member of the woodwind family.

a. is considered
b. considered
c. that considered
d. while considered

4. Peter Jones, an Ojibwa Methodist minister, ______ in the traditional culture of the Mississauga Ojibwas.

a. was raised
b. whom raised
c. he was raised
d. raised

5. ______ graduation in 1780, Heinrich Wilhelm Matthäus Olbers began practicing medicine in Bremen, Germany.

a. After he
b. Later his
c. Following his
d. That is

6. The Wars of the Roses were a series of intermittent civil wars ______ the 15th century between the rival houses of York and Lancaster.

a. fighting in
b. were fight in
c. was fought in
d. fought in

7. The term laser is an acronym ______ "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation."

a. which stand of
b. that stands for
c. it stand for
d. that is standing of

8. Soap is produced by the reaction of fat and lye in a process ______ saponification.

a. are known
b. is known
c. known as
d. knowing

9. ______ Thylacosmilus atrox had long, saber-like canines, it was not a relative of the saber-toothed tiger.

a. Indeed
b. Although
c. Therefore
d. Suddenly

10. Pedro Páez, ______, was the first European to see and describe the source of the Blue Nile.

a. he was a Jesuit missionary
b. which is a Jesuit missionary
c. was a Jesuit missionary
d. a Jesuit missionary

11. ______ sand is not generally toxic, the inhalation of fine silica particles over long periods of time may result in silicosis.

a. Even
b. During
c. While
d. When

12. The aardvark, ______ a nocturnal mammal indigenous to sub-Saharan Africa, feeds almost exclusively on ants.

a. is
b. it is
c. which is
d. who is

13. Founded in 1945, the United Nations is an international organization ______ are to promote social progress, economic security and world peace.

a. whom goals
b. which goals
c. whose goals
d. their goals

14. Sol LeWitt was a prolific American artist noted ______.

a. the sculptures were unique
b. that he had unique sculptures
c. for his unique sculptures
d. whose sculptures were unique

15. On Christmas Day in the year 800, Pope Leo III crowned Charles the Great emperor of the Romans _______.

a. in St. Peter's Basilica
b. for St. Peter's Basilica
c. was inside St. Peter's Basilica
d. where St. Peter's Basilica

Listening Sample

Listen to each recording carefully. Answer each question by choosing the same sentence that you heard in the recording. Select "Check My Answers" when you are finished.


1. Choose the sentence you hear.

Are you here today?

Where were you yesterday?

What day is today?

Were you here yesterday?

2. Choose the sentence you hear.

I went to school yesterday.

I am in school today.

I was in class yesterday.

My sister was in class yesterday.

3. Choose the sentence you hear.

What did you do on the weekend?

What do you usually do on weekends?

Do you usually study on weekends?

Where were you last Saturday?

4. Choose the sentence you hear.

Where is Carlos?

How is Carlos?

What is Carlos doing?

Are you Carlos?

5. Choose the sentence you hear.

I saw Carlos yesterday.

Carlos is reading a book.

Carlos is at the library.

Carlos is in the kitchen.