English MCQs – Page 80 (Q791-800)

The correct answer is 'To start planning again from the beginning' because this idiom describes abandoning a failed plan or design and starting the entire planning process over from scratch. The phrase gained popularity partly through a famous World War II-era cartoon depicting an engineer walking away from a crashed airplane design, remarking that it was time to return to the drawing board, a humorous but relatable image of scrapping a failed plan that has since become a standard expression for restarting a project.

The correct answer is 'To rain very heavily' because this idiom describes an intense downpour of rain. Though its precise origin remains uncertain and debated among etymologists, theories range from Norse mythology, where cats were associated with storms and dogs with wind, to old English drainage systems where heavy rains would wash dead animals into the streets, creating the vivid, if unsettling, impression that animals were literally falling from the sky during severe storms.

The correct answer is 'To risk everything on a single plan' because this idiom warns against concentrating all one's resources, effort, or hope into a single venture, since failure of that one plan would then result in total loss. The image draws on the literal risk of carrying all one's eggs in a single basket, where dropping that one basket would destroy the entire supply at once, a vivid caution against a lack of diversification that applies equally to financial investments, business strategies, and life decisions.

The correct answer is 'To destroy a relationship permanently' because this idiom describes taking an action that makes reconciliation or future cooperation impossible, severing ties beyond repair. The phrase draws on the historical military strategy of an advancing army burning the bridges behind it, deliberately eliminating any possibility of retreat and forcing complete commitment to moving forward, a decisive, irreversible action that became a metaphor for permanently ending a relationship or connection.

The correct answer is 'Being cautious after a bad experience' because this idiom describes the natural tendency to become wary or hesitant about repeating an action or trusting a situation after having been previously hurt or disappointed by it. The phrase's structure, pairing an initial negative experience, 'once bitten', with a resulting caution, 'twice shy', captures a widely recognized pattern of learned wariness following an unpleasant lesson, applicable to relationships, investments, and decision-making generally.

The correct answer is 'To try every possible way to achieve something' because this idiom describes making an exceptionally thorough and exhaustive effort, exploring every available option without exception. The phrase traces back to an ancient Greek legend in which an oracle advised a general to 'move every stone' in order to locate a hidden treasure after a battle, a literal instruction for thoroughness that evolved into the modern figurative expression for leaving no possibility unexplored.

The correct answer is 'To stop working on something for the time being' because this idiom describes deciding to end work for the day, often used when a task is not fully finished but a natural pause is being taken. The phrase suggests a deliberate, voluntary decision to conclude the current session of work, distinct from finishing a task entirely, making it a common expression in workplace and study contexts for signaling a temporary rather than permanent stopping point.

The correct answer is 'To summarize briefly' because this phrase is used to signal that a speaker is skipping over lengthy or unnecessary details and moving directly to the essential conclusion or main point of a story. It is commonly used as a conversational transition, often literally at the point where a speaker chooses to condense a potentially lengthy narrative into its key takeaway, distinct from the distractor options describing detailed storytelling, exaggeration, or complete avoidance of the story.

The correct answer is 'To show insincere grief' because this idiom describes displaying a false or exaggerated show of sadness or sympathy that does not reflect genuine feeling. The phrase draws on an ancient and enduring myth, dating back to medieval bestiaries, claiming that crocodiles shed tears while devouring their prey, a striking image of false sorrow accompanying a predatory act that became a lasting metaphor for hypocritical or manipulative displays of emotion.

The correct answer is 'To have a complaint to discuss with someone' because this idiom describes wanting to address a grievance or disagreement directly with the person responsible for it. The phrase draws on the image of a dog persistently gnawing at a bone, requiring focused, sometimes prolonged effort to fully address, a metaphor for an unresolved issue that requires direct, dedicated attention and discussion between the parties involved before it can be properly settled.