BÀI TẬP IDIOMS TIẾNG ANH CHUẨN FORMAT ĐỀ THI

THPT QUỐC GIA MÔN ANH!

Mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the following

questions.

1. My new colleague is quite a rough ______ but I think we can cooperate well on our assigned

projects.

A. stone B. rock C. diamond D. ruby 2. You would understand my feelings of betrayal if you

were in my ______. A. shoes B. shirt C. socks D. pants 3. He is not the type who can stay in one

place for long. He always gets ______ feet and starts a new journey again.

A. chilly B. itchy C. painful D. shaky 4. It is pointless to persuade him - a ______

can't change its spots.

A. tiger B. lion C. leopard D. wolf 5. I haven’t seen my old primary teacher in ______

years – I wonder how she has been. A. donkey’s B. monkey’s C. rooster’s D. pigeon’s

6. Just grab a green tea biscuit. It is ______.

A. on the house B. on the shelf C. off the record D. in public 7. I caught the last train

to my hometown by the skin of my ______.

A. arms B. neck C. nose D. teeth 8. All of these assignments have tired me out; let's

______ and grab some cold drinks. A. make up our mind B. call it a day

C. get back to the drawing board D. burn the midnight oil

9. The situations have been bad lately, Peter, but keep your ______ up; things will soon clear

up.
A. chin B. head C. nose D. mind 10. Those lipsticks are selling like ______ since many fans want

the products that their idols endorse.

A. burning pancakes B. fresh shrimp

C. hot cakes D. morning coffee

11. She hasn’t been in a traffic accident yet but she’s had a number of ______ shaves. A.

narrow B. small C. close D. low 12. My brother can’t keep his hands off the broom. He always

thinks his room is unclean – he really has ______ in his bonnet about it.

A. a butterfly B. a bee C. a fly D. an ant 13. My father has a quick temper and

easily ______ off the handle.

A. walks B. rockets C. runs D. flies 14. I was about to go to the concerts in Seoul all by myself,

but at the last minute I ______and decided to stay home.

A. pulled my finger out B. got cold feet

C. hit the roof D. paid through the nose

15. Since he started his own business he has been making money hand over

______. A. fist B. heel C. arm D. leg 16. My English is progressing by ______.

A. odds and ends B. ends and odds

C. leaps and bounds D. bounds and leaps

17. Please don’t______ it amiss if I make a few suggestions for improvement. A. assume B.

judge C. think D. take 18. For the first time, the young scientist was given the award ______ for

her work with animals.

A. on recognition for B. in recognition with

C. in recognition for D. in recognition of

19. His flat looks so ______ that it is difficult to believe he just had a party last night.
A. safe and sound B. sick and tired

C. spick and span D. by and large

20. I’m not surprised that Tom is ill. He’s been _____ for a long time. It was bound to affect his

health sooner or later.

A. having his cake and eating it B. burning the candle at both ends C. playing

with fire D. going to town

21. Just ______, Bill! Let’s think about this for a moment before making up your

mind. A. pulled your finger out B. got cold feet

C. held your horses D. called it a day

22. I didn’t suspect anything at first, but when I noticed her going through the office drawers I

began to smell a ______.

A. rat B. pig C. thief D. culprit 23. When Sarah walked into the room and greeted everyone with

a cheery ‘’hello’’, it seemed as if all the gloom in that place was______.

A. vanished B. ejected C. driven out D. expelled 24. Before she left for Australia she promised

her parents that she would drop them______ at least once a month.

A. a note B. a word C. the news D. a line 25. “What I’ve got to say to you now is

strictly______ and most certainly not for publication,” said the government official to

the reporter.

A. beside the point B. for the time being

C. by the way D. off the record

26. The President visited the area to see the devastation ______.

A. on first hand B. at first hand

C. on first hands D. at first hands

27.A good stereo system doesn't have to cost ______ and ______. You can

find one for a reasonable price.

A. an arm - a leg B. a hand - a leg

C. a finger - a toe D. a hand - a foot

28. Without written evidence, we don't have a ______ on.

A. leg to stand B. foot to stand

C. leg to lean D. foot to lean

29.Living by the ocean really ______ your ______. Once you've lived there, you never want to

leave.

A. came in - heart B. get in - blood

C. get in - heart D. came in - blood

30.______, Carlos is very punctual, but he was late tonight.

A. For a rule B. Like a rule C. As a rule D. For a rule of thump 31. Their team won the game, but

they ______ dominated it. It was a very close game. A. at no means B. by not means

C. not with any means D. by no means

32. I was taking a quiet walk last night when, ______, there was a loud explosion. A.

all in all B. all at once C. suddenly at once D. once at all 33. We'll start very soon. Roll

up your ______.

A. sleeves B. hands C. pants D. shirt 34.Prevention is better than ______.

A. treatment B. pills C. cure D. doctors 35. Everything could be done by ______.

A. a nod and bow B. a nod

and wink C. a wink and a nod D. a

nod and a wink

36. These workers are at the ______ of the economic ______.

A. line - heap B. heap - bottom

C. bottom - heap D. heap - line

37. Tickets are available on a first-come, ______ basis.

A. first got B. early served C. first-served D. early got
38. It does my ______ to see the old place being taken care of so well.

A. heart well B. heart good C. head well D. head good 39. Just take one job and do

your best. Don't be a jack ______.

A. for all trades B. of all tracks C. of all trades D. for all jobs 40. I don't have much cash

______, but I can get some from an automatic teller machine. A. in hand B. on hand C.

into hand D. underhand 41. "I like that painting you bought. Did it cost much?" "No, the

artist sold it to me for ______."

A. close to nothing B. next to anything

C. next to nothing D. anything next

42. "When will you be informed of the test results?" "Not until Monday, so I'll be

______ all weekend."

A. at needles and pins B. on pins and needles

C. on needles and pins D. at pins and needles

43. "What's Peter's cousin's name?" "It's on the tip of my ______, but I can't quite

remember."

A. mouth B. lips C. tongue D. memory 44. What a confusing story! I can't make

______ of it.

A. sense B. meaning C. logic D. understanding 45. Many rare and precious species are now

______ on the verge of extinction. A. in B. on C. from D. by 46. The overall aim of the book is

to help bridge the gap between theory and practice, particularly in language teaching.

The phrase “bridge the gap” is closest in meaning to ______.

A. minimize the limitations B. construct a bridge

C. reduce the differences D. increase the

understanding
47. I don’t like a few things about my job, but______ it is quite enjoyable.
A. by and large B. by mistake C. sooner or later D. what is more 48. It is______ for us to

do anything about the chaotic traffic.

A. out of date B. without delay C. out of the question D. out of order 49. I just couldn’t

remember her name even though it was on the______ of my tongue. A. edge B. tip C.

top D. front 50. When you do something, you should______.

A. get through to it B. turn over a new leaf

C. weigh up the pros and cons D. go down well with

51. I realized______ that he was a thief.

A. sooner or later B. all along C. at the beginning D. eventually 52. Even if you are rich,

you should save some money for a ______ day.

A. windy B. stormy C. rainy D. cloudy 53. I do wish you’d stop biting your nails,

John. It really______.

A. lets me down B. tells me off

C. gets me down D. gets on my nerves

54. My father ______when he found out that I’d damaged the car.

A. hit the roof B. saw pink elephants

C. made my blood boil D. brought the house down

55. I really must go and lie down for a while; I’ve gone a ______ headache. A. cutting

B. cracking C. exploding D. splitting 56. Stop______ about the bush, John! Just tell

me exactly what the problem is. A. beating B. rushing C. hiding D. coming 57. We

spent the entire day looking for a new apartment.

The phrase “the entire day” is closest in meaning to ______.

A. all day long B. the long day C. all long day D. day after day 58. I was already fed up with the
job, but when the boss walked into my office and told me he expected me to work overtime

that was the______.

A. final curtain B. last straw C. end of the line D. last waltz 59. Li has______; he

loves cakes, chocolates, ice-cream-anything which is sweet. A. a sweet mouth

B. sweet lips

C. a sweet tongue D. a sweet tooth

60. I accidentally______ Mike when I was crossing a street downtown

yesterday. A. kept an eye on B. lost touch with

C. paid attention to D. caught sight of

61. If you want a flat in the center of the city you have to pay through the______ for it. A. teeth

B. back of your head C. nose D. arm 62. Those smartphones are selling like_____. If you want

one, you’d better buy one now before they’re all gone.

A. shooting stars B. fresh bread

C. hot cakes D. wild oats

63. She was so frightened that she was shaking like ______.

A. a leaf B. the wind C. a flag D. jelly 64. Peter was born and brought up in

Hastings and knows it like the _____. A. nose on his face B. tip of the

tongue

C. back of his hand D. hair on his head

65. What’s wrong with you today? Did you get out of bed on the wrong ______? A. end B. foot

C. side D. edge 66. “What’s wrong with Tom today? He’s unusually quiet,” “He’s got

something on his ______. I expect”.

A. brain B. mind C. thoughts D. brow 67. He was wearing very shabby,

dirty clothes and looked very______.

A. easy-going B. down to earth C. out of shape D. down at heel 68. Since he

started his own business he has been making money hand over______. A. fist B.

heel C. head D. palm 69. I can’t see us beating them at tennis this year- we’re so

out of______.

A. step B. practice C. fitness D. breath 70. It finally _________ home to me that it was

time to buy a place of my own. A. arrived B. came C. hit D. reached 71. Don’t try to

bite off more than you can ______ I am afraid you are not so talented. A. take B.

swallow C. hold D. chew 72. I am trying to ________ for the sundial in the back

garden.

A. make allowance for B. make up

C. put up D. make room

73. Christy’s father could not afford to send him to school because he

was_________. A. in high spirit B. at loss

C. on approval D. in debt

74. The worried man walked _______ in the corridor waiting for the

announcement. A. back and fro B. to and forth

C. to and fro D. to and back

74. __________ wait for no man.

A. Tide and fire B. Time and tide

C. Time and fire D. Tide and time

75. Peter was born and brought up in Hasting and he knows it like the

___________. A. nose on his face B. tip of his

tongue C. back of his hand

D. hair on his head

76. Do I have to _____________ my age?

A. do B. follow C. act D. see 77. A journalist is ______ on a politician in order to

damage the politician’s image. A. digging his own grave B. digging up dirt

C. digging up out of the earth D. digging it out

78. Nothing __________ the ordinary ever happens here.

A. out of B. within C. from D. about

79. An accident of this magnitude could easily bring the factory’s production to a

___________. A. halt B. quit C. stay D. block

80. The company can’t expect me to move my home and family at the drop of

______. A. blood B. a water C. rain D. at hat 81. He longs ___________ to see his

family again.

A. above all B. all of a sudden C. as a rule D. all at once 82. What’s wrong with

you today? Did you get out of bed on the wrong ________? A. edge B. foot C. side

D. end 83. The issue is still ___________ discussion?

A. in B. on C. under D. for 84. I applied for the job ___________ on the off chance, but I did

not seriously expect to get it. A. with B. on C. by D. for 85. After their argument, John didn’t

know if Rick was a friend or a ___________ A. friend B. rival C. blood D. foe 86. We’re

___________ if we continue with genetic modification of our food. A. playing out of our skin

B. playing with fire

C. playing over D. adding fuel to the fire

87. Sitting uncomfortably among many people he didn’t know, Joe was

like___________. A. water off a duck’s back B. a fish out of water

C. a duck to water D. water under the bridge

88. They agreed to the changes ___________ that they would be introduced
gradually. A. with the conditions B. by the comprehension

C. for the interpretation D. on the understanding

89. Losing my job was a ___________. I never would have found this one if it hadn’t

happened. A. bleeding heart B. breath of fresh air

C. blessing in disguise D. bone to pick with

90. William is an authority ___________ medieval tapestries.

A. on B. with C. about D. in

91. I don’t like turning down work, but I’ll have to, I’m afraid I’ve got far too much ___________

at the moment.

A. on my plate B. in effect

C. on my mind D. up my sleeves

92. Unemployment threat has been ___________ for a while now.

A. daunting on the lookout B. intimidating on the air

C. overwhelming on the wing D. looming on the horizon

93. We may win, we may lose – it’s just the luck of the ___________.

A. draw B. odd C. fate D. chance 94. I’ve been doing my best to reduce the backlog, but I must

admit that I’ve hardly put ___________ in the problem so far.

A. a foot B. a dent C. a brave face D. damper 95. The police are ___________

certain who the culprit is.

A. in some ways B. here and there

C. more or less D. by and by

96. Luggage may be placed here ___________ at the owner’s risk.

A. at B. by C. under D. with 97. Mr. Nixon refused to answer the questions on the ___________

that the matter was confidential.

A. reasons B. excuses C. grounds D. foundations 98. Joe was shocked when I disagreed with
her. She’s so used to getting her own ___________. A. mind B. way C. opinion D. views 99. We

need to discuss the ___________ and bolts of the proposal before going any further. A.

component B. nuts C. summary D. details 100. When I got my case back, it had been

damaged ___________ repair. A. over B. further C. above D. beyond