James Milton Virginia Evans, Express Publishing1 Read the letter and try to explain the idioms in bold. Sorry Lionel and 1 were such poor company last weekend, bt we were both feeing 1) down in the PS, especially after finding out that Terry had been 2) keeping us in the dark about the severity of the company’s money problems. 1 was so angry wn him, My com brother — con you bere fe me, running a family busi ' ce Turing fly buses 3) a's ‘Aryway, the morning after you left, 1 was readi the paver vten on advert fot week Ina Coy cottage 4) caught my eye. it sounded 5) right up ‘ur street, so | mentioned it to Lionel and, after @ lot of persuading, he finaly agreed that we both needed to 6) take things easy for a bit We've been here for five days now and | feel so ‘much better. ts right 7) off the beaten track, :0 Llonel and 1 have had encugh peace and quiet to talk about the company’s problems. and come up ier asin fH tell you one thing — Terry és going to 8) come down to earth with a bump When we get back! ie This pce try forts and Lone 9 in tis ‘moment as the river near here is oF dn yd ee a fawn toy funchetime with an fd better go now as we're leaving tomorrow and 4 havert started packing yet. 1 gh soon as we get back [1 SME YOU ang a Love, sje Greg: sim: Greg: sim: Grog: You must have been 4) ... 2 Match the items with the idioms from Ex. 1. within one's range to relax tokeep sb unaware of interests/ ofsth knowledge tobenot as good as | g depressed people say very happyfsuited to stop dreaming and toa sition siart thinking prac- | | to get sb's attention tically J voryearty in the isolated and quiet moming 3 Fill in the gaps with phrases from the list: Rept in the dark, caught my eye, down inv the dumps, came down t0 earth with a bump, all its ‘racked up to be Sam thought he could pass his exam without studying, but he when he failed He was .. -- about his surprise retire- ment party. ‘The new restaurant isn't vet it may Jook nice, but the food is awiul! ought Ann some flowers because she looked ‘The beautful clothes in the shop WindOW anne ss . 80 | went in and bought a dress. 4 Fill in the gaps with phrases from the list: ight up my street, take things easy, the crack of lean, off the beaten track, in your element Hi Jim. How did you ‘spend your week off? T-went camping in Snowdonia. It was brilliant; no phones or traffic or anything Tike that for a whole week. It was com- pletely) ‘ ‘That sounds 2) few days out of the city ‘Yeah. Imagine it Greg — getting up at 3) rmx BV@ry day and watching the sun rise as Yyou cook your breakfast, then a bit of walking or fishing with no one telling you what to do, Jim. 1 could do with a Jim: You're right there! Actually, I'm going again next weekend. Do you want to come? Greg: Maybe another time. | think Iljust stay at home Nd §) wa instead.S Read the advertisement and try to explain the idioms in bold. “ed of holayng in Costa Blanca in Spain. hit down, and return es rail places? A YOu eins you! ‘where you can sunbathe Es tery oc 4) round-the-t0ck ats 208 seaeuat an dance a right? 0, hen 8) Your Bes 7 ‘You't be 6) over the moon with coe tance adits debit ocatin onthe Spanish ere you ne a ute of was 1 7) 1 20 OF got your today, cngind or jet SANS rag, Fone wort daaporte eS a ata owe eta rd twang however moreconertons 8 ster clear ofthe Chiat Blanca = WSS So, you fancy 3 ody where you Can won't we — ny the Hotel lance — we qarntee Yu 1) GET AWAY FROM TALL ON THE COSTA BLANCA, Hotel Planca © 1 week - only £100 © S.star hotel, full =< board = lively holiday resort Phone: 01215 49268 tne same of 2) uot the ‘nome wit 10) a new ease of to take a break from ‘work or problems a return of energy or ‘enthusiasm to relax and enjoy oneself extremely pleased the most appropriate choice 1 all day and all night 9 to become accustomed to sth and start enjoying it 1h to avoid (sb/sth) 1 very suntanned i ordinary and un- ‘exciting Unit 1 Rewrite the following sentences using the words in bold. Do not change these words in any way. ‘Speaking in front of an audience can be nervexack- ing, but once you become accustomed to it, you'll find it easy. swing 2. My apartment block 3k has a 24-hour security system. clock se ''m tired of ordinary novels. I want to read something criginal. mill We deciced to go to a desert island so that we could escape from our dally problems. | was extremely happy when | won first prize. moon ' 8 Replace the words in bold with phrases from the list, steer clear of, eting my hair down, new lease of Tif, best bef, was as brown asa berry Niday in ‘On the first day of my summer hel France | was in the mood for enjoying myself and having some fun, and final iy decided that a day of jet-skiing woud be my most sultable option. Once | ned eamt how to control the machine ar stay away from the big waves, | really started to enjoy whizzing across the Sur- face of the sea. When | artived back at the hotel | had a fantastic suntan an felt as it | had been given a burst of new ‘energy. It was a great way to start my holiday.Unil 1 9 Fill in the gaps with phrases from the list: oxo inthe dumps best bet ight up your street ‘gel any from ital tah things easy aon lease of life fe amr har denen aff the beaten track ‘caught my eye run-of-the-mill 1. The doctor told him to until he was strong enough to work gain 2 Sharon felt 80 we decided to ty and cheor her up. 3. This interesting magazine article .. 0 | decided to send it to you. 4 This beach is : 80 vary few people know about it. 5 Grandpa seems so much happier since his retire- ‘ment; i's given him 6 If you're looking for a cheap holiday, your sm 16 Wright's Travel. 7. itera tense week al work, we decided ‘egoauton Friday night and 8 This resort is a bit : {thas some good points, but it's nothing special 9 | think you'l find this restaurant is 's got great food, i's quiet and very reasonable. 10 The poltician needed a break from his busy sched- Ule, 60 he went on a sang HP 10 wrnn 10 Rewrite the following sentences nsing the words in bold. Do not change these words in any way. 1. This novel isn't as good as everyone says cracked 2 I play badminton quite often now that | know the ‘game and I'm getting better at it. swing 3. After her holiday, trouble at work made Martha face realty again. earth 4 Janet was really happy at the disco as she loves dancing. elomont : 5 I's the first time weve won the cup and we're alighted. moon 6 John worked all day and all-night to finish the assignment. clock. 7 Since sheliish upsets my stomach, | try to avoid it. steer a 8 My father didn’ tall me about my mother’s iliness. dark on 9 Alter a week on the beach in Tunisia, | have a great suntan, berry 40. get up early in order to avoid the Wwafic on the way to work. crack 11 Answer the questions below: 1. Can something be off the beaten track and right up your street at the same time? Why/Why not? 2. tfyou came down to earth with a bump, would you be in your element? Why/Why not? 3 If you discovered that the hotel where you were staying wasn't all it was cracked up to be, would you got up at the crack of dawn and leave? Why/Why not? 12 Use the words missing from the sentences below to complete the crossword. ome e Across 1. This hotel isn't all it's 4 The Star Hotel is awful 7 She kept her parents in the .. ew boytriend, 8 This vase caught my at the antique shop. 9 | think the African safari would be your best... for a holiday. Down 2 | should take a holiday; | need to get away from it 3. Hellicome down to......... with a bump when he finds out the truth. 4 Youcan get a snack anytime as the coffee bar is open round the 8 Dave loves gardening; he's in his 6 «up to be, steer oft. ‘about her when he’s outdoors. The house is difficult to find as it's off the beaten1 Read the letter and try to explain the jioms in bold. ', advice. m quite worried det row what to do, came round a few weeks ago to tell m ‘hed been on a date with Paul Rega, flame of ‘hers from university. Now, 1 know if you remember him, but Ido — he 2) Stole her heart at the beginning of her first ‘and she was convinced that she'd met 3) m of her dreams. For a while it seemed as 4) head over heels in love with her then, all of @ sudden, at the end of her ‘year, he told her he never wanted to see 1 gaan ard 8) broke her heart. It seems that he's had 6)a heart, nas dont use ine sh os 's rot interested in him, but quite obvi is She camit hide the way she feels — you she 7) wears her heart on her 1 know Sharon and ‘haver't always 8) eye to eye on a lot of matters, but she sister and | do care about her. What wor. 4s that the same thing might happen gegeees ae risa a 9) all's fair in love and war, but 1 aid dont wor to atch her go rach al over again. Could you talk to her, pleaser ove, renda 5 Mam cord what yout er bese i "she thks al 0) the Boer ae —— 2 Match the items with the idioms from Ex. 1. ‘a achange of one's ‘g fomake sb fallin feelings for sthisb love with one b toallow one’s feelings | h tobe the best there is 10 be too obvious 1 toagtee (about © verymuch in love withsb | matters) sb one was once in J allactions are ove with justified when there are the ideal man feelings of loverivalry f tocause sb great unhappiness: 3 Fillin the gaps with phrases from the li ‘head over heels in lowe, a change of heart, broke his heart, bee's hnees, see eye lo eye 1 Sally when she told John she was leaving him. 2 David must have had snes BECAUSE he's decided to move to Manchester after all 3 Tracy thinks her new boytiend is the .... = she never stops talking about him. 4 Alter their frst date they fell - ‘each other. 5 Robert and | are always arguing — we never. ennenne OR ARI, with, 4_ Fill in the gaps with phrases from the list: the man of her dreams, wear your heart on your sleeve, an old flame, sole your heart, all's fair in love and war Frank: Hi, Mike. 1 ran into heen eee yours yesterday. Mike: Oh, really! Who? Frank: Karen, of course. The Mike: Frank: Hmm. She sald | was eee ‘Andorra. | really loved her, you know. Frank: | know she betrayed you, Mike. But then, as they say, “4) .". Newt time, don't 5)Unit 2 5 Read the dialogue and try to explain the in bold. Then look at the picture and say which idiom it represents, Gladys: Morning Mabel. You'l never guess who | got a letter from today! Mabel: Go on, who? Gladys: Eth Barclay, you know, she used toll at num ber 6. Mabel: Edith Barclay! Ooh, | haven't heard from her for 41) donkey's years! Have she and het son 2) buried the hatchet yor? Gladys: Well that’s what she wrote to tell mel Oh, do you remember when Samuel was litle? He wes 3) the apple of his mother's eye ...and then they ‘ell out when he started seeing that git. What ‘was her name? Mabel: Ooh, Sheila Briggs. Her parents were lovely fk, but she was 4) the black sheep of the family. Gladys: I can't see what he saw in her. | remember he chased ater her for ages — she really 6) played i hard to gett Mabe: Yes. And then when they finally stated seeing each other he was 6) ike putty in her hands — he even stopped taking to his mother because that gi told him to. Gladys: Tertble. Anyway, back tothe letter. the Briggs Girl must've finally 7) driven him round the bend — because he broke up with her. Mabel: Oh good! Gladys: Yes, and guess what? Edith introduced him toa young lady - Edith said she's a lovely gif. ‘Anyway, apparently they 8) led the knot last month and now, what with Sam's good job and all they're ving 8) in clover! Mabel: Oh, how lovely. Mind you, | always thought they'd sor it out in the end — after ll, 10) blood is thicker than water. Gladys: Quite right! © Match the items with the idioms from Ex. 5. @ topretendone isnot) 9 along time interested in sb hsb one is most fond of b toannoysbalot {a person strongly easily controled or csapproved of by mer ‘manipulated bers of isfher family 4. incomfortwweath J) blood tes or family © toget manied relationships are the t 7 Rewrite the following sentences using the words in bold. Do not change these words in any way. 1. Robert and Helen have decided to get married at (Christmas te z 2 It has been ages since I last went to the theatre. donkey's... 3. Although David is acting like he's not interested, I's ‘obvious that he likes Mary. playing 4. Altor years of arguing, the sisters agreed to forget their differences. hatchet 5 Her constant complaining really annoys me. bend : 8 Choose the word which best completes each sentence. 1. Anne always does whatever Frank tells her to do. She's like . vw i hs hands. Aglue B putty C butter D clay 2. Fred was in .. after he won the jottery. A clover B grass C wheat D barley 3. Perhaps because he was so different, he became the BLACK wcenrnnns Of the family Acow — B cat © sheep —D donkey 4 Laura thinks her son can do no wrong — he’s the apple of her . Aeye Bear Cheat =D mind 5 Why not ask your family for a loan — afterall, Blood 15 cnn than water. ‘A denser B heavier thinner thicker10 9 Rewrite the following sentences using the words in bold. Do not change these words in any way. No, Many isnot my girtiend, She is someone l used to go out with. fame en Isn't it nice to see a ‘young ‘couple ‘80 much in love? head ‘ter they won the lottery, they lived comfortably for the rest of thei ves. clover My wife and | disagree ‘about keeping a dog. eye an He ticked her into marrying him, but then I suppose i's alight because he loves her. War on ‘fier ten years of living together, they finally got marted knot I think Ann realy kes Charles but she is pretending ‘not to be interested, hard an Sally has made Geof go ona ‘it. Geott oes anything she wants. putty You haven't spoken to your sister for a month, Its time you forgot your disagreement. NACHE enn Tom really Ioves Claire. She's the most important person in his ite apple 10 Fill in the gaps with phrases from the list: bee's knees ‘ack sheep of the family donkey's years man of my dreams stolen his heart broke my heart thicker than water wears his heaat on his sleeve change of heart round the bend He much he loves her. Bil's realy annoying to share a flat with. He's driving me smn + She seems to have she doesn't break it Ihave been working here for . Ever since Debbie got the leading rok she thinks she's the . | always support my brother in arguments. After all, ICO Is orn .5 anyone can see how Unit 2 Uncle Mark dropped out of school and has never had a steady job. He's the an ‘The headmaster has had a he isn't going to expel you after al. He's tall, dark, handsome, a millionaire and he wants to marry me. He's th ‘Yvonne ... for Adrian. “and when she left me 11 Answer the questions below: Would you expect to find the black sheep of the family living in clover? Why/Why not? If you were the apple of somebody's eye, would they be like putty in your hands? Why/Why not? Would it be wise for two people who don't see eye to eye to tle the knot? Why/Why not? Ifyou wear your heart on your sleeve, are you like- ly to have your heart broken? Why/Why not? 12 This couple has just heard that their daughter is planning on getting married. Using some of the idioms below, discuss possible reasons why they look angry. head over heels in © the bee's knees love © tosteal sb's heart the man of her © to see eye to eye dreams © to drive sb round the alls fair in love and bend war ‘© blood is thicker than to tie the knot water the black sheep of —® the apple of sb’s eye the family10 41 Read the dialogue and try to explain the idioms in bold. Then, look at the and say which idiom it represents. Charles: James: So James, how's the business doing? Not so good, od boy! Ive been having problems with old Rumpton. I'm afraid I'm going to have to 1) give him the boot. umpton! But he's been running the facto- ry for years! Yes Charles, know, but he's geting on a bit you know. He's sixty-two and, quite ‘rankly, I don't think he knows what he's doing anymore, He seems to have turned into 2) a lame duck in recent years — no control over the workforce and, well, between you and me, the company's 3) feeling the pinch. You know our profits are down twenty per cent since last year. Goodness me! You're rot 4) In the red are you? Cortainly not! We haven't §) hit rock bottom just yet! No, we don't owe anyone anything, We'te stil 6) in the black — for row, atleast. Well it sounds like you'te 7) playing with fire i you keep him for much longer! You definitely need to get somebody else 108) stop into his shoes. Yes, but who? | need somebody who's going to run the place with 9) a firm hand — not take any nonsense, you know? Yes, quite. Do be careful though, old chap. A hasty decision won't 10) pay dividends, believe me! Charles: James: Charles: James: Charles: James: Charles: aoce 2 Match the items with the idioms from Ex. 1. in debt {1 a person/company that in crecitimaking profit is weaka failure to replace sb 9 to bring advantages to reach the lowest atalater date point 1h control and discipline to sutler because of {to take dangerous tsks lack of money J tore sb from theirjob 3 Fi 42 lame duck, in the ved, in the black, a firm hand, playing with fire in the gaps with phrases from the list: ‘You should stop spending so much money or you'll be senennne BORO YOU KNOW il There are very few problems at this schoo! as the headmaster governs the students with ‘Torn’s new business turned out to be ‘and he lost a lot of money. Gayle felt relieved when she put her wages into the bank as she was finally... again. You are ran if YOU Quit your job before finding another one. 4 Fill in the mi ing verbs to complete the idioms. Then, choose any three and make sentences. 10 wcnan FOCK BOHOM | 4 10 srsennne 8D the boot to the pinch | 5 10 .... into sb’s shoes 10 nme Gividends5 Read the extract from a story and try to explain the idioms in bold. “What? Another loan? No way, Kim. Ive already siven you 1) a small fortune!” Kim shuddered as she kriew her father 2) meant business this time; ‘she could hear it in his voice. “Bult, Dad... Please! Just until | 3) get the company off the ground. Once I get some orders I'l be fine... HonestI” She was desperate. Unless her father helped her out, her new clothing company would never get the chance to 4) bear fruit. “I'm 5) living on a shoestring already; all! get is my income sup- ort!" She could hear her father trying to interrupt, but she went on, “Listen, I've been 6) burning the ‘midnight oil this month and I'm exhausted, but I've figured out that just another thousand should do it. You'll see!" “I said no, Kim,” her father stated sternly, "You ‘seem to think that! 7) am rolling in it, bt I'm not — | work hard to eam the little that | do, and to be hon- est, 'm not sure if I'l be able to 8) keep my head above water if | keep lending you money.” Kim fought back a sob. She couldn't believe that he would let her down, down the drain. Just give me a chance to show you! Youll get it all back with interest!” Kim waited ner- vously for her father’s reply. Eventually, he answered, “Aright love. But this is the last time. | hope that you realise that your mother and I are really going to have to 10) tighten our belts though.” 'm begging you, Dad. It won't be 8) money | | Peter: Susan: What is it? What's Peter: Peter: Unit 3 6 Match the items with the idioms from Ex. 5. tomanagewith very | @alotof money litle money 1 money wasted tolive on a smater 9g. to-sunive despite budget financial problems tobe serious about what | hi to produce good results ‘one says/intends i tobe rich to work very late at J tostart a business) night to achieve sth companylproject, etc 7 Rewrite the following sentences using the words in bold. Do not change these words in any way. During the economic crisis, even the royal family had to spend less money than usual. belts : ‘Money is so scarce at the moment that | have had to take a second job just to survive. water... knew that Ray had been working late as he looked exhausted, oil knew that Mrs Watkin was serious when | got a letter from her lawyer. business ..... Heoae alot of money to Start a business. ground 8 Fill in the phrases from the list. money down the drain, live on a shoestring, rolling in it, bear fruit, a small fortune Susan, | have the most wonderful news! happened? ‘All the hard. work We put into our for- ‘mula is about to oe ‘Someone wants to market won't have to 2)... any more, Susan: That's wonderful, darling. | knew that it wasn't 8) cern ss. when we put all our save ings into improving the formula. It'll earn us 4). You are right, dear, Let's go out and celebrate. Ate all, soon we'll be 5) N2 Unit 3 10 9 Fill in the gaps with phrases from the list: meant business, given the boot, hit rock Botton, rolling in i, fiving on a shoestring, a lame duck, pay dividends, tighten her bell, step into hrs shoes, head above water With what litle money Ihave from my savings, lean barely keep my . The rent on Vieky’s now flat is very high, so shell have to. sense HOM ROW ON. ‘The long hours and hard work we put into the new company are finally beginning 10 nrnnnn Ross is such an iesponsible employee; | wouldn't be surprised ifhe is soon, ‘Achur’s off sick for a few months. So, Jenny, you have to Nora's {a8 a secretary. She can't do the job and i an expense to the compary. ‘The company afterall the investors suddenly pulled out. We've BOON wnnnsnensnsnes all winter SO that We ‘can afford to get married in August. ‘The public realised that the new government .- a8 600N as it raised the nation’s taxes. ‘You could ask your boss to buy you a new company car, after all hes . 10 Rewrite the following sentences using the words in bold. Do not change these words in any way. It's.2 good idea to take out a small oan to help start your business. ground .. For the frst ime in years, IHD Industies is making a profit. black Young offenders need strict guidance to help them reform. FM enn You'll have to work late tonight in order to finish the project, oll People have been suffering financially since the government raised taxes. pinch The company’s Investment in computer design Is now producing good result. fruit 7 Money spent on the National Lottery is just money wasted, ‘rain 8 If youtre in debt, you should get another job. od : My family lost a huge amount of money in the stock market crash of 1929. fortune You're taking a bg risk you borrow money to buy stocks and shares. fire 11 Say whether the idioms in the sentences below are used correctly or incorrectly. ‘Then replace the incorrect idioms with a suitable alternative, 1. She was given the boot last week and now she has {0 find another job. 2 Im afraid you'e in the black again, Mr Jones — you ‘owe the bank £500. 3. Helen was a lame duck when she sold her property ata great profi. 4 Many students live on a shoestring while they are at university. 5 In my opinion, buying a second-hand car is just money down the drain, 6 Our company finally started to hit rock bottom after its fourth year in business and we paid off our loan. 7 After Anna's father retired, she stepped into his ‘shoes and became the director of the family business. 8 | knew my rival tightened his belt when I received a call from his lawyer. 9 You've been playing with fire again, haven't you? You haven't stopped yawning all morning. We really felt the pinch after spending so much ‘money on our new house.1 Read the review and try to explain the idioms in bold. Then, look at the picture and say which idiom it represents. In this week's guide to eating out in the city, John Boye ‘reviews the hottest new restaurant in lown: The Stadium Now, here's 1) food for thought — a restaurant- cum-sports museum. “I'll never work,” I thought to ‘myself as | made my way to ex-rugby international Ray Plum's new restaurant to join a group of friends for a birthday dinner. However, as soon as | stepped through the door into the delicious food smells, which certainly 2) whetted my appetite, and the fantastic décor, which consisted entirely of sport's memorabilia from floor to celing, I was 3) at a loss for words! We were ushered to our table by a friendly waiter ‘wha then left us to look at the menu. The dish descrip- tions 4) made our mouths water and soon we were ‘enjoying our meal. The chef clearly hadn't 5) cut any ‘comers, as the ingredients were of the highest quality. Later on in the evening, when the birthday cele- brations were 6) in full swing, | managed to 7) pull a few strings to see the kitchen as | knew the manager's son. | have to say that other chefs 8) cannot hold a candle to the way in which The Stadlum’s chet runs his kitchen. Shortly before we ltt, our birthday git insisted on 9) picking up the tab. | was pleasantly surprised, on tak- ing a peek at the total, to calculate that it had only come to £12 per person. | for one shall certainly be paying another visit to The Stadium just to 10) feast my eyes on the décor, the fantastic old sporting photos and memorabilia. It's Certainly a place well worth visting. Helen: So how was Angela's Fiona: Brilliant. Her dress was Helen: And the reception? Fiona: It was quite impressive. 2 Match the items with the idioms from Ex. 1. tomekesbkeentoepe | 1 unable to think of riencetaste more of sh anything to say to use a cheaper! 9 to cause sb to desire easier method sth, especially food at avery lively hi cannot be compared stegelpoint favourably with sbsth tolook with pleasure at | § 10 use influence to sthisb achieve sth to pay for sth J. sth to think about 3 Fill in the gaps with phrases from the lis a « loss for worts, cul comers, picking up the tab, hold a candle to, whet my appetite Paul. sosmsom when building his new house and now he is having rouble with i The new managing director can't his predecessor. Mary was when her boss asked her if she'd like to be promoted, ve only read the back of the book, but it was enough to Vanessa's parents af€ wenn sone for her trip to Europe next summer. ll in the gaps with phrases from the food for thouglt, feast your eyes on, make your mouth water, pul afew rings, in full sing wedding? something 10 1) sruinned Fortunately, Tony's dad knows the manager of The Grand, so he was able to 2).. sao Nd arrange to hold the reception there for half the normal price. You know, the menu alone was enough 20 3) sarcsnmmmnoneed Unfortunately, | had to leave while the party was still as | had to get up early for work the next morning — but i's certainly given me 5). ‘for my own wedding! 13Unit 4 5 Read the dialogue and try to explain the joms in bold. Celia How was your blind date last right? ‘Avi! Roger definitly 1) wasn't my cup o tea! don't row why Keren thought Fd ike hi Personally think she was 2) scraping the bottom of the barrel — he was incredibly rude, quite hord, actully! Oh dear, What happened? Well, we'd aranged to meet at the King's Head for a rink fist, you know, 10 3) break the ice. | should have realised was 4 in the soup when | heard him speak- ing to the bermaid — he was so impotte | buushed! ‘And the way he kept shoveling peanutsintohis mouth ‘and talking atthe same time §) tumed my stomach. Urgh! How awit ‘Oh, that wasri alld made a real effort wth my hair and make-up and I'd even bought a new cress. He didnt say anything about how nice | looked — tak about 6) casting pearls before swine! And then, just ‘before we lef, he knocked my glass of red wine all ‘over me, and do you know what he said? 7) “i's 0 ‘use crying over spilt milk.” I should have left there and then! He cicised my cara the way tothe esta ‘ant to, sad it was uncomfortable and didn't go fast ‘enough, but when | asked him what he drove, he seid he dita ‘Sounds ike 8) sour grapes to me. Quito, Anyway atthe restaurant, he stated complin- ing thatthe meat was 8) a8 dry as a bone ~ itwas delicious — and that the service wasnit 10) up to soratch — it was faultless. So what did you do? Well if, cit 2 6 Match the items with the idioms from Ex. 5. otto be to one’s taste | 1 there is no point in tocfiersth goodies | regrting sth that has ‘who cannot appreciate | happened the value of i 9 t0 cause sb to feel negative atitudelbiter- | sick/diegusted ness because of jeal- bof the desired standard ousy i. tomake sb relaxto get to be left withse the conversation stared ‘worst person/object i very dry in trouble 7 Rewrite the following sentences using the words in bol words in any wa} 1. Do not change these {'ve been going to the same restaurant for years, but lately it hasn't been up to the standard it should be. SCFAICH evenness tn ‘Camping in the wilderess doesn't appeal to Greg, cup z _— You forgot to water my plants! Look, the soil is very ay. Ross was nervous when he went for his job interview, but the director put him at ease by making joke. Ice a Roxanne was in trouble when she crashed her father’s car. soup 8B Choose the word which best completes each sentence. The thought of eating raw fish 1UENS MY sronne Ahead — Bstomach Clegs —_D belly Jessica was scraping the bottom of the... foran ‘excuse saying she had a hairdresser's appoint. ment A glass B pitcher C jug D barrel Daisy says she didn't want to be chosen, but it's just SOUP nnn She did really. A grapes B lemons raisins D milk Harold realised too late that he had sold the van too cheaply; but there was no point i...» Over spilt milk A sobbing 8 weeping C screaming D cryingUnit 4 Steven tried to teach his son to appreciate opera, but he was just « Pearls before swine. A hurling —B casting C throwing D tossing 9 in the missing verbs to complete the idioms, Then, choose any five and make sentences. to weth@ i6@ 6 0 sun Sb'S stomach 2 to one’s 7 0 rune 80'S Mouth appetite water to One's eYE5 B10 ornne the bottom on of the barrel 10 consent tab 10 ou . pearls before swine 10 10 Complete the sentences using a suitable idiom. Keep the meaning the same as in the given sentence. Unfortunately, the electricity went off at the best Part of the concert Unfortunately, the electricity went off when the concert was. ‘Tim didn't know what to say when he heard he had. won the prize. Tim was .. heard he had won the prize. If you're having problems with your landlord, you ‘can come and stay with me. Ityoure .. with your landlord, you can come and stay with me. Charles Johnson's new film will certainly give you ‘something to think about. Charles Johnson's new film will certainly be when he I don't ke abstract art; | think i's ugly Abstract art Is .. ; think it's ugly. The soil here gets litle water so no plants can grow. The soll Here 1S ern 0 no plants can grow. My teacher told me that my essay wasn't good enough. My teacher told me that my essay wasn't Jane said that she hated my new dress, but I'm sure she would have loved to have one just lke it, Jane said that she hated my new dress, but I'm sure it was just This new government is nowhere near as good as the previous one. This new government can't the previous one. When his bike was stolen, Mike said it wasn't worth atieving over. When his bike was stolen, Mike sald it was 11 a) Look at the pictures below and say which idioms are represented. 1s to complete the following sentences. ‘James knew he would be when he realised he was an hour late for the rendezvous. Kim said Clara's new earrings made her look silly, but it was just because Clara would have loved to have a pair her- sol, ‘When we went to summer camp, there was a party ‘on the first night to help That cake smells delicious. I's really My family don’t appreciate art so it was ike se when | took them to the Monet exhibition. you .. snes When Building a house, it will not be safe to Ive In. %4. Read the advertisement and try to explain the idioms in bold. Then, look at the pic- ture and say which idiom it represents. DOCTOR HERBERT'S CURE-ALL LIFE TONIC Unlike some “remedies", whose creators claims have to 1) be taken with a pinch of salt, oR HERBERT'S LIFE TONIC 1S NO GIMMICK Whether you're 2) at death’s door or simply feeling a bit 3) off colour, or Herbert's Life Tonic will have you feeling 4) full of beans again -in no time. But don’t just take our word for it. “Mr Jethro Franklin of Oodgeville, Texas had been Suffering from heart problems and severe back pains for over ten years, before he turned to Dr Herbert for help. “I had been 5) going downhill for a long, long time before 1 came to Dr Herbert. 1 had lost so ‘much weight that 1 was 6) nothing but skin and bone, and on most days 1 couldn't even get out Of bed in the mornings! However, Dr Herbert's -tife Tonic changed ail that. 1 was just 7) a shad. ‘ow of my former self when | started taking his Life Tonic, but 1 was 8) up and about again in Just two weeks. That was just six months ago and Now | feel 9) as strong as an ox - in fact, after giving me just three months to live last year, my doctor now says that I should live to a 10) ripe old ager” DON'T DELAY! FOR THE CURE-ALL REMEDY, J— GET DR HERBERT'S LIFE TONIC TODAY! i a unwell very thin 9 very ively and etic «¢ to get worse in health’ energs -qualty/status, etc ‘h very strong and fit d about to die | weaker or less capable than one used to be to be doubtediconsi- 2. Match the items with the idioms from Ex. 1. active after an ilness dered untrue J very old age 3. Fill in the gaps with phrases from the list: go downhill, pinch of salt, np and about, ripe old age, off colour 1. As soon as your leg is out of the cast, you'll be sven ME. 2. John has a reputation for being a liar, so whenever he tells me anything, I take it With a 3. Peter didn't go to school today because he was feeling a bit aw 4. The recession will afect industry badly and companies will... = 7 5 My grandfather lived to a .. He was 104 years old when he passed away. many 4 Fill in the gaps with phrases from the list: as strong as an ox, full of beans, but skin and fone, af eats door, shadow of his former self Mary: Hello Mr Herriot. |was wondering if you could have a look at Fido, my dog. He's usually so Woes .. but he's been refusing his food for a week now and, well, look at him, he’s nothing 2) Let me see now, Oh dear, he's just 3) sun H5N't ho? Let's have a look .. hmm, yes, | think 1 know what it is. Don't worry — 1 don't think he’s 4) ws Just yet! 7 Mary: So what is it Mr Herriot Met. dust stomach bug, dear, Go him one of these tablets three times a day and he should bes) .. in a week or $0. Vet:Read the dialogue and try to explain idioms in bold. Frank: Hey Jack! Here, you'll never guess what 1 heard yesterday. Jack: What Frank: Old Trevor's 1} kicked the bucket. Jack: No! But 1 saw him out with the dog just last Week and he was 2) alive and kicking then! Frank: Well, you know, appearances can be decep- tive. Apparently it had been 3) touch and go as to whether his heart would keep going since last year when he had all those prob- lems. Jock: Oh blastt 1 had no idea. Poor Trevor. How's ‘your brother? Frank: Ah yes, Donald. well, the doctors reckon 4) ‘the writing is on the wall for him too, but hhe seems to be 5) holding his own. 1 saw him just last night at Reg’s and he can stil beat me at poker - the old rascal was 6) Grinning from ear to ear when | left! No, Tm pretty certain 7) there’s life in the old dog yet. But what about Betty? Are her eyes stil bade Jock: Yes, they've got worse, she’s 8) as blind as @ bat now. mind you, the kids have been reat, they seem to think that both me and their mum 9) have got one foot in the Grave, so they've been helping out @ lot with the shopping and cleaning and stuff. 1 tell you what though. Frank: Whata Jack: 1 just hope they don’t 10) run out of steam before | dot © Match the items with the idioms from Ex. 5. ‘a tobe near death 1 asignivaming of blind or unable to On, | wish we could 7) turn the clock 7 MY ComPuter is completely new. only boughtit back 10 1964; you could buy a new car for Oa ee £500, then. 2 dane’s father would be quite happy to talk about uth: Okay, okay. Justa slightly more 8) up-to-date polis forever. ‘one, then. But you've got to 8) move with the cows : ——— times, and Ive heard you can get a good 3. Your washing-machine is very old. Perhaps i's time secondhand car for around £3,000. you bought a new one. 4lohn:_Listen Futh. There is nothing wrong with this halls enero . car. You can nag me 10) til he cows come 4 Stop behaving as if things hadn't changed since hhome, butt'm not going to buy a new car unt youwere a young man, Roy. Don't you realise we're area ini 1908? as : Ruth: John? ... Is that smoke coming out of the Pre eran nents acai engine? i eon ee vy theyre istaling computes.Unit 7 9 Match the sentences below: cornet. 4 Gordon's bia sos rout { is past 2 Bis Rége 8 PATI no rage now 3. Mobile phones seem 00 | 44 Terry wil have to write anather compos 1 ea np 5 Hedin inte 5 rece sa at waren a vecxin a rept toes bt 1 Sao nena nareaseTe ra nave - | ere oun to cok bk James wats end epee os conetee re trousers ‘a. Everybody has got one, But that was a long time ago. © You'd better buy him a present soon, I's the best model in the shops. © He stil thinks i's okay to leave hs door unlocked. 1 Six months later he was asked to join the army, 9 | think he shauld replace t |h He wished he had never lft his wile. i He likes itatot. J His mother accidentally threw it away. 410 Look at the two pictures below. Using some of the idioms from the list, compare and contrast the two buildings. rand new, to break new ground, to break the ‘mould, the Tast word, as ald as the hills, old rat, £0 move with the times, to stand the test of time, state-of-the-art 411. Use the words missing from the sentences below to complete the crossword. i. == Across 1 We've just had a. installed In our house. 4 This new fax machine is models. 7 Researchers claim that a cure for cancer is on the of-the-art heating system ‘ahead of the older 8 Flared trousers were all the 1970s. @ I've exchanged my old cooker for a more up-to ‘model during the Down 2 Gone With The Wind has stood the ~ its still a classic. 3. Mike's learning how to use a computer, He feels he ought to move with the 5 Jim's uncle built his boat from .. 6 The headmaster broke the of traditional teaching by introducing computers into every lesson, 7 You can beg me to lend you the car tl the cows come isi say no! . of time41 Read the text and try to explain the idioms in bold. ur expedition up Mont Blanc had been plagued by diffculties from the start, and we hhad just decided 10 make a 1) last-ditch attempt for the summit when we noticed that the weather was deteriorating, After much dis- ‘cussion, we decided that we should 2) cut our losses and return to base camp. Little did we realise, though, that the worsening weather Conditions were just 3) the tip of the iceberg. ‘As we were approaching the half-way point, we realised that a large part of the cif face had 4) vanished into thin air, taking with itthe nar- row path we had used on our way up. It was at, this point that several less experienced mem- bers of the team started to panic and it looked. as though the situation might get 5) out of hhand. | knew we would 6) not have a hope in holt if we all stayed there waiting for a rescue party to come and 7) lend a hand, so | told our ‘eriied colleagues to 8) sit tight while three of Us attempted to climb down the mountain. We suffered our next 9) close call about three quarters of the way down when our rope snapped, leaving us clinging to the rock. We had two choices: we could stay there and freeze to death or we could attempt to descend without ropes — we decided to 10) chance it and climb down, Three hours later we reached base camp, From there we were able to inform the moun- tain rescue service of where the others were ‘and, before nightfall, they too were safe. -_ 2 Match the it the tiniest sign of a | g_not to change one's larger problem positionito stay where ‘a close encounter cone is with danger fh final (attempteftort, to have no chance tc) to disappear i tohelp completely {to give up doing sth to take a risk 80 as to limitiprevent out of contro! further loss/damage 3. Fill in the missing verbs to complete the idioms. Then, choose any three and make sentences. oer 40 tight it 10 on 5 notto one's losses a hope in helt — ahand 4 Fillin the gaps with phrases from the list: lastaitch, clase call, vanished into thin air, out of hand, tip of the iceberg The police arrived at the scene of the crime as soon as they could but the robbers had The situation “at the office has got com- pletely : Eince the rumours of @ take-over started. Steven had a today as he was ating t0 work some- fone went through a od light and almost it hie, 8 en font to cave the old Torry from being demolished, the residents picketed the Town Hal “The sacking ofthe partsime staf was ust the vee Company later went bankrupt leaving al te staf out of work BUnit 8 5 Read the interview and try to explain the idioms in bold. = Last year, the tiny sland of Rosha was devastated by Hurricane Boris, which left 50 people dead and many more Injured and homeless. Nine months later, the island’ residents were stil 1) picking up the pleces when Hurricane Carloff struck, even more people and forcing the survivors 2) back to square one. With me now, is Rhona Bryce who survived the second hurricane 3) by the skin of her teeth after her husband dug her ‘out from the rubble of their home 4) with his bare hnands. Mrs Bryce, how are you and your husband ‘coping now? = Well, we're lucky to have come through these two disasters 5) safe and sound unike many who have lost relatives and suffered horrific injuries, but, like nearly everyone else here, we are homo. less. Our government is also 6) In a tight corner as it spent a lot of money trying to rebuild the island after the first hurricane, 50, of course, now we are having to rely on charity = So what is being done now? — Well, one organisation has put up temporary housing for some people in the capital, but the test of us are stil ving in tents They've promised ‘emergency funds, but so far they simply haven't 7) delivered the goods. i's almost as ifthe rest ‘of the world has forgotten about us, which is awful when we 8) have our backs against the wall ike this. = You sound as if you're 8) at the end of your tether, Mrs Bryce. — Yes, unfortunately you're right — we all are. We ‘are desperate for aid and unless somebody helps lus soon, | really don't know what will happen. We're tired of begging and quite honestly | feel ready to 10) throw in the towel. 6 © Match the items with the idioms from Ex. 5. safe and uninjured ‘gto produce the prom- ‘without toolsimachin- sed fexpected results cary, ete h togiveup ‘only just atthe point of losing to restore a situation ‘one's patience after confusion/disaster_ | j tobe in a desperate ina difculvaweward situation in which one station ‘must struggle to survive back to the beginning, 7 Rewrite the following sentences using the words in bold. Do not change these words in any way. Families of the passengers from the burning aero- plane were relieved to hear that their loved ones Were all uninjured and free from danger. SOUND nn a With a national strike looming, the government found itself in a dificult situation. wall er se ‘Since the disaster, we've been trying to get our lives back to normal pieces ‘After several attempts to pass his driving test, Roger gave up and bought a bicycle instead. he had no more Patience after the neighbour's dog woke him up again, so he called the police. tether & Choose the word which best completes each sentence. When the girl was trapped under the car, a man ited it with his hands and saved her. ‘A exposed Baked — C uncovered D bare His original manuscript was not accepted so he had 10. GO BACK 10 sure ONE ANd revit it Allevel —B square C plan D number The chess player managed to fight his way out of a ‘comer and win the game, A tight —B narrow C cramped D secure During the earthquake, Susan escaped from the buiki- ing by the. ‘of her teeth before tt collapsed. A-enamel B coating Cskin — Dhair lf Jenkins falls t0 .... the goods one more time, fire hie! A deliver B transport C convey D distribute9 Rewrite the following sentences using the words in bold. Do not change these words in any way. He couldn't find her anywhere! it was as if she had ‘completely disappeared. vanished... The wet patch onthe caling was ust the beginning ‘of our problems. tip We decided to stay where we were untl the storm ended tight The expedition might be dangerous, but Il take a tk and go anyway. chance The pole became nervous when the crowd got oo dificult to manage. out The weightfier made one fnal attempt atthe record before giving up. last The pedestrian only ust managed to avoid being hit by the oncoming car. teeth “ a Ittook many years for the government to get things back to normal ater the war. pick : _ — The burglar realised he was in a difficult situation when he noticed the guard dog. tight a 10 Fil in the gaps with phrases from the Ii «close call, deliver the goods, have a hope in hel, vow in the towel, his Bare hand, had his back against the wall, safe and sound, at the en of my tether, go back 1 square one, lend a hand ‘Tom's a terrible poet; he doesn't of winning the poetry competition. ‘Our house collapsed as soon as we had finished building it, so we had to slim's very strong; he can tear a ‘iphone directory inal with = Janet had .. she nearly missed her fight to Boston. Our dog returned homme nnn after going missing for three days. yesterday; Unit 8 | couldn't tit the box by myself, so | asked Paula to ‘The Fountain Hotel's brochure promise exception al service, but we found it didn’t : The soldier had no choice but to surrender. Um ve been trying {0 fix this tap all day and I still doesn't work! The prime minister decided to .. when she realised she had no chance of elected. 14 Answer the questions below: {f someone has their back against the wall, can ‘somebody lend them a hand? Why/Why not? f someone needs to cut thelr losses, should they {go back to square one? WhyiWhy not? It someone has had a close call, are they safe and sound? Whylhy not? If someone doesn’t have a hope in hell, should they throw in the towel? Why/Why not? ‘Can someone be at the end of their tether after unsuccessfully trying to dig up their garden with their bare hands? Why/Why not? some of the idioms from the list, discuss what might have happened. «close call, nol have a hope in hell, to sit tight, to chance it last-ditch, to lend a hand, safe and sound, one’s bare hands, in a tight corner