Idioms in Context I (adapted from E Reading Worksheets)

Cassie bent over backwards to entertain her nieces, taking them to the zoo, the mall, and the movies.

The underlined expression means that Cassie was -

• doing all she could to entertain her nieces

• tired of entertaining her nieces

• showing her nieces some gymnastic moves

Bobby would have played ball until the cows came home if it Suzie hadn't dragged him home for dinner.

The underlined expression means that Bobby -

• was not hungry

• was grateful to Suzie for calling him to dinner

• would have played on and on if not for Suzie

Mr. Hall wanted to add a comment about Mike's disrespectful remarks, but didn’t want to open a whole new can of worms.

The underlined expression means that Mr. Hall didn't want to -

• embarrass Mike

• get caught up in an argument

• punish Mike

Even though Candace had hated her job, she worked very hard after giving two week's notice because she didn’t want to burn any bridges.

The underlined expression means that Candace didn't want to -

• ruin any relationships

• leave her old job

• tell anyone she was leaving

Erick's disappointment was hardly noticeable because he always kept a stiff upper lip.

The underlined expression means that Erick -

• remained determined

• kept from crying

• never revealed his feelings

Some of the pre-honors students were determined to jump ship after seeing their scores on the math DAs.

The underlined expression means that some of the students -

• wanted to retest

• determined to try harder

• wanted to leave pre-honors

After Ms. Smith caught Darnisha chewing gum for the third time, she scheduled a conference with Darnisha’s mother. When Darnisha’s mother arrived chewing gum, Ms. Smith thought to herself, “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

The underlined expression means that Darnisha -

• looked just like her mom

• behaved like her mom

• did not get along with her mom

It was Brad who damaged his moms vacuum cleaner when she was away. Now he's trying to sweep it under the rug.

The underlined expression means that Brad is -

• trying to hide his guilt

• using a broom to hide the broken parts

• trying to get up the nerve to tell his mom

Mr. Jones told the students that they had all cheated and would receive zeroes on their projects. Some students were afraid; others knew his bark was worse than his bite.

The underlined expression means that Mr. Jones -

• rarely got mad at his students

• always maintained order in his classroom

• rarely followed through with his treats

Even though Sara is popular and can buy anything she wants, you would never want to be in her shoes.

The underlined expression lets the reader know that -

• Sara has money, but poor taste in clothes.

• You would think Sara's life is great, but you really wouldn't want to experience it.

• Sara acts like she's nice, but really thinks she's better than anyone.