Additional Language Exercises

16. Match the proverbs with their meaning.

	Discontent is the first step in progress.	(a)	Whatever your age, you can still increase your knowledge.
	Tell tales out of school.	(b)	All brilliant ideas are useless without an aptitude for had work.
	Experience is the mother of wisdom.	(c)	People with little knowledge are often unaware of their ignorance and are easily misled.
	He that would eat the kernel must crack the nut.	(d)	If a person is dissatisfied with something, he will take pains to change it.
	A Jack of all trades and master of none.	(e)	People learn by their own mistakes.
	Learn to walk before you run.	(f)	A person cannot expect to get anything without working for it.
	Ninety percent of inspiration is perspiration.	(g)	Make public something that should be kept private.
	One is never too old to learn.	(h)	To get on in the world, a person should concentrate on one thing and learn to do it well.
	A little learning is a dangerous thing.	(i)	Knowledge cannot be acquired all at once. It must be gained step by step.

17. Match the idioms that follow with their interpretations.

    (all) in a fog	spoil one's record; behave in such a way as to make people change their good opinion of one;
    ancient history	coll. a command to stop doing something, esp. to stop behaving in an annoying way or stop talking foolishly1;
    blackboard jungle	to become familiar with or learn the details of a subject before talking to someone or writing about it;
    blot one's copybook	a story that is so foolish or stupid that it is unlikely to be believed;
    cannot hold the candle to smb.	a very clear example, e.g. of how to do something, which others should learn from or take as a warning;
    cock-and-bull story	a school where the pupils are regarded as violent or uncontrollable;
    cover a lot of ground	coll.about to be scolded, esp. by one's employer or someone of higher rank;
    cut it out	to be not nearly so good as (someone);
    do one's homework	something well known;
    go over old ground	coll.not to have much time to do something;
    on the carpet	to show great eagerness (to do something or to be free from rules or limits); be impatient;
    keep/hold in check	coll.to do as well as is expected; succeed;
    make the grade	feeling confused or unsure of what one is doing;
    not have all day	coll.without pausing in one's speech;
    object lesson	coll. used to suggest that a person is an extreme example of the kind described, holding very strong opinions or having very fixed habits;
    parrot fashion	to control or hold back a person, one's feelings, etc., esp. not allow (someone or oneself) to become too excited or active;
    pull oneself up by one's own bootstraps	to become successful through one's own efforts, without help from other people and in spite of the disadvantages;
    straight off the reel	repeating certain words or ideas without really understanding their meaning;
    strain at the leash	to deal with material that is already familiar to the listeners or readers;
    the child is father of the man	(esp. of a teacher or lesson, a writer or report) to deal with many different subjects or to deal with one subject very thoroughly;
    with a capital T/S/P	the character of a fully grown person is the product of childhood influences;

18. Fill in the spaces with relevant idiomatic expressions from the exercise above.

1. When the teacher came into the room, he said, "________! Stop the talking and get on with your work!" 2. Nobody ________ her as far as languages are concerned. 3. This Grammar book ________; any student can use it as a good reference. 4. The TV presenter should have ________ before asking the studio guest questions. 5. The way he handled this situation provided an ________ in how to deal with angered visitors. 6. The teacher told the children to get ready quickly. "We ________, you know", she said. 7. Many of the singers can't speak Italian and have to learn the words ________. 8. He is a teacher ________ T. 9. He is such a bad teacher that the children are completely ________ about their schoolwork. 10. We have all heard about your accident – it's ________. 11. He was the teacher's favourite pupil until he ________ by failing all his examinations. 12. The noisy children had to be ________ by their teachers as they went past the library. 13. He gave me the information I asked for ________. 14. The teacher warned the boy that if she heard any more of his ________ he would be severely punished. 15. My teacher told me not to worry about missing his first three lessons since he would only be ________. 16. His boss had him ________ for arriving late at work. 17. Any girl can apply to join a six-week course – and those who ________ will be issued diplomas. 18. Look at the recently elected leader – a lady who has ________. 19. The teacher realised that the boy disliked school and was ________ to join his older brothers and earn his own money.