The new policy only seemed to 'add fuel to the fire' of the existing employee discontent. What does this mean?

• A. To provide energy and motivation to a team
• B. To make a bad situation considerably worse (Answer)
• C. To bring warmth and comfort in a difficult time
• D. To create unnecessary bureaucracy

'Add fuel to the fire' means to make an already bad situation worse by introducing something that increases tension. Options A and C use 'fire' positively, which is a trap. Option D is unrelated.

The renovation of the heritage building 'cost a pretty penny'. What does this expression mean?

• A. The project earned a small profit
• B. The project required a very large sum of money (Answer)
• C. The final result was aesthetically beautiful
• D. The project was funded by government grants

'Cost a pretty penny' means to be very expensive. 'Pretty' here is used as an intensifier (quite a lot), not to describe appearance. Options A and D are financial but incorrect in meaning.

The company had repeatedly 'cried wolf' about impending layoffs, so employees no longer took the warnings seriously. What does this idiom mean?

• A. To issue genuine warnings about serious threats
• B. To raise false alarms so frequently that real warnings are disbelieved (Answer)
• C. To frighten employees into working harder
• D. To blame others for one's own mistakes

From Aesop's fable of the boy who cried wolf, the idiom means to give so many false alarms that people stop believing real warnings. Option A is the opposite. Option D (blame others) is unrelated.

Her repeated requests for better safety equipment 'fell on deaf ears'. What does this mean?

• A. Her requests were heard but considered too expensive
• B. Her requests were completely ignored (Answer)
• C. Her requests were delayed due to administrative processes
• D. Her requests were misunderstood by management

'Fall on deaf ears' means a plea or appeal is entirely ignored — as if the listener is deaf. Option A implies hearing but rejecting due to cost. Option C implies delay, not ignorance. Option D implies misunderstanding, not deliberate neglect.

After years of treating his colleagues dismissively, he finally 'got a taste of his own medicine' when the new director treated him the same way. What does this mean?

• A. To receive the same unpleasant treatment one has given to others (Answer)
• B. To be forced to take medicine by a doctor
• C. To learn a lesson from a professional mentor
• D. To experience a difficult personal challenge

'A taste of your own medicine' means experiencing the same negative treatment you have inflicted on others. Options B and C use 'medicine' and 'lesson' literally or semi-literally.

After the argument, she 'gave him the cold shoulder' every time he tried to speak to her. What does this idiom mean?

• A. To offer someone a helping hand in a difficult situation
• B. To deliberately ignore and show indifference towards someone (Answer)
• C. To greet someone with a cold and formal handshake
• D. To criticise someone harshly in public

'Give the cold shoulder' means to deliberately snub or ignore someone. Option C exploits 'cold' and physical greeting. Option D (public criticism) is an active attack, unlike the passive withdrawal the idiom describes.

After the product launch failed completely, the R&D team had to 'go back to the drawing board'. What does this mean?

• A. To resume artistic work after a break
• B. To start the planning process over from the very beginning (Answer)
• C. To seek approval from senior management
• D. To document the reasons for failure

'Go back to the drawing board' means to abandon the current plan and start again from scratch. Option D (documentation) is a post-mortem task, not a restart. Option C involves seeking approval, not restarting.

Despite the setbacks in the first quarter, the CEO encouraged the team to 'hang in there'. What advice does this convey?

• A. To wait patiently for external conditions to improve
• B. To resign and look for better opportunities
• C. To persist and not give up despite difficulties (Answer)
• D. To delegate work to capable team members

'Hang in there' is an encouragement to persevere through a tough situation. Option A (wait for external change) is passive; the idiom encourages active endurance. Option B is the opposite.

Rohan was 'head over heels' in love with his new colleague from the first day they met. What does this idiom express?

• A. To be confused and disoriented by a new experience
• B. To be deeply, completely in love or excited about something (Answer)
• C. To be embarrassed by a social blunder
• D. To fall and injure oneself accidentally

'Head over heels' means to be completely overwhelmed by an emotion, especially love. Originally 'heels over head' (meaning topsy-turvy), it evolved to express total emotional immersion. Option D exploits the literal falling imagery.

With exams a week away, Divya decided it was time to 'hit the books'. What does this expression mean?

• A. To buy new textbooks from the store
• B. To study intensively and diligently (Answer)
• C. To submit completed assignments
• D. To return library books before the deadline

'Hit the books' means to begin studying seriously. 'Hit' here implies striking with effort and energy, not violence. Options A, C, and D all involve books in literal but incorrect ways.