Animal Idioms Practice Test (A2-B2) — Vocabulary Exercises with Answers

⏱ Time: 10:00 📝 Questions: 20 📊 Level: A2, B1, B2 📚 Type: Vocabulary ⭐ XP: up to +22 (on pass)
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Work towards mastering Animal Idioms with this focused set of 20 exercises. Designed for Level A2-B2, the questions test recognition, meaning, and natural use. Earn XP, track your score, and come back until you can get them all right.

⏱ You have 10:00 to answer 20 questions. The timer only starts when you click Begin.

Q1  20
Q1 20

Question 1: Don't tell anyone about the party — it's a secret. Let's not let the ___ out of the bag.

Question 1 options
'Let the cat out of the bag' means to reveal a secret accidentally. 'Dog', 'bird', and 'fish' do not form this idiom.
Q2 20

Question 2: It's raining ___ and dogs outside today!

Question 2 options
'It's raining cats and dogs' is a common idiom meaning it is raining very heavily. 'Birds', 'fish', and 'horses' do not complete this fixed expression.
Q3 20

Question 3: The idiom 'busy as a bee' describes someone who is very lazy.

Question 3 options
False. 'Busy as a bee' means someone who is very active and hardworking, not lazy. Bees are associated with constant activity.
Q4 20

Question 4: What does the idiom 'hold your horses' mean?

Question 4 options
'Hold your horses' means to wait or be patient. It does not mean to run faster, take care of animals, or stop riding.
Q5 20

Question 5: My brother always eats so much. He eats like a ___.

Question 5 options
'Eat like a horse' means to eat a very large amount of food. 'Mouse', 'cat', and 'bird' are associated with eating small amounts or are not used in this idiom.
Q6 20

Question 6: She's feeling a bit under the weather — I think she's got ___ bumps all over her arms.

Question 6 options
'Goose bumps' (or 'goosebumps') refers to the small raised bumps on the skin caused by cold or fear. The expression always uses 'goose'.
Q7 20

Question 7: Which word is closest in meaning to 'pigheaded'?

Question 7 options
'Pigheaded' means extremely stubborn and refusing to change one's mind. 'Generous', 'intelligent', and 'cheerful' have completely different meanings.
Q8 20

Question 8: Match each animal idiom to its meaning.

Question 8 options
a dark horse
crocodile tears
the lion's share
a wild goose chase
the largest portion of something
a hopeless or pointless search
fake or insincere crying
an unknown competitor who may succeed

Select an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.

'A dark horse' means an unknown competitor. 'Crocodile tears' means fake sadness. 'The lion's share' means the largest portion. 'A wild goose chase' means a pointless search.
Q9 20

Question 9: Stop avoiding the problem and talk about it directly. Don't beat around the ___.

Question 9 options
'Beat around the bush' means to avoid talking about something directly. 'Tree', 'barn', and 'fence' do not complete this fixed idiom.
Q10 20

Question 10: I smell something suspicious about this deal — I think there's something ___.

Question 10 options
'Something fishy' means something seems suspicious or dishonest. 'Mousy', 'foxy', and 'batty' do not fit this fixed expression about suspicion.
Q11 20

Question 11: What does the idiom 'have butterflies in your stomach' mean?

Question 11 options
'Have butterflies in your stomach' describes feeling nervous or anxious, especially before an important event. It does not relate to hunger, illness, or happiness.
Q12 20

Question 12: He's the ___ sheep of the family — always getting into trouble and embarrassing everyone.

Question 12 options
'Black sheep' refers to a person who is considered a disgrace or outcast in a family or group. 'White', 'lost', and 'old' do not form this idiom.
Q13 20

Question 13: If someone 'has a frog in their throat', it means they have difficulty speaking clearly, usually because of a cough or sore throat.

Question 13 options
True. 'Have a frog in your throat' is an idiom describing a hoarse or unclear voice, typically caused by a temporary throat problem.
Q14 20

Question 14: The new employee was given all the difficult tasks — she felt like a ___ pig for the department.

Question 14 options
'Guinea pig' means a person used as a subject for experimentation or testing. 'Scapegoat' means someone blamed unfairly, 'cash cow' means a steady source of profit, and 'lame duck' means an ineffective person.
Q15 20

Question 15: What does 'bark' mean in this sentence? "The dog's bark scared the cat up a tree."

Question 15 options
'Bark' has multiple meanings: the loud sound a dog makes, the outer covering of a tree, or a type of sailing vessel. In this sentence, 'bark' refers to the loud, sharp sound a dog produces, not the covering of a tree trunk or a boat.
Q16 20

Question 16: After years of working quietly in the background, nobody expected her to win the prize — she was a real ___.

Question 16 options
'Dark horse' describes someone who surprises others by succeeding unexpectedly. 'Sitting duck' means an easy target, 'fat cat' means a wealthy person, and 'lone wolf' means someone who prefers to be alone.
Q17 20

Question 17: The politician shed ___ tears while apologising, but nobody believed his sincerity.

Question 17 options
'Crocodile tears' means a false or insincere display of grief or sadness. 'Dragon', 'snake', and 'lizard' do not form this well-known idiom.
Q18 20

Question 18: The manager tends to ___ people around the office, always giving orders in an aggressive manner.

Question 18 options
'To bully' means to intimidate or boss people around aggressively, derived from the word 'bull'. 'Parrot' means to repeat, 'weasel' means to evade, and 'monkey' means to tamper with something.
Q19 20

Question 19: What does the idiom 'open a can of worms' mean?

Question 19 options
'Open a can of worms' means to create a complicated situation full of problems that are difficult to resolve. It does not mean to start fishing, reveal insects, or clean up.
Q20 20

Question 20: She tried to ___ out of her responsibilities by making excuses and blaming others for the failure.

Question 20 options
'Weasel out of' means to escape from a duty or responsibility in a sneaky or dishonest way. 'Snake', 'fox', and 'rat' are not used in this particular phrasal verb idiom.