VC: T48

I goofed off for the first two years of college, but I turned into a real _____ once I realized the importance of my academic performance.

• study animal

• eager beaver

• war horse

• sly dog

Answer explanation

STUDY ANIMAL: so -> studies very hard / often

EAGER BEAVER: a person who is willing to work very hard

WAR HORSE: an old and experienced politician, soldier, or athlete, esp one -> still active

I know you really want the promotion, but telling the boss about my personal problems was _____.

• under thumb

• below par

• below the belt

• under the hatches

Answer explanation

BELOW THE BELT: (of a remark) unfair & cruel

UNDER SO's THUMB: under someone's control

BELOW BAR: worse than usual, or below the expected standard >< ABOVE PAR

Don’t worry, I am confident that Annie will manage to solve the quiz soon, she is as sharp as _____.

• a knife

• a blaze

• a blade

• a tack

Answer explanation

AS SHARP AS A TACK: very witty, mentally acute

Kids, please hold your _____, let’s sing the birthday song before we start eating the cake!

• horses

• brake

• tongue

• tatters

Answer explanation

HOLD YOUR HORSES: be calm and patient

If you desire some practical lessons before your start-up, there are clear _____ to be drawn from the failure of these companies.

• cheeks

• chapters

• morals

• policies

Answer explanation

MORAL: a practical lessons -> a story, event, experience teaches u

His reasoning is based on the _____ that humans are innately good, which reflects his belief in Mencius.

• inception

• surmise

• conjecture

• premise

Answer explanation

PREMISE: a statement/ idea -> forms the basis for a reasonable line of argument

CONJECTURE: a guess about st based on how it seems and not on proof

SURMISE: a guess (formal)

INCEPTION: the beginning of an organization or official activity

Although the matter was outside my _____ of responsibility, I still lent her a helping hand.

• orbit

• bound

• hall

• sphere

Answer explanation

SPHERE: an area of activity, influence or interest; a particular section of society

Although he was a talented artist, he lived a life _____ with financial worries.

• clasped

• beseeched

• pestered

• beset

Answer explanation

BESET (adj): having a lot of trouble with st, or having to deal with a lot of st that causes problems

PESTER: behave in an annoying manner towards so by doing or asking for st repeatedly

BESEECH: ask for st in a way that shows you need it very much

When Tony came in class with his ridiculous costume, he was greeted with _____ of laughter

• clap

• blasts

• gales

• rounds

Answer explanation

GALE(s) OF LAUGHTER: the sound of ppl laughing very loudly

While everybody else all  _____ or the Shang-Shi premiere, director Chloe Zhao dressed casually in jeans and a loose-fitting top as if she was just dropping by.

• bucked up

• blazed up

• bobbed up

• gussied up

Answer explanation

GUSSY UP: dress urself attractively; make sb/st > attractive, esp in a showy way

BUCK so/st UP: become happier or more positive or to make so happier or more positive