Idioms & Fixed Expressions — C1 Vocabulary Practice

Exercise 1

Choose the correct meaning

10 points

1

He decided to bite the bullet and accept the difficult terms of the contract.

2

Don't count your chickens — the deal hasn't been signed yet.

3

What we have seen so far is just the tip of the iceberg.

4

She burned her bridges when she publicly criticised her former employer online.

5

The report gave only a ballpark figure for the total cost of the project.

6

She has clearly bitten off more than she can chew with four projects at once.

7

The politician consistently sat on the fence rather than committing to a policy.

8

Everyone on the team must pull their weight if we are to meet the deadline.

9

The legal status of the new software remains a grey area.

10

She was completely at the end of her rope after months of dealing with the crisis alone.

Exercise 2

Complete the idiom — write the missing word

8 points

1

He finally bit the ______ and apologised to his colleague.

2

The corruption scandal was just the tip of the ______.

3

She resigned in anger and has been burning her ______ ever since.

4

Give me a ball______ figure — I just need an approximate cost.

5

Don't ______ your chickens — we might still lose the contract.

6

He's bitten off more than he can ______ with three jobs and a new business.

7

The legal implications of the new regulation remain a ______ area.

8

The government published a ______ map for economic recovery over the next decade.

Exercise 3

Rewrite using the given idiom

6 points

1

She is completely exhausted and cannot cope any longer. Use at the end of:

2

He refuses to commit to either side of the argument. Use sit on:

3

Everyone must contribute equally to make this work. Use pull their: