Cover of the textbook Speakout Advanced - Students' Book

The key answer of exercise 2

The key to exercise solutions in chapter 2.3 - Who do you trust? for the textbook Speakout Advanced - Students' Book with authors Antonia Clare and J. J. Wilson from Pearson Education

Question

  1. Work in pairs. Underline two idioms in the article and check you understand them.
  2. Work in pairs. Underline the idioms in the sentences 1-4 and choose the best definition, a) or b).
  3. Which idioms in Exercise 2B can be used to introduce opinions or knowledge?

Answer

a)

Dr David Bailey says, 'I've got a real vested interest. To have a vested interest means you are not neutral because you have personal reasons for wanting things to be a particular way. Professor Justin Lewis says, We don't have an axe to grind', which means the opposite.

b)

  1. play devil's advocate b)
  2. speak my mind b)
  3. sitting on the fence a)
  4. beat about the bush b)

c)

All of these can be used to introduce opinions or knowledge.