1.
Even though Rachel had never managed a team before, she decided to throw her hat into the ring and apply for the department head position.
What does “throw her hat into the ring” mean?
A) Give up on a challenge
B) Enter a competition or take on a challenge
C) Criticize someone in public
2.
After weeks of tension, Mark’s apology finally broke the ice, and the group began talking more comfortably.
What does “broke the ice” mean?
A) Ended a relationship
B) Started a fight
C) Reduced tension and started conversation
3.
When the software update caused a glitch during the presentation, Dana stayed calm. “No need to panic,” she said. “We’ll just roll with the punches.”
What does “roll with the punches” mean?
A) Respond flexibly and adapt to difficulties
B) Fight back aggressively
C) Avoid conflict entirely
4.
Tom didn’t want to get involved in the office politics, so he kept his head down and focused on his work.
What does “kept his head down” mean?
A) Hid because he was afraid
B) Avoided attention and stayed out of trouble
C) Slept during work hours
.
5.
Sophie had prepared thoroughly, but when she saw the crowd, her mind went blank and she forgot everything she was going to say.
What does “her mind went blank” mean?
A) She lost interest in the topic
B) She became confused and silent
C) She forgot what she had planned to say
6.
Their manager said the proposal looked good on paper, but she wasn’t convinced it would work in practice.
What does “on paper” mean?
A) It was only written in a notebook
B) It appeared ideal in theory
C) It was badly designed
7.
Jake’s parents wanted him to study medicine, but he chose to follow in his own footsteps and become a musician.
What does “follow in his own footsteps” mean?
A) Do what his family wanted
B) Repeat past mistakes
C) Choose his own path
8.
Karen had a hard time trusting new coworkers—she’d been burned too many times before.
What does “burned” mean here?
A) Literally injured by fire
B) Betrayed or hurt emotionally
C) Fired from a job
9.
Everything was going smoothly until the supplier backed out, and the entire project hit a wall.
What does “hit a wall” mean?
A) Had an accident
B) Reached a sudden and major obstacle
C) Ran out of ideas
10.
The new employee asked so many questions that it started to rub people the wrong way.
What does “rub people the wrong way” mean?
A) Annoy or irritate others
B) Clean something incorrectly
C) Impress people with enthusiasm
11.
Even though Linda didn’t know how to fix the system, she took a stab at it and surprisingly made it work.
What does “took a stab at it” mean?
A) Gave up quickly
B) Attacked it out of frustration
C) Made an attempt
12.
The team had been arguing for hours, but Maya’s suggestion cut through the noise and brought everyone back on track.
What does “cut through the noise” mean?
A) Silenced everyone
B) Introduced a clear, helpful idea amid confusion
C) Played loud music
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