Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) — All Questions
5 questions
The report was merely the ___ of the iceberg; the real problems ran far deeper.
- a.peak
- b.tip✓
- c.top
- d.edge
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.break
- c.turn
- 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.foregone✓
- b.forward
- c.former
- d.forgone
'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.hiding
- b.secret
- c.disguise✓
- d.cover
'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.deep
- b.thorough✓
- c.strong
- d.wide
'A thorough examination' collocates naturally to mean complete and careful. 'Deep' and 'strong' do not collocate idiomatically with 'examination'.