ELSA Idioms & Phrasal Verbs 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does 'look into' mean in: 'The manager promised to look into the complaint'?
- To stare at something
- To investigate or examine (Correct answer)
- To peer through a window
- To ignore completely
Correct answer: To investigate or examine
'Look into' means to investigate or research something more carefully.
Question 2: The idiom 'spill the beans' means to:
- Make a mess while cooking
- Reveal a secret or hidden information (Correct answer)
- Scatter items carelessly
- Exaggerate a story
Correct answer: Reveal a secret or hidden information
'Spill the beans' means to accidentally or intentionally reveal secret information.
Question 3: Which sentence uses 'break down' as a phrasal verb meaning to stop functioning?
- She started to break down in tears.
- The car broke down on the highway. (Correct answer)
- He broke down the argument carefully.
- They broke down the old barn.
Correct answer: The car broke down on the highway.
When a machine 'breaks down,' it stops working properly.
Question 4: What does 'in hot water' mean in: 'He got in hot water for missing the deadline'?
- Swimming in a heated pool
- Being in trouble or a difficult situation (Correct answer)
- Working in a very warm environment
- Cooking with boiling liquid
Correct answer: Being in trouble or a difficult situation
'In hot water' means to be in trouble or facing serious problems.
Question 5: What does the phrasal verb 'put off' mean in: 'She put off writing the report until Friday'?
- To disgust or repel someone
- To delay or postpone something (Correct answer)
- To turn off a light switch
- To publish a document
Correct answer: To delay or postpone something
'Put off' in this context means to postpone or delay doing something.
Question 6: The idiom 'kick the bucket' is a slang phrase meaning to:
- Lose a soccer game
- Die (Correct answer)
- Quit a bad habit
- Fail an important test
Correct answer: Die
'Kick the bucket' is an informal idiom meaning to die.
Question 7: What does 'figure out' mean in: 'Can you figure out how to use this software?'
- To draw a diagram of something
- To understand or solve something (Correct answer)
- To measure a shape's dimensions
- To write instructions for others
Correct answer: To understand or solve something
'Figure out' means to understand, solve, or find an answer to something.
ELSA Idioms & Phrasal Verbs 3
What does 'look into' mean in: 'The manager promised to look into the complaint'?