Illustrated Everyday Expressions with Stories 2 – Lesson 1 MCQ Test

Lesson 1 – At a fancy restaurant

Idioms

be composed of = comprise; be made of

Our crumbs are composed of only the finest ingredients!
The class was composed of students from the US, Canada, and England.
Water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen.

A: That’s a very interesting sculpture.
B: Yes, it‘s composed of wood, glass, and old shoes.

clean off = clear; take everything off

I think you need to clean off your windshield.
You should clean off your desk. It’s very dirty.
He cleaned off the shelf so that his new roommate could use it.

A: When is dinner?
B: In a few minutes. Please help me clean off the table.

come across = find by chance

I came across this in the backyard. Does anyone know what it is?
I came across some old photographs at my parent’s house.
She came across her favorite singer’s latest album at the record store.

A: Please check my homework.
B: Sure. If I come across any mistakes, I’ll tell you.

dress up = wear fancy clothes for a special occasion

Oh…that’s just crazy Willy. He likes to dress up.
Many children dress up as ghosts and monsters on Halloween.
Do I need to dress up for dinner at your parent’s house?

A: Why did you buy that suit?
B: I want to dress up for the party.

fall asleep = go to sleep

Now is not the time to fall asleep!
Don’t fall asleep when you are driving!
He falls asleep in class almost every day.

A: You look really tired.
B: I couldn’t fall asleep last night.

fill out = write all of the information needed on a form or application

Please fill out the form.
Everyone has to fill out a customs form when they enter a country.
Can you help me fill out this form? I don’t understand it.

A: I’d like to apply for a credit card.
B: OK. Just fill out this form and sign it.

in retrospect = looking back at the past

In retrospect, maybe the haircut wasn’t such a good idea.
In retrospect, I should have studied harder in high school.
You can see all of your past mistakes easily in retrospect.

A: Wow, I am so full!
B: Me, too. In retrospect, we should have ordered only one pizza.

on the whole = in general; all things considered

On the whole, I really enjoyed my trip to Canada.
On the whole, I enjoyed my time in the United States.
Although there were some slow parts, on the whole the movie was good.

A: What did you think of the test?
B: On the whole, I felt it was quite easy.

set out = leave; begin a journey

In the morning, he set out for the park across the street.
He set out for the market early in the morning.
She packed everything in her car and set out for California.

A: Did Bob leave already?
B: Yeah, he set out early this morning.

wait on = serve someone in a restaurant

I hate waiting on pigs.
The man who waited on us last night had a French accent.
How many tables can you wait on at the same time?

A: Excuse me, no one has waited on us yet.
B: I am very sorry. I’ll get a waiter right away.

READ THE FOLLOWING STORY 

I go to college in Boston, but my parents now live in Florida. During the summer vacation, I went to visit them. I set out from downtown Boston by bus on Tuesday afternoon. Thursday night, I got off the bus in Florida. I had a lot of trouble falling asleep on the bus, so I was exhausted by the time I arrived at my parents’ house. In retrospect, I probably should have just taken a plane to Florida.

After I was in Florida for a few days, I was well rested again. However, I soon got bored. My friends were all in Boston. I decided to get a job. I came across an advertisement for a job at a local restaurant. I filled out an application and got hired right away.

On the first day of work, I got up early and got ready. I didn’t have to dress up for work, but I did have to wear a uniform. The restaurant made everyone wear a formal white shirt and black shorts. The staff was composed of high school and college students.

At first, there were no customers, but around noon, the restaurant got crowded. I waited on customers and helped clean off tables. On the whole, it was pretty easy work. It wasn’t too busy but it wasn’t too slow either.

As the lunch crowd started to leave, I stopped at a table where an old man and an old woman were sitting. As I was picking up their empty plates, the old man asked me, “Are you from the north?”

I said, “Yes, sir. I’m from Boston. I guess You could tell right away I was from the north, because of the way I speak.”

“Oh no,” the old woman said. “We have never seen legs as white as yours before.”