Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) — All Questions

The report was merely the ___ of the iceberg; the real problems ran far deeper.

• a.peak
• b.tip✓
• c.edge
• d.top

The idiom is 'the tip of the iceberg', meaning a small visible part of a much larger problem. Only 'tip' completes the fixed expression.

To meet the budget, some suppliers were tempted to ___ corners on safety.

• a.cut down
• b.turn
• c.break
• d.cut✓

'Cut corners' means to do something cheaply or carelessly, omitting proper steps. The idiom uses 'cut', not 'cut down' or 'break'.

Given the team's form, their victory was almost a ___ conclusion.

• a.forgone
• b.former
• c.foregone✓
• d.forward

'A foregone conclusion' is a result that is obvious in advance. The correct spelling and word is 'foregone' (note: not 'forgone').

Losing that job turned out to be a blessing in ___.

• a.cover
• b.secret
• c.hiding
• d.disguise✓

'A blessing in disguise' describes something that seems bad but proves beneficial. The fixed noun is 'disguise'.

The auditors carried out a ___ examination of every transaction.

• a.thorough✓
• b.deep
• c.wide
• d.strong

'A thorough examination' collocates naturally to mean complete and careful. 'Deep' and 'strong' do not collocate idiomatically with 'examination'.