Người soạn

Trần Mạnh Cường Nam Định Câu 1-8

Nguyễn Thị Thanh Hòa Nam Định Câu 9-12

Hoàng Khánh Chi 0987592045 - Hà Tĩnh Câu 13 – 22

Võ Tuyết Thành 0972242929 - Đăk Nông Câu 23 – 27

Lê Thị Thanh Thụy An Giang 28, 29, 34-

36

Huỳnh Thị Tho An Giang 30-33

Trần Thị Thu Phương Ninh Bình 37-44

Đào Thị Ngân Bắc Giang 45-48

Nguyễn Thị Thanh THPT Bình Sơn- Vĩnh Phúc 49-53

Phương
Nguyễn Chí Hiền Trường THPT Thị Xã Quảng Trị, tỉnh Quảng 54-58
Trị
Phạm Thị Hải Yến 0988907375-Thái Nguyên 59-63
Nguyễn Thị Thúy 0972448303 – Vũng Tàu 64-68
Nguyễn Hữu Hoàng Khánh Hòa 69-73

Trần Thị Thu Hiền Thanh Hóa 74-78

Nguyễn Thị Thùy Linh THPT Lê Hồng Phong - Quảng Nam 79-83

Mai Hồng Ngọc THPT chuyên Nguyễn Quang Diêu - Đồng Tháp 84-88

Last edited:
Joong Thanh (1-40)
- Based on the feedback from Group 6 ‘Advanced Meaning’ and the editor’s perspective
- Changes are highlighted.
Nguyễn Chí Hiền (41 - 60)
Nguyễn Thị Kim Khoa (61-85)

Sample question: Don’t worry, class. Solving this maths problem is by no means a _______
order. A. deep B. high C. large D. tall
- B, C, and D can go with ‘order’ in terms of collocation, but only D has the idiomatic meaning
that fits in this context.
- A doesn’t complete the idiom and doesn’t make sense in this context.
- Options are not necessarily all synonyms, though some options can be similar in meaning (e.g.
B and D) (where relevant).

II. IDIOMS
 Mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of
the following questions.
1. This puzzle is not easy to solve. It’s a _______ nut to crack.
a. A. hard B. stiff C. crunchy D. crispy
2. Abortion is a political _______ potato in many parts of the world.
a. A. baked B. hot C. couch D. mashed
3. I can’t help you right now – I have bigger _______ to fry.
a. A. crab B. shrimp C. fish D. squid
4. I am in a _______ pickle. I’ve forgotten my password and can’t access my Facebook
account now.
a. A. nice B. fresh C. sour D. salty
5. Things have changed a lot around here, John! Wake up and smell the _______ before it’s
too late!
a. A. tea B. rat C. food D. coffee
6. Our teacher was a little woman, but she was one _______ cookie!
a. A. tough B. crispy C. fortune D. chewy
7. I just went _______ when she told me Peter had lied to me.
a. A. oranges B. lemons C. bananas D. tomatoes
8. I wanted to talk with Morgan, but she gave me a _______ shoulder. Do you know what’s
wrong?
a. A. cold B. hard C. stiff D. frozen
9. Minh seems to be a(n) ______ egg because he often helps the poor and the elderly
around.
A. good B. raw C. easter D. fresh
10. To avoid getting arrested by the police, the thief threw a lot of ______ herrings.
A. blue B. red C. green D. pink
11. It can be a ______ shot due to his busy schedule, but we’ll try to convince him to join us.
A. wide-angle B. long-range C. zoom D. long
12. The service has been a cash ______ thanks to a huge number of international subscribers.
a. A. cow B. sheep C. goat D. horse
13. The company’s vice president received a $500,000 ______ handshake after being
pressured to leave his position.
a. A. firm B. golden C. brazen D. hearty
14. After hours of fierce negotiations, the president gained the ______ hand.
a. A. hot B. second C. upper D. first
15. Morrow was the ______ partner behind many of these successful ventures.
a. A. timid B. reserved C. quiet D. silent
16. I spoke to my ______ number in several local companies and we all agreed to join the
anti-pollution campaign.
a. A. odd B. opposite C. even D. lucky
17. A boy growing up without a ______ figure may be more dependent on other role models.
a. A. grandfather B. parent C. father D.
uncle
18. All the ______ blood between them was forgotten when they had to unite against the
enemy.
a. A. bad B. cold C. blue D. fresh
19. The salesman always fancied himself as the top ______ in the company.
a. A. dollar B. product C. secret D. banana
20. The food industry was given the ______ light to extend the use of these chemicals.
a. A. green B. black C. white D. red
21. He was a ______ duck for anyone who might seek to blackmail him.
a. A. lying B. standing C. sitting D. running
22. My homeroom teacher handles the problems that arise in my class with a(n) ______
touch.
a. A. light B. easy C. slight D. soft
23. Mr. Lam admitted he was stuck between a rock and ______ place when the firm was
restructured.
a. A. narrow B. hard C. rugged
D. cramped
24. The doctors gave him a _____ bill of health once he recovered from COVID-19.
a. A. clear B. empty C. clean D. blank
25. He hardly made any eye contact and I felt he was a bit of a ______ fish.
a. A. raw B. frozen C. cold D. fresh
26. Elderly people living alone are often ______ meat for tricksters.
a. A. tender B. lean C. free D. easy
27. If you don’t win a prize in an English speaking contest, don’t be sad. It’s no ______ deal.
A. good B. big C. fair D. great
28. During the COVID-19 outbreak, face masks sold like ______ cakes.
A. baked B. flaming C. steamed D. hot
29. The company is going bankrupt, so working for it now is a lost ______.
A. sight B. vision C. cause D. battle
30. Her fridge is always full of chocolates and cheese. She has really a(n) ______ tooth.
A. milk B. sweet C. decayed D. rotten
31. Mr. Brown is a ______ cheese in this factory, so everyone has to follow him.
A. big B. hard C. sharp D. strong
32. He is a liar. He often speaks with a ______ tongue and never keeps his promises.
A. forked B. silver C. mother D. sharp
33. Nobody can guess what Mark is going to do next. He’s always been a bit of a ______
card.
A. yellow B. wild C. secret D. red
34. I’m going on a ______ date with a guy, who is Jack’s college friend. Jack wants the guy
and me to develop a romantic relationship.
A. double B. play C. blind D. closing
35. He is a good writer, but he hasn’t really ever hit the ______ time.
A. big B. great C. prime D. peak
36. For some people, meditation is a good way of relaxing and catching forty ______.
A. dozes B. winks C. catnaps D. snoozes
37. Nick was a naughty little boy, but I couldn’t help having a ______ spot for him.
A. sweet B. blind C. trouble D. soft
38. I think there’s ______ blood in her family because her great grandmother was a princess.
A. white B. golden C. blue D. red
39. In the face of a violent liberation movement, they would probably have fought to the
______ end.
A. bitter B. dead C. extreme D. sharp
40. Stop complaining all the time. You sound like a ______ record.
A. cracked B. broken C. damaged D. smashed
41. Paula has really got green ______. Everything she plants in the garden seems to grow
beautifully.
A. palms B. fingers C. hands D. arms
42. COVID-19 vaccines made their way to the islands, but they are still in ______ supply.
A. slight B. little C. small D. short
43. Uncle Tony is the ______ sheep of the family. He’s been to prison three times.
A. black B. white C. brown D. grey
44. The head of sales said he would double our profits, so he had to eat ______ pie when he
told us they had fallen.
 A. wrong B. humble C. hot D. lowly
45. After retiring, Dereck and Joan spent their ______ years travelling the world.
A. sunlight B. moonlight C. twilight D. daylight
46. Fiona told me she doesn’t like my new scooter. I think it’s just ______ grapes.
A. ripe B. sour C. bitter D. spoiled
47. They are still suffering from nervous tension after their ______ escape last night.
a. A. narrow B. thin C. slim D.
slender
48. Although John knew it was a ______ shot, he still tried phoning her at home.
a. A. hot B. long C. brief D. high
49. Taylor is more of a ______ cannon - sometimes he'll fly into rages, cry uncontrollably,
engage in risky behaviour.
a. A. loose B. careless C. slack D. tight
50. Despite how troublesome he could be, the teacher had a ______ spot for Daniel.
a. A. soft B. smooth C. strong D. high
51. That seems to me rather a ______ story, but still it may be correct.
a. A. tall B. high C. large D. big
52. They think that the natural world was a/an ______ book to him as he can understand very
well.
a. A. open B. easy C. close D.
good
53. I'm in my mother’s ______ books at the moment because I got 10 marks in English.
A. valuable B. helpful C. useful D. good
54. It'll take a while to finalise the plans, but I think we're on the right ______ now.
a. A. way B. line C. track D. lane
55. The party was exciting and therefore I had a high ______ time.
a. A. previous B. old C. past D.
ancient
56. This company badly needs to bring in some ______ blood because they have to make
their products better.
a. A. good B. fresh C. open D. raw
57. Not a ______ achiever academically, he excelled at athletics and held the “Winner of the
Games”.
a. A. tall B. huge C. big D. high
58. The young film-makers were given ______ rein to experiment with new themes and
techniques.
a. A. free B. clear C. unpaid D. easy
59. Gold is often the most popular choice with silver a ______second.
a. A. quick B. fast C. close
D. short
60. As a parent, I knew that there was a _____line between panic and caution.
a. A. hard B. good C. tough D. fine
61. All our work has only led us up a _____alley.
a. A. closed B. right C. end
D. blind
62. The woman has had a _______ time of it since she lost her job.
A. quick B. small C. thin D. big
63. I’m sure that if your parents find out that you have played truant, you're _______meat.
A. rotten B. hot C. dead D. easy
64. I think it’s a ______chance of them letting us in without tickets.
A. huge B. small C. slim D. fat
65. She can’t just have vanished into _______air.
A. cold B. high C. thick D. big
66. She certainly does not step back from her belief that women get a _______deal.
A. sweet B. low C. hard D. raw
67. The manager has given the ______ shoulder to our proposal to buy a new company car. It
is so mean of him.
A. cold B. cool C. frozen D. broad
68. Peter may help you to get a good job at the company because he’s a ______ cheese there.
A. hard B. large C. small D. big
69. He is such a ______ cookie. He insists on meeting with the manager to talk about the
faults detected in the new product.
A. hard B. tough C. smart D. tight
70. Many of the ______ bloods in our town were invited to the royal wedding.
A. green B. new C. red D. blue
71. The minor mistakes he made were just ______ potatoes compared to what he had done
for the company.
A. cheap B. raw C. small D. clean
72. My parents have given John a ______ head with all the praise they heap on him for his
accomplishments.
A. cool B. big C. huge D. great
73. She hadn’t prepared well for the final exam last week – ______ wonder that she couldn’t
finish it.
A. small B. tiny C. chinless D. minor
74. What she says about her grandfather being a foreign prince sounds like a ______
story to me.
A. high B. top C. tall D. large
75. He's been put on ______ time with basic salary because business is so quiet due to
Covid-19 pandemic.
A. short B. long C. big D. slow
76. Tom said he didn't want the job anyway, but that's just ______ grapes. He really hoped to
get it.
A. sour B. sweet C. bitter D. tasty
77. My father can make any plant grow. He really has a ______ thumb.
A. brown B. yellow C. green D. orange
78. John got into ______ water when he let other people know Mary’s secret.
A. deep B. wonder C. cold D. hot
79. It’s not difficult for a ______ cookie like Tom to do this puzzle.
A. intelligent B. diligent C. tough D. smart
80. If you go on being absent from school without the teacher’s permission, you may be
walking on______ ice.
a. A. thick B. thin C. small D. pig
81. When something goes wrong, try to keep calm. Every cloud has a ______ lining.
A. bright B. silver C. golden D. pink
82. 100 early ______ will get some special gifts when buying our products.
A. birds B. bees C. grave D. bugs
83. Almost all parents are willing to pay ______dollar for their children’s education.
A. peak B. top C. grey D. big
84. Mary isn’t interested in using Facebook. She does sometimes update her status, but that’s
once in a ______ moon.
A. green B. red C. blue D. blood
85. Steve wasn’t chosen after the training program, and that was a ______ pill for him to
swallow.
A. sweet B. spicy C. chill D. bitter