THE FLATMATES Quiz: Idioms life and living
BBC Learning English Quiz Idioms: life and living You can try the quiz online at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode80/quiz.shtml For each of the six questions choose the one correct answer. 1. I never recycle anything, but it s time to change. I m going to a. call a spade a spade. b. be stuck in a rut. c. turn over a new leaf. d. burn the candle at both ends. 2. Look, let s - what s the main problem? a. let our hair down b. cut to the chase c. burn the candle at both ends d. paint the town red 3. Stop. What are you trying to tell me? a. beating up the bush b. beating in the bush c. beating upon the bush d. beating around the bush 4. You look tired. Have you been? a. burning the midnight oil b. beating around the bush c. pulling your punches d. on an even keel 5. It s time to - let s go out and. a. put your hair up / paint the town red b. let your hair down / paint the town red c. let your hair down / paint the town pink d. put your hair down / paint the town pink 6. To, I think you are a. call a spade a spade / stuck in a rut. b. call the spade the spade / stuck with a rut. c. call a spade a spade / stuck with a rut. d. call the spade the spade / stuck in a rut. Page 2 of 4
BBC Learning English Quiz Idioms: life and living Answers 1. I never recycle anything, but it s time to change. I m going to. a. call a spade a spade - Wrong you need an idiom that refers to making changes. b. be stuck in a rut - Wrong you need an idiom that refers to making changes. c. turn over a new leaf - Correct you are going to change a bad thing in your life. d. burn the candle at both ends Wrong you need an idiom that refers to making changes. 2. Look, let s - what s the main problem? a. let our hair down - Wrong you want to do the most important thing immediately. b. cut to the chase - Correct you will look at the main problem immediately. c. burn the candle at both ends - Wrong you want to do the most important thing immediately. d. paint the town red - Wrong you want to do the most important thing immediately. 3. Stop What are you trying to tell me? a. beating up the bush - Wrong you need a preposition which means moving in b. beating in the bush - Wrong you need a preposition which means moving in c. beating upon the bush - Wrong - you need a preposition which means moving in d. beating around the bush - Correct the person is not speaking directly. 4. You look tired. Have you been? a. burning the midnight oil - Correct they have been working late. b. beating around the bush Wrong you need an idiom which means 'working late at night'. c. pulling your punches - Wrong you need an idiom which means 'working late at night'. d. on an even keel - Wrong you need an idiom which means 'working late at night'. 5. It s time to - let s go out and. a. put your hair up / paint the town red - Wrong the first idiom should be the opposite of put your hair up. b. let your hair down / paint the town red - Correct you relax by going out for the evening. c. let your hair down / paint the town pink - Wrong you need a different colour in the second idiom. d. put your hair down / paint the town pink - Wrong you need a different verb in the first idiom and a different colour in the second one. Page 3 of 4
BBC Learning English 6. To, I think you are. a. call a spade a spade / stuck in a rut - Correct You don t hide the problem, the person s life is going nowhere. b. call the spade the spade / stuck with a rut - Wrong You don t need the in the first idiom, and the second idiom needs a different preposition. c. call a spade a spade / stuck with a rut - Wrong You need a different preposition in the second idiom. d. call the spade the spade / stuck in a rut - Wrong We don t use the in the first idiom. Would you like to look at the language point that this quiz was based on? Go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode80/languagepoint.shtml Or you can download the language point from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode80/languagepoint.pdf For a quiz on other idioms, go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode05/quiz.shtml Page 4 of 4
THE FLATMATES Quiz: Idioms life and living
BBC Learning English Quiz Idioms: life and living You can try the quiz online at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode80/quiz.shtml For each of the six questions choose the one correct answer. 1. I never recycle anything, but it s time to change. I m going to a. call a spade a spade. b. be stuck in a rut. c. turn over a new leaf. d. burn the candle at both ends. 2. Look, let s - what s the main problem? a. let our hair down b. cut to the chase c. burn the candle at both ends d. paint the town red 3. Stop. What are you trying to tell me? a. beating up the bush b. beating in the bush c. beating upon the bush d. beating around the bush 4. You look tired. Have you been? a. burning the midnight oil b. beating around the bush c. pulling your punches d. on an even keel 5. It s time to - let s go out and. a. put your hair up / paint the town red b. let your hair down / paint the town red c. let your hair down / paint the town pink d. put your hair down / paint the town pink 6. To, I think you are a. call a spade a spade / stuck in a rut. b. call the spade the spade / stuck with a rut. c. call a spade a spade / stuck with a rut. d. call the spade the spade / stuck in a rut. Page 2 of 4
BBC Learning English Quiz Idioms: life and living Answers 1. I never recycle anything, but it s time to change. I m going to. a. call a spade a spade - Wrong you need an idiom that refers to making changes. b. be stuck in a rut - Wrong you need an idiom that refers to making changes. c. turn over a new leaf - Correct you are going to change a bad thing in your life. d. burn the candle at both ends Wrong you need an idiom that refers to making changes. 2. Look, let s - what s the main problem? a. let our hair down - Wrong you want to do the most important thing immediately. b. cut to the chase - Correct you will look at the main problem immediately. c. burn the candle at both ends - Wrong you want to do the most important thing immediately. d. paint the town red - Wrong you want to do the most important thing immediately. 3. Stop What are you trying to tell me? a. beating up the bush - Wrong you need a preposition which means moving in b. beating in the bush - Wrong you need a preposition which means moving in c. beating upon the bush - Wrong - you need a preposition which means moving in d. beating around the bush - Correct the person is not speaking directly. 4. You look tired. Have you been? a. burning the midnight oil - Correct they have been working late. b. beating around the bush Wrong you need an idiom which means 'working late at night'. c. pulling your punches - Wrong you need an idiom which means 'working late at night'. d. on an even keel - Wrong you need an idiom which means 'working late at night'. 5. It s time to - let s go out and. a. put your hair up / paint the town red - Wrong the first idiom should be the opposite of put your hair up. b. let your hair down / paint the town red - Correct you relax by going out for the evening. c. let your hair down / paint the town pink - Wrong you need a different colour in the second idiom. d. put your hair down / paint the town pink - Wrong you need a different verb in the first idiom and a different colour in the second one. Page 3 of 4
BBC Learning English 6. To, I think you are. a. call a spade a spade / stuck in a rut - Correct You don t hide the problem, the person s life is going nowhere. b. call the spade the spade / stuck with a rut - Wrong You don t need the in the first idiom, and the second idiom needs a different preposition. c. call a spade a spade / stuck with a rut - Wrong You need a different preposition in the second idiom. d. call the spade the spade / stuck in a rut - Wrong We don t use the in the first idiom. Would you like to look at the language point that this quiz was based on? Go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode80/languagepoint.shtml Or you can download the language point from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode80/languagepoint.pdf For a quiz on other idioms, go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode05/quiz.shtml Page 4 of 4