to have no guts to do smth.
— to not have the courage or bravery to do something
My boss loves to give us _______ _______.
A) pep talks
B) sales pitches
C) brand new cars
Correct answer: A) pep talks
My boss loves to give us pep talks.
❌ B) sales pitches — "sales pitches" are about selling products, not motivating employees
❌ C) brand new cars — completely wrong — he gives talks, not cars
"It takes guts to do smth." means it's easy to do.
FALSE → "It takes guts to do smth." means it requires COURAGE, it's NOT easy.
Synonym for "to do your utmost"
to do your best, to try your hardest, to give it your all
You feel tired and sad. What phrase do you say to ask for encouragement?
"Perk me up!"
to give pep talks
— to give short, enthusiastic speeches to motivate or encourage people
I bought her a _______ _______ car.
A) bound to
B) brand new
C) tempting
Correct answer: B) brand new
I bought her a brand new car.
❌ A) bound to — "bound to" means certain to happen, not a type of car
❌ C) tempting — "tempting" means attractive/appealing, not used to describe a car this way
"To be in the loop" means to be out of touch with what's happening.
FALSE → "To be in the loop" means to be INFORMED and INCLUDED, NOT out of touch.
Opposite of "to give in"
to resist, to stand firm, to hold out, to not surrender
You want to say that something was inevitable. What phrase do you use?
"It was bound to happen."
to be in the loop
— to be included in a group of people who know about something; to be informed
Good behavior should be _______ .
A) perked up
B) reinforced
C) tempted
Correct answer: B) reinforced
Good behavior should be reinforced.
❌ A) perked up — "perked up" means cheered up, used for people, not behavior
❌ C) tempted — "tempted" means attracted to do something, doesn't fit with "behavior"
"Common interests bind us together" means they separate us
FALSE → "Common interests bind us together" means they CONNECT us, NOT separate us.
Synonym for "to arouse curiosity"
to spark interest, to pique curiosity, to intrigue
Someone is trying to make you do something wrong. What do you say to show you won't give in?
"I will not give in!" or "I won't succumb to temptation!"
to succumb to temptation
— to give in to the desire to do something, especially something bad
She _______ _______ our team.
A) bound together
B) pepped up
C) gave in
Correct answer: B) pepped up
She pepped up our team.
❌ A) bound together — "bound together" means connected, but doesn't fit with "our team" in this context
❌ C) gave in — "gave in" means surrendered, not motivational
"To resist the temptation" means to give in to it.
FALSE → "To resist the temptation" means to SAY NO to it, NOT to give in.
2 synonyms for "to deceive"
to trick, to mislead, to cheat, to fool, to lie to (any 2)
You want to suggest some ideas to your boss. What phrase do you use?
"I'd like to pitch some ideas." or "Can I pitch some ideas?"
to pitch a product
— to promote or present a product in order to sell it
Don't _______ me _______ doing that!
A) tempt / to
B) deceive / into
C) bind / together
Correct answer: B) deceive / into
Don't deceive me into doing that!
❌ A) tempt / to — "tempt to" exists, but the structure is "tempt someone to do something", not "tempt into doing"
❌ C) bind / together — "bind together" means connect, completely wrong meaning here
"To tweak your pitch" means to work on smth.
TRUE → "To tweak your pitch" does mean to work on smth. (This one is TRUE!)
2 expressions for "to be connected"
1) to be bound together by; 2) to be in the loop
You did something just because you were curious. How do you explain it?
"I did it out of curiosity."