Collocation Station
Complete the natural phrase: ___ rain caused flooding across the city.
heavy rain
You use this idiom when you help a new group relax and start talking.
break the ice
You can do this with a language by hearing and using it, without formal lessons.
pick up
This word describes an answer that is short, clear and free of extra words.
concise
Correct the collocation: do a mistake.
make a mistake
Which word does NOT naturally follow MAKE? decision, mistake, effort, homework
homework
Complete the idiom: break the ___.
ice
In 'Maya picked up Korean by watching shows,' PICKED UP means this.
learned informally
Complete the natural phrase: We need to ___ a decision today.
make a decision
You use this idiom when two people understand things in the same way.
be on the same wavelength
Before an exam, you might do this to a skill you have not used recently.
brush up on
This word describes someone who checks every small detail very carefully.
meticulous
Correct the collocation: strong rain.
heavy rain
Which noun does NOT naturally follow HEAVY? rain, traffic, smoker, sunshine
sunshine
Complete the phrase: learn something by heart means learn it from ___.
memory
In 'The football match was called off,' CALLED OFF means this.
cancelled
Complete the natural phrase: Residents are ___ concerned about the proposal.
deeply concerned
You use this idiom when you accidentally say something rude or embarrassing.
put your foot in it
This means successfully finishing a difficult exam, task or week.
get through
This word means believable, even though it may not be proven true.
plausible
Correct the collocation: make your homework.
do your homework
Which word does NOT naturally follow DEEPLY? concerned, ashamed, regretted, asleep
asleep
Complete the idiom: see eye to ___.
eye
In 'His excuse does not add up,' DOES NOT ADD UP means this.
does not make sense
Complete the natural phrase: She was ___ disappointed by the result.
bitterly disappointed
You use this idiom when someone faces a difficult problem instead of avoiding it.
take the bull by the horns
This means that a complicated idea has one simple main point.
boil down to
This word describes technology that is too old to be useful now.
obsolete
Correct the collocation: say a speech.
give a speech
Which verb does NOT naturally go with ATTENTION? pay, attract, draw, do
do
Complete the phrasal verb: brush ___ on your French.
up
In 'The game lived up to the hype,' LIVED UP TO means this.
met expectations
Complete the natural phrase: There is ___ evidence that the policy is failing.
mounting evidence
This idiom describes a bad-looking situation that later brings a good result.
a blessing in disguise
A movie does this when it is as good as the reviews promised.
live up to
This word describes having both positive and negative feelings about something.
ambivalent
Correct the collocation: make research into climate change.
conduct research into climate change
Which word does NOT naturally follow BITTERLY? disappointed, opposed, cold, delighted
delighted
Complete the idiom: take something with a pinch of ___.
salt
In 'She sailed through the test,' SAILED THROUGH means this.
succeeded very easily
Complete the natural phrase: The report ___ a clear distinction between cause and effect.
draws a distinction
This idiom means changing the rules during a game or task so someone else cannot win.
move the goalposts
A student does this when their work is clearly better or different from the rest.
stand out
This word means found almost everywhere, like smartphones in a modern city.
ubiquitous
Correct the collocation: highly asleep.
fast asleep
Which verb does NOT naturally go with A CONCLUSION? reach, draw, jump to, perform
perform
Complete the idiom: be caught between a rock and a hard ___.
place
In 'The video glosses over the risks,' GLOSSES OVER means this.
mentions without giving enough attention
Complete the natural phrase: The twins ___ a striking resemblance to each other.
bear a striking resemblance
This idiom means giving up because you believe you cannot win.
throw in the towel
Authorities do this when they start enforcing a rule much more strictly.
crack down on
This verb means making an already difficult problem worse.
exacerbate
Correct the sentence: The final result depends of the weather.
The final result depends on the weather.
Which word does NOT naturally follow BLATANT? lie, discrimination, attempt, whisper
whisper
Complete the phrasal verb: the plan fell ___ because funding was withdrawn.
through
In 'The two teammates are at odds,' AT ODDS means this.
in disagreement
Complete the natural phrase: After reviewing the data, they ___ a tentative conclusion.
reached a tentative conclusion
This idiom means going directly against a rule, belief or expectation.
fly in the face of
Schools do this when they slowly stop using an old system.
phase out
This word describes an answer that is completely clear and certain.
unequivocal
Correct the sentence: She explained me why the plan had failed.
She explained to me why the plan had failed.
Which verb does NOT naturally go with EVIDENCE? gather, produce, corroborate, obey
obey
Complete the idiom: open a can of ___.
worms
In 'The low score was a bitter pill to swallow,' the expression means this.
an unpleasant fact that must be accepted
Complete the natural phrase: This invasive species ___ a serious threat to local wildlife.
poses a serious threat
This idiom describes a confident promise that could cause trouble later.
a hostage to fortune
People do this when they hide an argument without fixing the real problem.
paper over
This word means something seems true on the surface, but may not really be true.
ostensibly
Correct the sentence: We need to discuss about the long-term consequences.
We need to discuss the long-term consequences.
Which word does NOT naturally follow UTTERLY? ridiculous, exhausted, impossible, hungry
hungry
Complete the idiom: the proposal set the cat among the ___.
pigeons
In 'The new rule ran into strong opposition,' RAN INTO means this.
encountered
Complete the natural phrase: Senior judges must ___ considerable discretion in such cases.
exercise considerable discretion
This idiom means solving a very difficult problem with one bold action.
cut the Gordian knot
A player does this when they focus closely on one target.
zero in on
This word describes someone who refuses to change their opinion or compromise.
intransigent
Correct the sentence: The evidence strongly suggests us that the claim is false.
The evidence strongly suggests that the claim is false.
Which verb does NOT naturally go with DISCRETION? exercise, use, allow, decorate
decorate
Complete the idiom: that argument does not hold ___.
water
In 'The school paid lip service to student wellbeing,' PAID LIP SERVICE means this.
expressed support without sincere action