Chapter
IV: Exercises
1.- A
well-deserved epithet
Well is very often
the beginning of some compound adjectives. Complete the following sentences
with the compounds in the box:
1.1.- someone who is sensible and does not have emotional problems is a __________
person.
1.2.- someone who wears smart or elegant
clothes is a __________ person.
1.3.- someone who is wealthy is __________.
1.4.- something that has existed for a long
time and is successful is __________.
1.5.- something that is intended to be helpful
but it has unfortunate results is __________.
1.6.- someone who belongs to an upper-class
family is a __________ person.
1.7.- if someone behaves in a way that is
considered correct, they are __________ people.
1.8.- someone who has good manners is a
__________ person. A synonym is “well-mannered”.
1.9.- someone who is admired and respected is
a __________ person
1.10.- a room which is always neat and tidy is
a __________ room.
1.11.- if you have been working hard, you may
take a __________ rest.
1.12.- someone who is strong and muscular is
__________.
1.13.- someone who has influential relations
or friends is a __________ person.
1.14.- someone who gets food regularly is
__________.
1.15.- an old person who still looks young is
__________.
1.16.- someone who has a lot of books and has
learnt a lot from them is a __________ person.
1.17.- an action which is done at the most
appropriate time is a __________ action.
1.18.- someone who knows much about a
particular subject is __________ in it.
1.19.- if you are willing to take part in an
activity, you are __________ to it.
1.20.- someone who receives a good salary is
__________.
well-connected
well-timed
well-versed
well-born
well-earned
|
well-paid
well-off
well-behaved
well-dressed
well-learned
|
well-built
well-fed
well-kept
well-meant
well-preserved
|
well-balanced
well-bred
well-disposed
well-established
well-thought-of
|
2.-
They knew which side their bread was buttered on
Note the use of the preposition at the end of the sentence.
This is not strange in English. For example:
I am afraid
of something + What? = What are you
afraid of?
Now do as in the example:
2.1.- I am looking at something + What...? =
____________________?
2.2.- I’m fed up with something + What...? = ____________________?
2.3.- I’m getting married next week + Who...? =
____________________?
2.4.- I’m getting into trouble + What kind of trouble...? =
____________________?
Sometimes the
preposition can be placed at the beginning of the clause, but this is more common
in a formal style. So To whom were you
talking? is more formal than Who were
you talking to?.
Now make the
following sentences a bit more formal:
2.5.- The house we
live in is quite old: _________________________
2.6.- I need an
assistant to work with: _________________________
2.7.- Who was
penicillin discovered by?: _________________________
2.8.- I wanted to
know whose side he was on: _________________________
2.9.- I don’t
remember which shelf I left my book on: _________________________
2.10.-That is the
firm I worked for in 1989: _________________________
3.-
In two shakes of a lamb’s tail
Lamb, as many
other words which refer to animals, is used in a few expressions in English. So
for example, someone who acts like a lamb
does things obediently without causing any trouble. One more expression which
uses this word is mutton dressed as lamb,
but what does it mean? Choose one of the following options:
a.- a person who pretends to be a friend but who wants to
cause you some harm or trouble
b.- a promise which is unrealistic
c.- a person you go to for help when there is urgent need or
great difficulty
d.- someone who tries to look younger than they are in order
to appear attractive to other people.
The correct answer is:
...........................
The other expressions which do not correspond to the correct
definition above are any port in a storm,
a snake in the grass and a pie in the sky. Could you now connect
them with their correct definition?
1.- any port in a storm:
2.- a snake in the grass:
3.- a pie in the sky:
4.- The down-and-outs
The phrase down-and-out
consists of three words which are joined by hyphens. There are other
substantives in English which are formed in the same way. In the following
examples there is always one missing word. Complete the compound nouns with
them.
4.1.- son-___-law 4.2.-
forget-___-not 4.3.-
love-___-a-mist
4.4.-
lady-___-waiting 4.5.- toad-___-the-hole 4.6.- ___-islander
4.7.- passer-___ 4.8.- ___-licence 4.9.- drop-___
4.10.- ___-goat 4.11.- hanger-___ 4.12.- looker-___
4.13.- runner-___
by in
in in in
off off she
up on on
me out
|
5.-
Red tape / To catch some red-handed / To roll out the red carpet
Expressions with colours are very frequent in English and
you have found many examples of them in this book. Red is one of the many colours used in these set phrases. Connect
the following ones with their meanings:
a.- to see red
b.- to see the red light
c.- a red-letter day
d.- a red herring
e.- to paint the town red
f.- to be in the red
g.- like a red rag to a bull
h.- the red-light district
|
1.- to owe money to one’s
bank
2.- an important or joyful
occasion in one’s life
3.- the area of a city where
prostitutes work
4.- provocative, which makes
you extremely angry
5.- to become suddenly angry
6.- to celebrate something
noisily in the street or other public
places
7.- to recognize danger
8.- an unimportant matter
which is introduced into a discussion in
order to distract attention from the
important matter being
discussed
|
a.-
b.-
c.-
d.-
e.-
f.-
g.-
h.-
|
6.-
Birds of a feather
This phrase can be followed by some more words in order to
form a proverb. The second part of it rhymes with the first. Try to guess what
the ending of the proverb is.
Birds of a feather...
|
...stay together
...fly for ever
..are at the end of their
tether
...flock together
...don’t change the weather
|
..................................................
|
7.-
He turned a deaf ear to their grief
Here you have other phrases with the word ear. Complete them with the words in the
box.
7.1.- To __________ music by ear
7.2.- To have a __________ ear for something
7.3.- To be __________ ears
7.4.- To be __________ to the ears in something
7.5.- To be wet __________ the ears
7.6.- Something goes in one ear and out the __________
7.7.- To keep/have your ears to the __________
7.8.- To listen to something/someone with only __________ an
ear
half other
all behind good
ground up play
|
8.-
In deep water / To go through fire and water
Now here are some other idioms with the word water. They have been split into two
parts and mixed in the box below. Put their beginnings and endings together.
the bridge to get into to pour oil on an idea
like water water under to keep one’s hot water
to pour cold water to spend one´s money
run deep still waters head above the water on troubled waters
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9.- A
nine days’ wonder / Number one / Two’s company, three’s a crowd
Below there are some common expressions in which numbers
from one to ten appear. Complete them with the number that you consider
appropriate. (Note: some of these numbers must be written in their plural form,
that is, fives, sixes, etc...)
- a _____-armed bandit -
a _____-letter word - Number
_____ (an address)
- a ____-man band -
a _____-faced person - the ____
senses
- a rule of _____ -
_____-o’clock shadow - a
_____-point turn
- to be at _____ and sevens -
to look out for number _____ - to
be on cloud _____
- _____ to one -
to dress yourself up to the _____
- the _____ corners of the earth - _____ of one and half a dozen of the other
(The meanings of these
expressions appear in the GLOSSARY)
10.-
Grave
This word has appeared in four expressions in this chapter.
In the previous chapter, there was one more which also used it. Let’s check if
you remember all of them. You are given some help below.
10.1.- One of them means “to do something
foolish or dangerous which will cause your own failure”.
That expression is to dig
____________________ grave.
10.2.- Another expression refers to a
hypothetical situation. If someone who is dead knew something
very shocking which is happening now
perhaps they would turn _____________
graves.
10.3.- When someone is about to die, you can
say that they have _________________
grave.
10.4.- If someone dies when they are very
young, they come ___________________
grave.
10.5.- And the last of them is used when you
want to refer to something which happens throughout one’s
life. Then you can say that
something happens from _________________
the grave.
11.-
Let’s strike a happy medium / To seek asylum
Medium and asylum are words which come from Latin.
The ending –um was typical in that
language. Classical languages have had influence on English in the course of
its history. A proof of that is the endings of some words and the plural forms
that they take. So the plural of medium
is media, except when medium refers to a person who is able to
contact and speak to dead people, in which case the plural form is mediums. As we can see, these foreign
plurals and the regular ones are both possible, although their use is
different. Formula is another example of this: its plural form is formulas when we are speaking in
general, but formulae when we are studying Mathematics. Could you now give the
plural forms of these Latin/Greek words which are used in English? (Note: some
of them accept both types)
Word Regular
plural Foreign plural
Word Regular plural Foreign plural
focus
locus
genus
arena
electron
album
criterion
crisis
axis
parenthesis
demon
stratum
|
focuses
X
|
foci
loci
|
circus
thesis
stimulus
phenomenon
antenna
stadium
bacterium
index
era
larva
matrix
analysis
|
circuses
X
|
X
theses
|
12.-
On second thoughts / Third time lucky / Love at first sight
Ordinal numbers from first
to seventh have been dropped in the
following expressions. Their meanings are given so that it can be easier for
you. Could you complete them?
12.1.- the Press: the _______ estate
12.2.- something that seems as if it is part
of your character: one’s _______ nature
12.3.- to know absolutely nothing about a
matter: not to know the _______ thing
about something
12.4.- the wife of the president of a country:
the _______ Lady
12.5.- to be told about something by other
people rather than learn it directly: to learn something at
_______ hand
12.6.- to lose a competition: to come off ______ best
12.7.- the cheapest and least comfortable
section on a ship or train: _______-class
12.8.- something beyond the limits of normal
experience: the _______ dimension
12.9.- someone who supports the enemies of the
country, a traitor: a _______ columnist
12.10.- to be extremely happy: to be in the _______ heaven
12.11.- the earliest profitable results of an
activity: the _______ fruits
12.12.- to be tortured: to be given the _______ degree
12.13.- to have supernatural powers: to have a _______ sense
12.14.- one whose tastes and opinions are
practically the same as yours: one’s
_______ self
12.15.- to do one’s job better than anyone
else having the same job: to be _______
to none
13.-
A wolf in sheep’s clothing / To put the cat among the pigeons / The birds and
the bees
These three phrases combine two animals in each of them.
There are more expressions in which the same occurs. Which two animals for each
of the following sentences are correct? Choose from the box below.
13.1.- to play
_____ and _____ with someone
13.2.- to rain _____ and _____
13.3.- to lead a _____-and-_____ life
13.4.- a _____-and-_____ story
13.5.- the early _____ catches the _____
13.6.- when the _____’s away, the _____ will play
13.7.- to separate the _____ from the ____
13.8.- to set a _____ to keep the _____
fox worm
cats cat cat
cat bird bull
dog dogs mouse
mice goats geese
sheep cock
|
14.-
The green-eyed monster / Red-handed
The words eyed and
handed can be called “false
participles” because they are nouns with an ending which is typical of verbs.
Using this structure, how could you call the following items?
14.1.- a girl who has red hair: ____________________
14.2.- a woman who has long legs: ____________________
14.3.- a baby with blue eyes: ____________________
14.4.- a man with only one arm: ____________________
14.5.- a shirt with long sleeves: ____________________
14.6.- a house with a flat roof: ____________________
14.7.- a plane with four engines: ____________________
15.-
The black sheep of the family / A black eye
The word black is
used in short phrases such as a black box,
the black market, a black spot, a blackleg, blackmail, a black list, a black-letter day, black ice,
black money, etc..., and also in some
longer expressions as the ones which appear below. They have been split in
several parts and put in the boxes. Write them correctly, but take into account
that two boxes belonging to the same phrase can never be in contact with each
other.
so black as
|
something in
|
to be in
|
dressed
|
to have
|
to be
|
someone black
|
black
|
to beat
|
painted
|
and blue
|
someone’s black
|
and white
|
to be not
|
black
|
books
|
in
|
one is
|
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16.-
The Holy Grail
After having read about the search for the Holy Grail, we
know many expressions which are related to the fact of looking for something
which seems impossible. There is one more which could be added to the list. The
words which form it are below, but they have been shuffled. Order them.
the the
is thought to
wish father
|
17.-
They worked their fingers to the bone / Most of the historians point the finger
at her
More expressions with the word finger appear below, but they have been mixed with their meanings.
Do as in the example:
Example: to to have a be finger involved in in the
one pie activity
to to have a be finger
involved in in the one pie activity
The phrase is: to have a finger in the pie
The meaning is: to be involved in one activity
17.1.- to twist to someone get them round to
do anything one’s one wants little them to finger do
17.2.- to have a to be finger involved in in
many every activities at the pie same time
17.3.- one’s to be very fingers clumsy when
you are trying to are do something with all your thumbs
hands
17.4.- to keep to hope that one’s everything will
fingers happen as you crossed want it to
17.5.- to to wish them keep luck in one’s a
difficulty fingers they crossed have to for someone go through
17.6.- to put to tell the the police that
finger they have done on something against someone the law
17.7.- to get to suffer because one’s
something you fingers did was burnt a mistake
17.8.- to have to be very green good at
fingers gardening
17.9.- something you fail slips to get
something through when it your has been fingers next to you
18.-
Similar expressions
The following expressions have appeared in this chapter. We
can put them in pairs so that there is a connection in meaning between both of
them. Match one expression in the first group and one expression in the second.
1.- to disappear
from the face of the earth a.-
a pretty penny
2.- to take it in turns b.- to make
both ends meet
3.- a king’s ransom c.- men of
the same kidney
4.- to wrangle for an ass’s
shadow d.- a tall
story
5.- to tighten one’s belt e.- to vanish into thin air
6.- to be at death’s door f.- to make a
mountain out of a molehill
7.- to breathe one’s last g.- to rise from
the ashes
8.- to have an account to
settle with someone h.- the ball is
in someone’s court
9.- to get a second wind i.- to have one
foot in the grave
10.- an old wives’ tale j.- to square
accounts with someone
11.- birds of a feather k.- to kick
the bucket
1- e
|
2 -
|
3 -
|
4 -
|
5 -
|
6 -
|
7 -
|
8 -
|
9 -
|
10 -
|
11 -
|
19.-
A blind leader of the blind / A man of straw / A paper tiger
King Aethelred has been described using a series of
expressions which refer to a weak man who is not suitable for the job he is
undertaking. One more could be added. It is in the box below. You need seven
words which must be taken from it and ordered. There are two possibilities.
big
round square in
coin by of
foot
with
a hammer off
pocket a nail
peg
small hole huge
out clock shoe
|
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20.-
The end of the Anglo-Saxon period and the beginning of the Norman period
In this chapter we have seen how the feudal system started
to be born. This system reached its peak, as we have read, during the Norman
times. There is an expression which represents quite well the general idea of
feudalism: the idea of giving something in return for another thing which is
given to you by the other person. Try to find it by choosing one word or group
of words from each column.
you
you can’t
where
you can’t
when
|
teach
one door
scratch my
have
there’s
|
back and
an old
your
a will
shuts
|
cake and
I’ll
another
dog new
there’s
|
tricks
eat it
a way
opens
scratch yours
|
The expression we are looking
for is: ________________________________________
The other expressions you get
are: _________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
KEY TO
THE EXERCISES
Chapter 4:
Angleland,Saxonland, Juteland, Vikingland
1
1.1.- well-balanced; 1.2.- well-dressed; 1.3.- well-off; 1.4.- well-established; 1.5.- well-meant; 1.6.- well-born; 1.7.- well-behaved; 1.8.- well-bred; 1.9.- well-thought-of; 1.10.- well-kept; 1.11.- well-earned; 1.12.- well-built; 1.13.- well-connected; 1.14.- well-fed; 1.15.- well-preserved; 1.16.- well-learned; 1.17.- well-timed; 1.18.- well-versed; 1.19.- well-disposed; 1.20.- well-paid
2
2.1.- What are you looking at?; 2.2.- What are you fed up with?; 2.3.- Who are you getting married to?; 2.4.- What kind of trouble are you getting
into? 2.5.- The house in which we live
is quite old; 2.6.- I need an assistant
with whom to work; 2.7.- By whom was
penicillin discovered?; 2.8.- I wanted
to know on whose side he was; 2.9.- I
don’t remember on which shelf I left my book;
2.10.- That is the firm for which I worked in 1989
3 The correct answer
is: d.
1-c;
2-a; 3-b
4
4.1.- son-in-law; 4.2.- forget-me-not; 4.3.- love-in-a-mist; 4.4.- lady-in-waiting; 4.5.- toad-in-the-hole; 4.6.- off-islander; 4.7.- passer-by; 4.8.- off-licence; 4.9.- drop-out; 4.10.- she-goat; 4.11.- hanger-on; 4.12.- looker-on; 4.13.- runner-up
5 a-5; b-7;
c-2; d-8; e-6;
f-1; g-4; h-3
6 ...flock together
7
7.1.- play; 7.2.- good;
7.3.- all; 7.4.- up; 7.5.- behind; 7.6.- other; 7.7.- ground; 7.8.- half
8 water under the
bridge; to pour cold water on an
idea; to keep one’s head above water; to get into hot water; to spend one’s money like water; to pour oil on troubled waters; still waters run deep
the five senses; a rule of three; five-o’clock shadow; a three-point turn; to be at sixes and sevens;
to look out for number
one; to be on cloud nine; ten to one;
to dress yourself up to the nines;
the four corners of the earth;
six of one and half a dozen of the other
10
10.1.- your own; 10.2.- in their; 10.3.- one foot in the; 10.4.- to an early; 10.5.- the cradle to
11
focus
locus
genus
arena
electron
album
criterion
crisis
axis
parenthesis
demon
stratum
|
focuses
X
X
arenas
electrons
albums
X
X
X
X
demons
X
|
foci
loci
genera
X
X
X
criteria
crises
axes
parentheses
X
strata
|
circus
thesis
stimulus
phenomenon
antenna
stadium
bacterium
index
era
larva
matrix
analysis
|
circuses
X
X
X
antennas
stadiums
X
indexes
eras
X
matrixes
X
|
X
theses
stimuli
phenomena
antennae
stadia
bacteria
indices
X
larvae
matrices
analyses
|
12
12.1.- fourth; 12.2.- second; 12.3.- first; 12.4.- First; 12.5.- second; 12.6.- second; 12.7.- third; 12.8.- fourth; 12.9.- fifth; 12.10.- seventh; 12.11.- first; 12.12.- third; 12.13.- sixth; 12.14.- second; 12.15.- second
13
13.1.- cat, mouse; 13.2.- cats, dogs; 13.3.- cat, dog; 13.4.- cock, bull; 13.5.- bird, worm;
13.6.-cat, mice; 13.7.- sheep, goats; 13.8.- fox, geese
14
14.1.- a red-haired girl; 14.2.- a long-legged woman; 14.3.- a blue-eyed baby; 14.4.- a one-armed man; 14.5.- a long-sleeved shirt; 14.6.- a flat-roofed house; 14.7.- a four-engined plane
15 to be not so black
as one is painted; to have something in
black and white; to be dressed in
black; to beat someone black and blue; to be in someone’s black books
Ñ
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|
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|
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|
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|
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|
Ñ
|
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|
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|
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|
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|
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16 the wish is father
to the thought
17
17.1.- to twist to someone
get them round to do
anything one’s one wants little them to finger do
17.2.- to have a to be finger
involved in in many every activities at the pie same time
17.3.- one’s to be very fingers
clumsy when you are trying to are
do something with all your
thumbs
hands
17.4.- to keep to hope that one’s
everything will fingers happen
as you crossed want it to
17.5.- to to wish them keep luck
in one’s a difficulty fingers they crossed have to for someone go
through
17.6.- to put to tell the
the police that finger they
have done on something
against someone the law
17.7.- to get to suffer because one’s something you fingers
did was burnt a mistake
17.8.- to have to be very green
good at fingers gardening
17.9.- something you fail slips
to get something through when
it your has been fingers next to you
18 1-e; 2-h;
3-a; 4-f; 5-b;
6-i; 7-k; 8-j;
9-g; 10-d; 11-c
20 The expression we
are looking for is: you scratch my back
and I’ll scratch yours
The other expressions are:
-
you can’t have your cake and eat it
-
when one door shuts another opens
-
you can’t teach an old dog new tricks
-
where there’s a will there’s a way
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