Correct Answer: C. bear with

Explanation: Bear with means to be patient with someone or to tolerate a difficult situation or delay.

Exam Tip: Don’t confuse these phrasal verbs:

• Bear with = be patient with, tolerate
• Bear on = be relevant to or affect
• Bear in mind = remember
• Bear up = remain cheerful or endure a difficult situation

Correct Answer: (B) look down

Explanation: The phrasal verb “look down upon” means to consider someone inferior or to treat them with contempt or disrespect.

Exam Tip: Don’t confuse these phrasal verbs:

• Look down upon = consider someone inferior
• Look over = examine quickly or review
• Look through = examine carefully or ignore deliberately (depending on context)
• Look into = investigate or inquire into something

Correct Answer: (B) Came across

Explanation: The phrasal verb come across means to find or discover something by chance. Therefore, the sentence means that the detective unexpectedly found a useful clue.

Exam Tip: Remember these commonly tested phrasal verbs:

• come across = find by chance
• come up with = produce or suggest an idea
• give in = surrender or yield
• fall down = collapse or fail physically

Correct Answer: (A) Recollect

Explanation: The phrasal verb call up means to bring something to mind; recollect or remember. It can also mean to telephone someone or to summon, but in this context, recollect is the correct meaning.

Exam Tip: Remember these commonly tested phrasal verbs:

• call up = recollect; telephone
• call off = cancel
• call on = visit or request someone to speak
• call for = require or demand

Correct Answer: (A) Takes after

Explanation: The phrasal verb take after means to resemble a parent or another family member in appearance or character. Therefore, the correct sentence is “The girl takes after her mother.”

Exam Tip: Remember these commonly tested phrasal verbs:

• take after = resemble a family member
• take off = remove; (aircraft) leave the ground
• take up = begin a hobby or occupy space/time
• take over = assume control or responsibility

Correct Answer: (B) Take up

Explanation: The phrasal verb take up means to begin discussing, studying, or dealing with a subject. Hence, the sentence means that the teacher will start teaching a new chapter.

Exam Tip: Remember these commonly tested phrasal verbs:

• take up = begin a subject, hobby, or activity
• take over = assume control
• take down = write down or remove from a higher place
• take off = remove; (aircraft) leave the ground

Correct Answer: (C) Call

Explanation: The correct phrasal verb is call out, which means to shout, to call loudly, or to summon someone. Hence, the sentence becomes “He wanted to call out.”

Exam Tip: Remember these commonly tested phrasal verbs with call:

• call out = shout; summon
• call off = cancel
• call on = visit or request someone to speak
• call up = telephone; recollect

Correct Answer: (A) Let up

Explanation: The phrasal verb let up means to become less intense or to stop, especially in the context of rain, wind, pain, or pressure. Thus, the sentence means that the rain did not decrease or stop.

Exam Tip: Remember these commonly tested phrasal verbs with let:

• let up = become less intense; ease
• let in = allow to enter
• let off = release; excuse from punishment
• let go (of) = release or stop holding

Correct Answer: (D) Cast aside

Explanation: The phrasal verb cast aside means to throw away, discard, or neglect something as unimportant. In the given context, it implies that the files were carelessly thrown aside in a hurry.

Exam Tip: Remember these commonly tested phrasal verbs with cast:

• cast aside = discard; throw away
• cast out = expel or drive away
• cast about (for) = search for
• cast up = bring up or calculate (less common usage)

Correct Answer: (A) Hold up

Explanation: The phrasal verb hold up can function as a noun (hold-up) meaning a robbery, especially using force or threat. Therefore, the sentence means that a robbery took place on the midnight train.

Exam Tip: Remember these commonly tested phrasal verbs with hold:

• hold up = rob; delay
• hold on = wait
• hold out = resist; continue to survive
• hold back = restrain; prevent from advancing

Correct Answer: (C) Look up

Explanation: The phrasal verb look up means to search for information in a book, dictionary, directory, or database. Therefore, the sentence means that they decided to search for his telephone number in the yellow pages.

Exam Tip: Remember these commonly tested phrasal verbs with look:

• look up = search for information
• look into = investigate
• look after = take care of
• look forward to = eagerly await

Correct Answer: (B) Hold on

Explanation: The phrasal verb hold on means to continue, persist, or remain in a situation despite difficulties. In this sentence, it means the speaker will continue in the job until May.

Exam Tip: Remember these commonly tested phrasal verbs with hold:

• hold on = continue; wait
• hold up = delay; rob
• hold back = restrain
• hold out = resist; endure

Correct Answer: (B) Put up with

Explanation: The phrasal verb put up with means to tolerate or endure something unpleasant. Hence, the sentence means that the boss could no longer tolerate his inefficiency.

Exam Tip: Remember these commonly tested phrasal verbs with put:

• put up with = tolerate
• put off = postpone; discourage
• put down = criticize; write down
• put across = communicate or explain effectively

Correct Answer: (A) Went back on

Explanation: The phrasal verb go back on means to break a promise, fail to keep one’s word, or betray an agreement. Therefore, the sentence means that his friend did not keep his promise, causing great despair.

Exam Tip: Remember these commonly tested phrasal verbs with go:

• go back on = break a promise
• go through = experience; examine carefully
• go over = review
• go ahead = proceed or continue

Correct Answer: (B) Punished

Explanation: The phrasal verb keep in means to make a student remain in school after normal hours as a punishment. Therefore, “kept in after school” implies that the boys were punished.

Exam Tip: Remember these commonly tested phrasal verbs with keep:

• keep in = detain as punishment; suppress
• keep up = continue; maintain
• keep on = continue doing something
• keep away (from) = stay at a distance

Correct Answer: (C) Put something by

Explanation: The phrasal verb put something by means to save money for future use or for times of need. The expression “save for a rainy day” refers to setting aside money for unforeseen circumstances.

Exam Tip: Remember these commonly tested phrasal verbs with put:

• put something by = save for the future
• put off = postpone
• put down = write down; suppress; criticize
• put into = invest time, effort, or money into something

Correct Answer: (A) Made away

Explanation: The correct phrasal verb is make away with, which means to steal and escape with something or to carry something away unlawfully. Therefore, the sentence means that the thief escaped with the ornaments.

Exam Tip: Remember these commonly tested phrasal verbs with make:

• make away with = steal or remove unlawfully
• make off (with) = escape after stealing
• make out = understand; discern
• make up = invent; reconcile; compensate

Correct Answer: (A) Ties in

Explanation: The phrasal verb tie in with means to agree with, correspond to, or be consistent with something else. Thus, the sentence means that the evidence is consistent with what is already known.

Exam Tip: Remember these commonly tested phrasal verbs:

• tie in with = correspond to; be consistent with
• set in = begin (especially something unpleasant, e.g., winter or decay)
• give in = surrender or yield
• go down = decrease; happen; be accepted or remembered

Correct Answer: (A) Overcome

Explanation: The phrasal verb tide over means to successfully overcome or survive a difficult situation, especially a temporary crisis or shortage. Thus, the sentence means that he managed to overcome the crisis through persistent effort.

Exam Tip: Remember these commonly tested phrasal verbs:

• tide over = overcome a temporary difficulty
• pull through = recover from illness or hardship
• get over = recover from or overcome
• see through = successfully complete or detect the truth behind something

Correct Answer: (B) Fizzled out

Explanation: The phrasal verb fizzle out means to end gradually in a weak, unsuccessful, or disappointing manner. Hence, it best replaces the underlined words.

Exam Tip: Remember these commonly tested phrasal verbs:

• fizzle out = end weakly or disappointingly
• rough out = prepare a rough draft or outline
• flake out = collapse from exhaustion or fail to keep an appointment (informal)
• round off = complete or finish something satisfactorily

Correct Answer: (C) Yielded

Explanation: The phrasal verb give in means to surrender, yield, or stop resisting. In this sentence, it means the robbers finally surrendered to the police after resisting for some time.

Exam Tip: Remember these commonly tested phrasal verbs with give:

• give in = surrender; yield
• give up = stop trying; quit
• give away = donate; reveal a secret
• give out = distribute; become exhausted or stop functioning

Correct Answer: (B) Retard

Explanation: The phrasal verb hold back means to delay, hinder, or retard the progress or development of someone or something. In the sentence, poor nutrition delays normal physical growth.

Exam Tip: Remember these commonly tested phrasal verbs with hold:

• hold back = hinder; restrain; retard
• hold up = delay; rob
• hold on = wait; continue
• hold out = resist; endure; survive

Correct Answer: (B) Understand

Explanation: The phrasal verb make out means to understand, comprehend, or interpret something that is difficult to hear, read, or perceive. Thus, the sentence means that the speaker cannot understand what he is trying to say.

Exam Tip: Remember these commonly tested phrasal verbs with make:

• make out = understand; discern
• make up = invent; reconcile
• make for = move toward; contribute to
• make away with = steal or dispose of illegally

Correct Answer: (B) Put in

Explanation: The phrasal verb put in means to insert or place something into a document, text, or conversation. Therefore, it is the most appropriate replacement for inserted.

Exam Tip: Remember these commonly tested phrasal verbs with put:

• put in = insert; include
• put off = postpone
• put up with = tolerate
• put aside = save; reserve; ignore

Correct Answer: (B) To leave alone

Explanation: The phrasal verb lay off has multiple meanings. Besides to dismiss someone from work temporarily or permanently, it also means to stop bothering someone or to leave someone alone.

Exam Tip: Remember these commonly tested phrasal verbs with lay:

• lay off = dismiss from work; leave alone
• lay out = arrange; spend money
• lay aside = save for future use; put aside
• lay down = establish (rules); surrender arms

Correct Answer: (D) Out

Explanation: The phrasal verb fall out means to quarrel or have a disagreement with someone. The phrase “but soon became friends again” clearly indicates that the boys had a quarrel and later reconciled.

Exam Tip: Remember these commonly tested phrasal verbs with fall:

• fall out = quarrel; become estranged
• fall behind = fail to keep up
• fall through = fail to happen
• fall for = be deceived by; become attracted to

Correct Answer: (C) On

Explanation: The idiomatic expression get a move on means to hurry up or start moving more quickly. In the sentence, the speaker is asking the slow worker to work faster.

Exam Tip: Remember these commonly tested phrasal verbs with get:

• get a move on = hurry up
• get over = recover from
• get along (with) = have a good relationship
• get away with = escape punishment for an offence

Correct Answer: (D) By

Explanation: The phrasal verb put by means to save money for future use. In the sentence, the man saved some money to support himself in old age.

Exam Tip: Remember these commonly tested phrasal verbs with put:

• put by = save for the future
• put off = postpone
• put up with = tolerate
• put down = write; suppress; criticize