Answers

Karaoke Korner

Idioms and definitions

1. take the biscuit = b. to be the most sur prising, annoying, etc. thing that has happened or that somebody has done
2. can�t take somebody anywhere = a. you cannot trust somebody to behave well in public
3. have (got) what it takes = e. to have the qualities, ability, etc. needed to be successful
4. take it from me (that ...) = d. used to emphasise that what you are going to say is probably the truth
5. take it or leave it = c. used to say that you do not care if somebody accepts or rejects your offer

Sentences

1. �I don�t believe you did that! You really take the biscuit.�
2. �You always make a mess. I can�t take you anywhere.�
3. �You�re going to be a football hero. You�ve got what it takes.�
4. �Take it from me, Arsenal are going to win the Premier League this year.�
5. �You can take it or leave it � that�s all I�m going to give you.�

University Tips

1. b.
2. a. (While b may seem like an option, it�s unlikely that the move will create the largest (i.e. the world�s largest) radio network operator.
3. d.
4. b.
5. b.
6. a.
7. Genetically modified organism.
8. World Trade Organisation.
9. United Nations.
10. European Union.
11. Personal Computer.
12. Advertisement.
13. United Kingdom.
14. Major General.
15. Grade point average.
16. Decibel(s).
17. c.
18. c.
19. b.
20. a.
21-32. The actual order of events is: d. b. a. c. e. g. h. g. f. l. k. j. i.
33-38. Note: There is half a point for each correct answer; therefore, the maximum number of points for this section is six.
Pleasant sounds: whisper, hum, murmur, sigh, melody, harmony.
Unpleasant sounds: racket, crash, bang, boom, discord, dissonance.
39-45. Note: There is half a point for each correct answer, therefore the maximum number of points for this section is seven.
Positive feelings: calm, clean (idiomatic meaning), smart, impressed.
Negative feelings: distraught, colourful (idiomatic meaning), upset, dehumanising, toxic, cunning, depressed, timid, frustrated, dismayed.
46. Mary can barely read Thai. It took her a long time to figure out how to read the tax form.
47. James didn�t want to say that he has slept late so he made up an excuse.
48. Mr Roberts only turns on the air-conditioning when it gets too hot and humid.
49. When the bus company discontinued the Primrose Hill route, many shops closed down due to lack of custom.
50. When he strained his ankle, Mark pulled out of the race.

Score

45-50: You�re an English expert.
38-44: Well done, but not quite there yet.
30-37: Not too bad, but you could do better.
25-29: Hey, Mr or Mrs Average: try harder.
20-29: Were you guessing? Be honest, now.
0-19: Ever thought about learning Japanese?

Exercises

1. The animals are a fox, a deer and a rabbit (from left to right). An alternative to rabbit is hare, which looks similar.

2. The word is symbol and it is defined as a person, an object, an event, etc. that represents a more general quality or situation. A sentence with this word might be: The elephant is a national symbol of Thailand.

3. In the picture, we can see a big clock tower, a bridge and some old buildings. In fact, the clock is Big Ben and the buildings are the English Houses of Parliament � the photograph was taken in London.

Exercise 2

This is the correct order of the words: launch, brand, popularity, capital, formula, catalogue

Conversation

Yeah, right. This is being used sarcastically. This common English-language expression actually means you generally disagree with what the person says because they are contradicting themselves or saying something unbelievable.

Right. This is a word that agrees with what was said before. It�s a contraction of �You�re right� or �Alright.�

Alright, yeah. Look at the rest of this sentence. Joe is using this expression to say �OK, you�re right, but I don�t care � I�m right.� He then gives reasons for his feelings.

Alright? Used like this, the word is used to create a rhetorical question (i.e. a question for which an answer isn�t expected). It emphasises and adds weight to the opinion being expressed.