Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) — All Questions
4 questions
He achieved rapid promotion, but ___ the expense of his health.
- a.on
- b.in
- c.at✓
- d.to
The fixed phrase is 'at the expense of', meaning something is sacrificed for something else. No other preposition is used in this idiom.
New regulations were introduced ___ the wake of the scandal.
- a.in✓
- b.on
- c.by
- d.at
'In the wake of' means following or as a result of an event. The preposition is fixed as 'in'.
The company was ___ the verge of bankruptcy before the rescue deal.
- a.near
- b.in
- c.on✓
- d.at
'On the verge of' means very close to (usually something negative). The idiom fixes the preposition as 'on'.
Her early novels show ___ remarkable understanding of human nature.
- a.an
- b.the
- c.some
- d.a✓
When an abstract noun like 'understanding' is modified and countable in this sense, it takes the indefinite article: 'a remarkable understanding'. The adjective begins with a consonant sound, so 'a', not 'an'.