Choose from the options lettered A - E the interpretation you consider most appropriate for each expression…

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the meaning of the idiom "live from hand to mouth" in the context of rising fuel prices.

Step 2: Explain the concept "To live from hand to mouth" means to have just enough money to meet immediate needs, usually food, with nothing saved for later. It describes a life of poverty or financial struggle. The money comes into the "hand" and goes straight to the "mouth" (food), so nothing is left over.

Step 3: Evaluate the options

• A. are comfortable: Wrong. Living from hand to mouth is the opposite of comfort.
• B. cannot make ends meet: Correct. It means struggling to cover basic expenses, which fits people hit by rising prices.
• C. eat a great deal: Wrong. It has nothing to do with eating a lot.
• D. eat well but have no left-over: Wrong. The idiom does not suggest eating well. It suggests barely getting by.
• E. eat with their fingers: Wrong. This is a literal reading of the words, not the idiom's meaning.

Step 4: Answer The context supports it too: when the prices of petroleum products keep rising, the cost of transport and food rises, and people struggle to afford basic needs.

Tip: For idiom questions, never interpret the words literally (as in option E). Ask what the whole phrase means in context. Related idioms to learn: "make ends meet" (manage on limited money), "hand-to-mouth existence" (poverty), and "a rainy day" (a time of need, as in saving for a rainy day).